Iowa State is turning to a familiar face to help anchor its defense under new head coach Jimmy Rogers - and the reunion is rooted in years of shared experience and trust.
Jesse Bobbit, who served as Washington State’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach this season - and also stepped in as interim head coach - is expected to join Rogers’ staff in Ames following the Cougars’ appearance in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. The move brings Bobbit and Rogers back together after a coaching journey that’s seen them rise through the ranks side by side.
Their connection dates back to South Dakota State, where Bobbit played linebacker from 2013 to 2016 while Rogers coached the position group. That player-coach relationship eventually evolved into a coaching partnership. Bobbit got his start on the sidelines as a graduate assistant at SDSU in 2019, then spent two seasons in a similar role at Washington State before returning to Brookings in 2022 to coach safeties.
When Rogers was promoted to head coach at South Dakota State in 2023, Bobbit was elevated to defensive coordinator. The two then made the jump to Pullman together for the 2025 season, where Bobbit led a Washington State defense that quietly put together one of the more efficient campaigns in the country.
The Cougars allowed just 303.3 yards per game this season - good for 18th nationally - and held opponents to 20.17 points per game, a mark that tied Iowa State for 26th in the country. That kind of production doesn’t happen by accident. Bobbit’s unit played with discipline, communicated well, and showed an ability to adjust mid-game - all hallmarks of a coordinator who understands how to maximize his personnel.
Washington State finished the regular season at 6-6 and will face Utah State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Dec. 22. Once that game wraps, Bobbit is expected to make the move to Ames, where he’ll take the reins of a Cyclones defense that has long prided itself on physicality and sound fundamentals.
For Iowa State, this hire is more than just plugging in a new name at defensive coordinator. It’s about continuity, trust, and building a staff that shares a vision.
Rogers and Bobbit have walked this path together before - from player and coach to colleagues leading a defense. Now, they’ll look to bring that same synergy to the Big 12 stage.