No one in Big Sky football knew what to expect out of the Portland State Vikings this season, especially not with an interim coach.
Bruce Barnum, popularly known in the football community as “Barny,” was a well-known assistant in the Big Sky Conference during tenures with the Vikings and at Idaho State. An offensive mind who had helped Portland State break numerous offensive records, Barnum had over two decades of coaching experience, but had no experience as a head coach.
After Nigel Burton was fired in November of 2014, Barnum was promoted to interim status. He was given until December 31 of 2015 on his contract.
Portland State hit its stride early with Barnum at the helm, posting a 24-17 upset of Washington State, now the FBS’s 20th-ranked team in the opener. The Vikings went on to finish 9-2 with two wins over FBS squads along with a 5-0 record against teams ranked in the Top 25 of the FCS. Portland State will take the sixth seed nationally into the FCS playoffs and will host the winner of Eastern Illinois and Northern Iowa.
On Wednesday, Barnum was named the Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year.
Barnum’s peers voted him the league’s best coach, as Portland State finished with a record of 6-2 in the Big Sky, defeating traditional league powers Montana, Eastern Washington and Montana State. Portland State also earned a narrow home win over Big Sky champion Southern Utah, giving the Thunderbirds their only conference loss.
The Vikings also set the all-time record for margin-of-victory in an FCS win over an FBS team, as Portland State downed North Texas 66-7 earlier this fall.
The season was a remarkable one for Portland State and the Vikings, and the success was validated when Barnum was given a contract extension to become the program’s permanent head coach on Oct. 14.
Barnum isn’t the only Viking who was recognized by the league as part of its all-conference awards. Portland State quarterback Alex Kuresa won the league’s Newcomer of the Year award, as the Vikings had 11 all-Big Sky players.
Portland State will be one of three teams representing the Big Sky Conference in the postseason, along with Southern Utah and Montana. The Vikings will host the winner of a first-round game between Eastern Illinois and Northern Iowa at Providence Park on Dec. 5.
