Jody Owens - Linebackers/Assistant Head Coach - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Jody Owens

Title:
Linebackers/Assistant Head Coach
Email:

One of the most accomplished players in Bobcat football history, Jody Owens returned to the MSU coaching staff as safeties coach in 2024 and assumed the title of Assistant Head Coach while transitioning to linebackers in 2025. Owens came to MSU after one season as defensive coordinator and for the last four games interim head coach at NCAA Division II St. Augustine's. Owens' college coaching career began at MSU in 2015 after two seasons coaching high school football in his native Texas. He worked as a graduate assistant at Nevada in 2016 before coaching linebackers at Washington in 2017-18. In 2019 he became defensive coordinator at NAIA Briar Cliff (Iowa) then worked as co-defensive coordinator at NCAA Division II Pittsburg (Kansas) State in 2020-21. He worked on the Carolina Panthers staff in 2022 before joining the St. Augustine’s staff before the 2023 season. Owens built a legendary legacy as a Bobcat linebacker, earning unanimous First Team All-Big Sky and 2^nd Team All-America honors as a junior in 2011 and consensus All-America and Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year honors as a senior. He earned induction into the Bobcat Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023.

Personal Information
Birth Date: September 12, 1990
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Education: BA Secondary Education, MSU, 2012; ME Education Leadership, Nevada, 2016; MA Intercollegiate Athletics Leadership, Nevada, 2019.
Player: MSU 2008-12
Family: Wife Maricia, sons Jody II and Jax.

Timeline
2024-present: Montana State, AHC&LBs (2025-)/Safeties (2024)
2023: St. Augustine’s, Defensive Coordinator, Interim Head Coach
2022: Carolina Panthers, Offensive Assistant
2020-21: Pittsburg (Kansas) State
2019: Briar Cliff, Defensive Coordinator
2017-18: Washington, Grauduate Assistant (Linebackers)
2016: Nevada, Graduate Assistant
2015: Montana State, Linebackers
2014: L.D. Bell HS in Hurst, Texas
2013: Nevada (Texas) Community HS in Nevada, Texas

Team Accomplishments as Coach
MSU – 2024 - Big Sky Champions, FCS runner-up
UW – 2018 - Pac 12 Champions, Rose Bowl; 2017 Pac 12 North Co-Champions, Fiesta Bowl.

Individual Achievements as Coach
UW – 2018 - Ben Burr-Kirven, Pac 12 Defensive Player of Year

NFL Players Coached
Panthers – 2022: Christian McCaffrey, D’onta Foreman, Chuba Hubbard, Joe Tryon

All-Americas Coached as Position Coach
PSU – 2021: LB PJ Sarwinski
BCU – 2019: OLB Robert Robinson
UW – 2018: Ben Burr-Kirven (3rd)

All-Conference Players Coached as Position Coach
MSU – 2024 - Rylan Ortt (1st); UW – 2018 - Ben Burr-Kirven (1st); 2017 Kieshawn Bierria (2nd), Ben Burr-Kirven (2nd)

Playing Career
Big Sky Defensive MVP, 1st Team All-America, 1st Team All-Big Sky in 2012; 2nd Team All-America, 1st Team All-Big Sky in 2011.