The Idaho Vandals football team is in a time of change. After an underwhelming 4-8 season, the Vandals were ready to make big changes. Tonight, Idaho announced that after a national search for a new offensive coordinator, they have hired Ian Shoemaker to fill the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach position.
“I am so proud that Coach Ford asked me to join the Vandal Family,” Shoemaker said in Idaho Athletics’ press release. “I look forward to helping build on the strong foundation that was established in his first season. The commitment to excellence and the potential within this program is something I am truly excited to be a part of.”
On Nov. 25, the Vandals announced that longtime Vandal and offensive coordinator Matt Linehan would not return as OC, and head coach Thomas Ford Jr. looked for a new signal caller.
“Coach Shoemaker has a wealth of knowledge, has northwest roots and has been a consistent winner at every stop he’s made,” Ford said in the release. “I’ve had the pleasure of knowing him on a professional level for over a decade and have always held him in the highest regard for his offensive innovation and quarterback development. I know that his expertise and experience in the Big Sky are going to bring a tremendous amount of excitement and points to the P1FCU Kibbie Dome.”
Idaho averaged 25 points per game and showed flashes of a great offense, but the consistency was not there throughout the season. Having multiple injuries at the quarterback, running back, and receiver positions, they will look for a fresh start and to be a more balanced attack under Shoemaker.
Shoemaker a northwest native comes to Idaho after two years at Grand Valley State and has over 30 years of coaching experience, including stops at Eastern Washington and Hawaii among several others. While at Eastern Washington, Shoemaker was behind of one of the best offenses in Big Sky Conference history.
The Eagles averaged 537 yards per game and put up over 40 points per outing. After those two years at EWU, he went to the Islands and was the co-offensive coordinator and quarterback coach for Hawaii. He was there for two seasons before he accepted the job at Grand Valley State.
During his time there, he oversaw a top 25 offensive unit and guided the Lakers to an 18-5 record. Throughout his two years with the program, Shoemaker developed some of Division II’s most potent offenses. In 2024, the Lakers earned national recognition, ranking 24th in total offense and 14th in scoring. This past season in 2025, GVSU continued their offensive success, generating more than 400 yards and close to 40 points per game.
Idaho will look to be an offense that maintains its identity of running the football, but they will also look to push the ball down the field, create more explosive plays and keep defenses guessing.
“Our goal offensively will be to be multiple in our approach, attacking defenses in a variety of ways to keep them off balance,” Shoemaker said in the release. “We will work relentlessly to put our student-athletes in the best position to succeed, focusing on both running the ball effectively and creating explosive plays in the passing game.”
Idaho has the tools to be an explosive offense, starting with the guy under center.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Joshua Wood missed multiple games this past season but still finished 152-260 for 1,898 yards with 14 touchdowns and five interceptions. Wood was also extremely explosive with his legs, finishing with 589 yards and seven touchdowns. That dual-threat element makes Wood one of the most explosive and dangerous players in the Big Sky Conference going forward.
Idaho also has an extremely talented running back in redshirt sophomore Art Williams, whose season ended early due to injury. The room that has the most upside is the wide receiver corps.
Redshirt freshman wide receivers Ryan Jezioro and Marquawn McCraney combined for 653 yards and six touchdowns this past season, while freshman Nolan McWilliams came on strong towards the end of the season with 229 yards on the season and his lone touchdown coming versus Idaho State.
With Shoemaker at the helm, there is significant upside and potential for the offense to help guide the Vandals back to the playoffs and competing for championships.