PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo has announced a five-year contract extension for head football coach Philip Vigil to continue to lead the ThunderWolves football program through the 2029 season as announced Friday afternoon.

"It has been an honor to work with Coach Vigil the past two years and I'm thrilled that he agreed to a contract extension. Not only has Coach Vigil enhanced our competitive success but he has bolstered all aspects of the program, including the team GPA and engagement in community service. He manages a great staff and has built a tremendous culture that resonates with each individual in the program," said CSU Pueblo Vice President of Athletics and Strategic Partnership Dr. Paul Plinske. "Perhaps Coach Vigil's greatest attribute is the development of his 'Built for Life' Program that helps our football players grow in all aspects of their lives. Pack players are given life-skills that go well beyond the playing field and prepare them thoroughly for life after college."
 
In his second season at CSU Pueblo, Vigil led the Pack to a 10-2 overall record and a perfect 9-0 record in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Pack claimed its first outright RMAC title for the first time since 2014 and the program's ninth all-time league title and earned the No. 1 seed from Super Region Four in the NCAA Division II Playoffs where the Pack fell in the second round in the ThunderBowl to Minnesota State.

"I am incredibly grateful to President Valdez and Dr. Plinske for their continued belief in me and our staff. It is truly an honor to continue to represent CSU Pueblo, a place that has meant so much to me and my family," Vigil said. "I'm excited to keep working alongside our dedicated players and staff as we build strong men, both on and off the field, through the game of football."

The Pack's overall record has improved each of the last two seasons under Vigil as the Pack finished his first season in 2023 with an 8-3 overall record and a 7-2 mark in the RMAC before posting its 10-2 overall record and a 9-0 mark in the RMAC last season. Vigil's two-year record at Pack is 18-5 overall and 16-2 in the RMAC with all five of those losses coming to teams that have posted a combined record of 57-11, including a 35-5 record in 2023 and a 22-6 record in 2024.
 
Since Vigil arrived at CSU Pueblo, the Pack football program has set nearly 60 records in the past two years and has been ranked in the Top 10 in Division II in passing offense, scoring offense, and total offense over the last two seasons and during 2024, the Pack had three games with 600 or more yards of total offense, including the program's only two 700+ yards of total offense, and four of the program's Top 10 all-time total offensive yardage games have come in Vigil's tenure.

In 2023, the Pack averaged 289.7 passing yards, 42.0 points per game, and 446.3 yards of total offense and was 87.8 percent in red zone offense, while in 2024, the Pack averaged 308.5 passing yards, 40.2 points per game, and 462.5 yards of total offense and gained 259 first downs on offense.
 
While Vigil's offenses have been ranked among the Top 10 in Division II, the Pack's defense has ranked in the Top 10 nationally each season in sacks and in 2024, was in the Top 10 nationally in blocked kicks and was in the Top 15 in interceptions. The 2023 team won the NCAA Division II statistical title for kickoff returns as they averaged 32.8 yards per kickoff return.
 
Vigil has also coached 52 All-RMAC selections, including 11 first-team selections, three RMAC special award winners, 16 RMAC Players of the Week, four All-Americans, and the 2023-24 team earned the RMAC Brechler Award, which is awarded to the top GPA team in each conference sport.
 
Vigil was named just the fifth-ever head football coach at CSU Pueblo on December 23, 2022, after two seasons as the head football coach at Western New Mexico University. Under Vigil's leadership, the Mustangs earned their first winning season in the Lone Star Conference since 1993 during the 2022 season. In addition, he coached a total of 17 All-Conference performers over his two seasons at Western New Mexico.
 
Vigil's third Pack team is scheduled to open the 2025 season on Aug. 28 in CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl against South Dakota Mines.
 
TRANSACTIONS: CSU Pueblo has announced that head football coach Philip Vigil has signed a five-year contract extension to continue to lead the Pack football program until 2029.