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Bo Beck enters his fourth season overall with the ThunderWolves and third straight as the assistant coach of the linebackers.
In 2019, the linebacker group gathered four All-RMAC honors, while OLB James Maxie was named an All-American. Maxie and ILB Kyle Rosenbrock both were first team all-conference, while Rosenbrock was an Academic All-America First Team honoree. LB Luke Conilogue was named to the second team and OLB Trevor Philio was an honorable mention pick. Four out of the top six tacklers were linebackers, while Maxie and Rosenbrock combined for 204 tackles, 31 tackles for loss and 14 sacks. The Pack defense finished the regular season first in NCAA Division II in interceptions (26), sacks (3.82 spg) and defensive touchdowns (9), second in turnovers gained (32), fourth in rushing defense (60.9 ypg), fifth in scoring defense (14.5 ppg) and eighth in team passing efficiency defense (96.93). The Pack were 18th in the nation in total defense (287 ypg).
The linebackers were key to the success of the Pack in 2018, as ILB Brandon Payer graduated as one of the best to play the position for the ThunderWolves. Three linebackers earned All-RMAC honors, while Payer was the RMAC Defensive Player of the Year. He went on to earn All-America First Team recognition from three major publications. He was invited to two NFL Rookie Mini-Camps (New York Giants and New Orleans Saints). He totaled 102 tackles in 2018 and finished his career with 377 tackles for the modern-era record and the stand second all-time in program history. Senior OLB Noor Shongolo was an All-RMAC First Team recipient, while junior ILB Kyle Rosenbrock gathered All-RMAC Second Team honors.
The ThunderWolves defense finished the season leading the nation in turnovers (45), turnover margin (+2.0), passes intercepted (28) and team passing efficiency defense (86.73). The ThunderWolves were second in fumbles recovered (17), team tackles for loss (10.5) and sacks (4.0). CSU-Pueblo was also top 10 in defensive TDs (3rd, 5), scoring defense (5th, 13.2), total defense (5th, 241.8), 3rd down conversion defense (6th, 26.6) and rushing defense (6th, 83.2).
Beck has coached football since 1994 at the NCAA Division I (BCS and FCS), Divison II and high school levels. He was a American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Assistant Coach of the Year Finalist at the FCS level in 2015. In his career he has coached teams that have made four NCAA playoff appearances, won three Big Sky Conference Championships and played in two bowl games. He has coached six All-Americans, 16 all-conference performers, two national defensive players of the year and two current NFL players.
Beck was most recently the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Montana State University from 2007-16 where he inherited an established D-Line, which he helped enhance before his time at MSU was complete. Under Beck’s guidance, the Bobcat defensive line produced not only two Buck Buchanan Award winners (Brad Daly in 2013, Caleb Schreibeis in 2012) and a pair of Big Sky Defensive MVPs (Daly in 2013 and Dane Fletcher in 2009), but seven First Team All-Big Sky choices and five All-Americas. Two of Beck’s Bobcat protégés – Fletcher, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Zach Minter, Cincinnati Bengals – began the 2014 season on NFL rosters. The Bobcats led the Big Sky in sacks in 2011 (44 sacks) and 2009, while finishing second in 2008 and 2012. Beck was also extremely active in the Bozeman community, and served on the board of directors of the Boys’ and Girls’ Club of Southwest Montana. He was named the 2014 Boys and Girls Club Volunteer of the Year.
A former Colorado State defensive lineman, Beck began his collegiate coaching career as a defensive line coach at Drake from 2002-04, moving to Iowa State as a graduate assistant from 2004-06. At Iowa State he coached the secondary and participated in all aspects of weekly defensive game plans. He also conducted film breakdown and assisted with scout team organization and preparation. He was a high school defensive coordinator at Fort Collins High School for eight years before moving to the college ranks.
