Completed Event: Football versus #17 Kansas State on August 23, 2025 , Win , 24, to, 21
Final
Football
24
#17 Kansas State
21
Iowa State University Athletics
Football
Linguist, Maurice
Maurice Linguist
- Title:
- Defensive Passing Game Coordinator
- Email:
- mauricel@iastate.edu
- Phone:
- 4-6721
Maurice Linguist put his stamp on Iowa State’s aggressive secondary in his first season as Iowa State’s defensive backs coach in 2014.
Linguist’s unit picked off 10 passes, led by junior Sam E. Richardson’s four interceptions, which ranked 31st nationally.
Although his unit was young, Linguist tutored a pair of underclassmen to All-Big 12 recognition in 2014. Free safety Kamari Cotton-Moya was named the Big 12’s Defensive Freshman of the Year and sophomore cornerback Nigel Tribune was a Second-Team All-Big 12 selection by the Associated Press.
Cotton-Moya, who was a First-Team Freshman All-America pick by the FWAA, led the team in tackles with 77 and Tribune, who had three interceptions, ranked sixth nationally in pass breakups with 13.
Linguist spent the previous two seasons as the co-defensive coordinator at Buffalo.
Linguist was a key contributor in Buffalo’s 8-5 record, a second-place finish in the MAC East (6-2) and appearance in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in 2013. UB was solid on defense, especially in the secondary where the Bulls were second in the MAC with 15 interceptions.
UB was also second in the league in scoring defense (24.4) and total defense (382.8).
One of Linguist’s star players was Najja Johnson, who earned first-team All-MAC honors at cornerback in 2013 after recording 38 career pass breakups, the second-best total in school history.
In his first season at Buffalo (2012), UB’s starting cornerbacks, Johnson and Cortney Lester, ranked first and second in the MAC in interceptions. Johnson had five and Lester had four. UB led the MAC in opponent pass completion percentage (55.4%) and ranked second in the conference in pass defense.
Prior to his stint at Buffalo, Linguist spent three years at James Madison, coaching the safeties, and helping the Dukes to an 8-4 regular season record and an NCAA playoff appearance in 2011. In addition, The Sports Network selected the James Madison 2012 recruiting class as the best in the nation in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
Linguist also served as defensive backs and special teams coach at Valdosta (Ga.) State, helping the program to a 9-3 record and a ranking of No. 12 in Division II in 2008.
Linguist began his coaching career at his alma mater of Baylor, coaching strong safeties and rover backs as a graduate assistant in 2007. As a senior at Baylor, he was the team’s defensive most valuable player as a strong safety, an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection and an academic All-Big 12 honoree. He started 24 of 42 career games at Baylor and was a four-year letterwinner. He earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in health, human performance and recreation from Baylor.
Linquist and his wife, Stacie, were married in June of 2014.
Taylor Mouser 9_23_25 presser
Tuesday, September 23
Kooper Ebel 9_23_25 interview
Tuesday, September 23
Tre Bell 9_23_25 interview
Tuesday, September 23
Xavier Townsend 9_23_25 interview
Tuesday, September 23
