By BILL LAMBERTY, MSU Sports Information
BOZEMAN, Mont. — Michael Pitre, Montana State’s running backs coach since 2014, has been hired for the same position at Oregon State.
The longest-tenured Bobcat assistant during the 2017 season, Pitre helped mold one of the Big Sky’s most productive running back groups during his four seasons at MSU. His most challenging season, possibly, was the most recent, when four running backs shared ball-carrying duty with quarterback Chris Murray. Still, the Bobcats led the Big Sky and finished seventh in the FCS in rushing with 249.5 yards a game.
Bobcat running backs enjoyed considerable success under Pitre’s tutelage. The Cats finished among the FCS’ top 20 rushing teams in each of his four seasons, and in the top eight twice. Chad Newell played his final three seasons for Pitre and finished 10th in school history in rushing yards, earning 2nd Team All-Big Sky honors twice. Pitre also coached Shawn Johnson as a senior, when he earned 3rd Team All-Big Sky honors.
Montana State recruiting coordinator Michael Pitre / by Brooks Nuanez
During his playing career, Pitre started at fullback for UCLA for three seasons, fighting through injuries and other adversity to serve as future NFL star Maurice Jones-Drew’s blocking back. He began his coaching career in the California high school ranks (2008-11) before becoming a graduate assistant at Colorado (2012-13). He became MSU’s running backs coach in 2014.
Pitre joins the staff of first-year head coach Jonathan Smith, a former star quarterback for the Beavers who was an assistant coach at Montana from 2010-11 and worked with Bobcat head coach Jeff Choate at Washington in 2014-15. He joins former Bobcat assistant coach Jim Michalczik, who was at MSU from 1992-98 and now serves as OSU’s offensive line coach and run game coordinator.
