As BYU football continues to make noise on the national stage, the program is starting to feel the ripple effects that come with success-namely, other schools taking notice of the talent on its coaching staff. On Friday night, reports confirmed that assistant quarterbacks coach Matt Mitchell is leaving Provo to take over as quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator at Colorado State under newly hired head coach Jim Mora.
While Mitchell’s title at BYU may have seemed modest on paper, his fingerprints were all over the Cougars’ offensive development-especially in 2025. Since rejoining the program in 2022, Mitchell has played a key role in shaping the quarterback room, and this season, his work with freshman phenom Bear Bachmeier stood out in a big way.
Bachmeier, who transferred from Stanford in the spring, didn’t just step into a new system-he mastered it. And he was quick to credit Mitchell for that rapid transition.
“I give a lot of credit to coach Mitchell because he taught me the whole playbook in a month, two months,” Bachmeier said after winning the starting job in the summer.
That accelerated learning curve paid off in a big way. Bachmeier has not only solidified himself as the Cougars' QB1, he’s been one of the most productive freshmen in the country.
Through 13 games, he’s completed 68% of his passes for 2,708 yards, tossing 14 touchdowns to just six interceptions. And he’s been just as dangerous on the ground, racking up 527 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 146 carries.
With BYU sitting at 11-2 and a Pop-Tarts Bowl appearance still on deck, it’s safe to say Bachmeier-and by extension, Mitchell-have exceeded expectations.
Mitchell’s journey to this point has been a steady climb through some respected programs. He got his start as an offensive analyst at Notre Dame in 2015 and has since logged time at Western Kentucky, Snow College, and Baylor. He first joined BYU as an analyst in 2020 before returning in 2022 in an on-field role.
Now, he takes the next step at Colorado State, where he’ll be tasked with guiding the Rams’ quarterbacks and shaping their passing attack under Mora, who takes over after a strong run at UConn. For Mitchell, it’s a well-earned promotion. For BYU, it’s another sign that the program is developing not just players-but coaches-who are ready for the next level.
As head coach Kalani Sitake recently noted amid speculation about his own future, the coaching carousel chatter is “a good sign that things are going well for us.” With Mitchell moving on to a bigger role, that sentiment rings even truer.