 Linehan with the Cowboys in 2017 | |
| New Orleans Saints | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Senior offensive assistant |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | (1963-09-17)September 17, 1963 (age 61) Sunnyside, Washington, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Sunnyside (WA) |
| College: | Idaho |
| Career history | |
As a coach: | |
| |
| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season: | 11–25 (.306) |
| Coaching profile atPro Football Reference | |
Scott Thomas Linehan (born September 17, 1963) is anAmerican football coach who serves as a senior offensive assistant for theNew Orleans Saints of theNational Football League (NFL). He recently was an offensive analyst atMontana. He was the passing game coordinator forLSU in 2020.[1] He was previously the head coach of theSt. Louis Rams and the offensive coordinator for theDallas Cowboys,Miami Dolphins,Minnesota Vikings andDetroit Lions. Prior to becoming an NFL coach in 2002, Linehan was a college assistant coach for 13 seasons.
Linehan was born and raised inSunnyside, Washington, about three hours southeast ofSeattle, in the lowerYakima Valley ofeasternWashington. He was a three-year starter at quarterback atSunnyside High School, where his father was principal. Linehan graduated from high school in 1982 and accepted ascholarship to playcollege football at theUniversity of Idaho inMoscow, about two hundred miles (320 km) to the east. He was a member ofDennis Erickson's first recruiting class as a collegiate head coach.[2] Linehan's brothers, Ron and Rick, had played at Idaho in the 1970s, and were team leaders on defense.[3][4]
Linehan was aquarterback for theVandals under head coaches Erickson (1982–85) andKeith Gilbertson.[5] He backed-up juniorAll-AmericanKen Hobart as a true freshman in 1982, thenredshirted in1983.[6] Linehan became the starter in1984 as a redshirt sophomore, but broke hisclavicle early in the second game and missed most of that game and two additional starts.[6][7][8][9] Following two successful seasons behind Hobart, the Vandals struggled to a2–5 record in 1984, then won four straight to finish6–5 and third in theBig Sky. It concluded with a37–0 shutout atBronco Stadium for a third consecutive win overrivalBoise State,[10][11] a streak that extended to twelve straight in1993.
Linehan led the Vandals to a 5–1 record as a starter in1985, then a stress fracture in his right foot required surgery and sidelined him forthe season.[12][13][14][15] Idaho won theBig Sky title and had consecutiveDivision I-AA playoff appearances in1985 and1986.[16][17] Finally healthy for a full season as a fifth-year senior in1986,[18] Idaho went 8–3 in the regular season and he threw for 2,954 yards, ending his college career with over 7,000 yards.[19]
Tom Cable andMark Schlereth both blocked for Linehan during his college career at Idaho. Linehan credits Erickson as the "biggest influence" on his attack-style offensive philosophies.[20]
Not selected in the1987 NFL draft, Linehan signed as anundrafted free agent with theDallas Cowboys on May 6,1987.[21] A shoulder injury quickly ended his playing career, when he was cut at the start of his rookie training camp.[5]
Linehan began his coaching career as a volunteer coach atSunset High School inPortland in 1987. At this time, he also was helping a friend with his business, sellingclass rings forJostens.[19][22]
Linehan's college coaching career began in1989 at hisalma mater, theUniversity of Idaho, as wide receivers coach under first-year head coachJohn L. Smith. After two seasons at Idaho, Linehan coached a year atUNLV,[22] and returned for two more seasons at Idaho as offensive coordinator.[23] Linehan then spent five years atWashington inSeattle underJim Lambright and three atLouisville under John L. Smith.
On February 10, 2020,LSU hired Linehan as passing game coordinator.[1] Following the 2020 season, Linehan was let go by LSU.[24]
In May 2021, the University of Missouri announced that Linehan had official joined the Tigers' staff as offensive analyst.[25]
In 2024, Linehan was hired as an offensive analyst forMontana.[26]
Linehan took his firstNFL job as the offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach with theMinnesota Vikings in2002. After three seasons in Minneapolis, Linehan served in a similar capacity with theMiami Dolphins in2005 underNick Saban, then was hired ashead coach by theSt. Louis Rams on January 19,2006.[27]
Linehan inherited a team in transition. Most of the Rams' stars from earlier in the decade had gone elsewhere, and the remaining players from "The Greatest Show on Turf" era had noticeably lost a step. Nonetheless, Linehan's tenure started out on a promising note, as the Rams went 4–2 in their first six games. However, a four-game losing streak in October and November effectively ended any chance of making the playoffs. Despite this slump, the NFC West was so weak that year that they finished 8–8, missing the division title by a single game. However, the Rams regressed to 3–13 in his second season. Years of questionable draft and free-agent acquisitions caught up with the team, and the season degenerated into a fiasco due to a rash of injuries to the offensive line. The season was also marked by disputes with star players such asSteven Jackson,Torry Holt, and, most notoriously, quarterbackMarc Bulger. Holt and Jackson openly feuded with Linehan on the sidelines during games. The easygoing Linehan didn't discipline them, leading to criticism that he wasn't willing to assert his authority.
The bottom fell out in2008. After an 0–3 start in which the Rams were outscored 116–29, a significant departure from the days of "The Greatest Show on Turf", Linehan benched Bulger in favor ofTrent Green for their game against theBuffalo Bills. The move did not work; the Rams lost 35–14 after allowing 25 unanswered points in the second half. Linehan was fired hours later, tallying an 11–25 record in his 36 games as head coach.[28]
On January 9, 2009, Linehan interviewed with theSan Francisco 49ers as a candidate for the openoffensive coordinator position.
Linehan was announced as the offensive coordinator of theDetroit Lions on January 23,2009, by new head coachJim Schwartz.[5] On December 30,2013, head coachJim Schwartz was fired, and all of Schwartz' assistants were fired as well, including Linehan.[29]
On January 27, 2014, the Dallas Cowboys hired Linehan as offensive play caller and was later given the title ofpassing game coordinator.[30] Incumbent offensive coordinator and play callerBill Callahan remained on the staff, but relinquished play calling duties and was given the new title of running game coordinator. Linehan served as thede facto offensive coordinator by leading offensive meetings and calling plays during games.[31] He was formally promoted to offensive coordinator upon Callahan's departure at the end of the season. Linehan had previously worked with Cowboys head coachJason Garrett when they served as assistants on the staff ofNick Saban'sMiami Dolphins in 2005. On January 18, 2019, Linehan was fired by the Dallas Cowboys.[32]
On March 3, 2025, theNew Orleans Saints hired Linehan on to their coaching staff.[33]
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| STL | 2006 | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2nd in NFC West | - | - | - | - |
| STL | 2007 | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 4th in NFC West | - | - | - | - |
| STL | 2008 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | Fired | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 11 | 25 | 0 | .306 | - | - | - | - | - | |
Linehan is the youngest of seven children of William and Margaret Linehan; he has three brothers and three sisters. His father, Bill (1921–98), was born inPlummer, Idaho, and was the high school principal in Sunnyside,[19] after serving in World War II with the U.S. Army in thePacific. Both parents and a sister attended theUniversity of Idaho,[9] as did brothers, Ron and Rick, who also played football at Idaho.[2]Ron (1950–2005) was a three-time All-Big Sky linebacker(1969–71) and was selected in the1972 NFL draft; he was a high school coach in thePortland area until his death at age 55.[34] Rick had ten career interceptions as a Vandal defensive back (1976–78).[3][4]
Linehan and his wife have three sons:,Matthew who is the wide receivers coach for the University of Idaho, Michael, who is the defensive line coach for the University of Montana, and Marcus, who was 5’10”.[35]
Linehan's wife, Kristen (née Browitt), is the sister-in-law of actorJim Caviezel; she and Caviezel's wife, Kerri, are sisters.[36][37]
