Gordie Haug will be entering his 11th year as a member of the Wyoming Football staff in 2024 and his 18th as a college coach. He was promoted to the position of Executive Director of Recruiting for Wyoming Football on July 26, 2022, while continuing to coach the Cowboy running backs.
In addition to overseeing Wyoming’s recruiting efforts, the 2024 season will mark Haug’s seventh consecutive season coaching the running backs. In previous years at Wyoming, Haug has served as the Director of Player Personnel, Director of Recruiting and wide receivers coach.
In 2023, the Pokes would win nine games, as it was Wyoming's first nine-win season since 1996 when UW posted a 10-2 season. Haug helped the Cowboys rush for nearly 160 yards per game. running back Harrison Waylee was an Honorable mention All-MW selection. he rushed for 947 yards for the season and averaged 5.7 yards per carry to rank No. 24 in the nation. He added 94.7 yards rushing per game, a number that rank in the top-25 nationally.
Each of Haug’s first three seasons coaching the Cowboy running backs, UW had the league’s No. 1 rusher and a First Team All-Mountain West selection -- Xazavian Valladay in 2019 and ‘20 and Nico Evans in 2018. All three of those seasons also saw Valladay and Evans record 1,000-yard rushing seasons. In 2022, Titus Swen rushed for 1,039 yards and recorded the fourth 1,000-yard rushing season with Haug as the running backs coach. Swen earned Third Team All-Mountain West honors in ‘22 from Phil Steele.
In 2022, UW’s offense ranked No. 1 in the MW and No. 14 in the nation in red-zone offense (90.6 percent) and No. 3 in the MW and No. 44 nationally in rushing offense (181.4 yards per game). The offense also ranked No. 3 in the league and No. 25 nationally in fewest tackles for loss allowed (4.46 per game) and ranked No. 3 in the conference and No. 30 in the nation in fewest sacks allowed (1.46 per game). Wyoming entered the 2022 college football season as the fourth youngest team in the country but went on to record a 7-6 record, finish second in the Mountain West Conference Mountain Division and earn a spot in the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl. Along the way the ‘22 Pokes defeated rivals Air Force, Colorado State, Hawai’i, Utah State and American Athletic Conference member Tulsa. Wyoming’s 7-6 record gave them their fifth winning season in the past seven seasons.
The 2021 season saw Valladay and Titus Swen share carries to form an extremely effective tandem. Valladay recorded the second 1,000-yard rushing season of his career (1,070 yards) and Swen rushed for 785 yards. Both earned All-Conference recognition in ‘21. Valladay received Second Team All-MW honors from head coaches and media. Swen was a Second Team selection by Pro Football Focus. Valladay ranked No. 3 in the Mountain West in rushing yards (82.3 yards per game). Swen ranked No. 2 in the MW and No. 26 in the nation in yards per carry (5.95).
UW’s 2021 rushing attack ranked No. 2 in the Mountain West and No. 20 in the NCAA, averaging 211.7 yards per game. UW’s passing attack was fourth best in the MW and No. 38 in the nation in average yards per completion (13.06 yards). The Cowboys posted a 7-6 record and won their third consecutive bowl game, with a convincing 52-38 win over Kent State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. The 52 points scored in the bowl victory was a school record for a bowl game. Wyoming scored 40 or more points four times during the season in victories at Northern Illinois (50 points), vs. Ball State (45), at eventual MW champion Utah State (44) and vs. Kent State.
Wyoming’s 2020 offense again featured one of the most effective rushing attacks in the country among FBS teams. The Pokes ranked No. 14 in the nation in rushing, averaging 219.5 rushing yards per game. UW’s passing attack also ranked No. 7 nationally in passing yards per completion (14.84 yards per pass completion). The Cowboys ranked No. 24 in fewest turnovers committed (9 total turnovers) and were No. 32 in red-zone offense (converting 23 of 26 red-zone opportunities into points). Valladay averaged 110.0 rushing yards per game to lead the Mountain West and rank No. 17 in the nation. He also averaged 131.00 all-purpose yards per game to rank No. 27 nationally.
In 2019, the Cowboy offense ranked No. 23 in the nation in rushing offense, averaging 214. 8 yards per game. Valladay rushed for 1,265 yards to lead the league. He averaged 105.4 rushing yards per game to rank No. 18 in the nation. He also led the conference and ranked No. 26 nationally in all-purpose yards, averaging 124.08 yards per game. Valladay’s 204-yard performance in Wyoming’s 38-17 NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl victory earned him a spot on the 2019 Associated Press All-Bowl Team. He also caught three passes for 91 yards in the bowl win and scored one touchdown rushing and one receiving while accounting for 295 all-purpose yards. Valladay was one of only three running backs in the nation named to the AP All-Bowl Team, joining Penn State’s Journey Brown and Florida’s Lamical Perine.
The 2019 Cowboy offense ranked No. 10 in the NCAA in passing yards per completion (14.75 yards per completion), No. 14 in fewest tackles for loss allowed (4.62 per game), No. 26 in fewest fumbles lost (6), No. 32 in third-down conversions (43.3 percent), No. 32 in fewest sacks allowed (1.62 per game) and No. 33 in fewest turnovers committed (15). The Cowboys concluded the season with an 8-5 record and captured the Arizona Bowl championship.
In his first season coaching the Cowboy running backs, Haug worked with 2018 senior Nico Evans, who led the Mountain West and ranked No. 4 in the nation in rushing as he averaged 132.5 rushing yards per game. Evans also led the MW and ranked No. 12 in the NCAA in all-purpose yards (139.1 yards per game). His 1,325 net rushing yards ranked as the No. 4 best single season in University of Wyoming history. Evans earned First Team All-Mountain West honors and played in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, an All-Star game for college seniors leading up to the NFL Draft.
In 2018, Wyoming’s rushing attack ranked No. 4 in the Mountain West and No. 39 in the NCAA in rushing as a team. UW’s offense also ranked No. 1 in the MW and No. 4 in the nation in fewest turnovers, committing only 11 total turnovers for the year. In spite of the Wyoming offense being in transition with two young quarterbacks in Sean Chambers and Tyler Vander Waal guiding the offense after former Cowboy Josh Allen moved on to the NFL as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Wyoming offense hit its stride during a four-game winning streak to end the 2018 season. During that four-game win streak, UW’s offense averaged 31.0 points and 415.5 yards per game.
Haug has been very innovative in directing recruiting efforts for Cowboy Football. He has also coordinated summer camps for Wyoming Football in the past, and has built a very extensive and productive summer satellite camp program.
In 2015 while maintaining his duties as Director of Recruiting, Haug also coached the Wyoming wide receivers. Junior wide receiver Tanner Gentry was named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List in 2015.
Haug came to Wyoming from North Dakota State where he was a member of head coach Craig Bohl’s coaching staff for the 2012 and 2013 seasons, working as an offensive assistant.
In Haug’s two years on the NDSU staff, the Bison posted a combined overall record of 29-1 and a Missouri Valley Football Conference record of 15-1, while capturing back-to-back Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) National Championships.
The 2013 NDSU squad became the first undefeated (15-0) FCS National Champion since Marshall went 15-0 to win the 1996 title. That 15-0 record by the Bison also set a North Dakota State school record. NDSU extended its winning streak to 24 consecutive games with the 2013 FCS Championship. That tied both the FCS and NDSU records for consecutive victories. The University of Pennsylvania set the FCS record of 24 consecutive wins from 1992-95. Montana later tied the record from 2001-02. The NDSU record was originally set from 1964-66.
Haug coached the running backs at North Dakota State in 2012 and ‘13. Each of those two seasons, NDSU had two individuals rush for over 1,000 yards. In 2013, Sam Ojuri rushed for 1,398 yards and John Crockett rushed for 1,277 yards. The 2012 season saw Ojuri rush for 1,047 yards and Crockett rush for 1,038.
In 2013, the North Dakota State offense ranked No. 7 in the nation in rushing offense (257.3 yards per game), No. 10 in scoring offense (38.7 points per game), and No. 14 in total offense (457.5 yards per game).
Before joining the North Dakota State staff, Haug spent five years (2007-11) coaching at his alma mater, Bemidji State University in Minnesota. He began as a student assistant for two years (2007-08), working with the linebackers. Haug then moved into a graduate assistant role for two seasons (2009-10), working with the running backs. He became a full-time assistant coach on the staff his final season (2011), coaching the defensive line.
At Bemidji State, Haug was also involved in recruiting and assisted with the strength and conditioning program.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in community health in 2009 and master’s degree in sports science in 2011, both from Bemidji State.
Haug recruits California for the Cowboys.
Coaching History
2022- Wyoming Executive Director of Recruiting/Running Backs
2018-2021 Wyoming Running Backs/Director of Player Personnel
2016-17 Wyoming Director of Recruiting
2015 Wyoming Wide Receivers /Director of Recruiting
2014 Wyoming Director of Recruiting
2012-13 NDSU Running Backs
2011 Bemidji State Assistant Coach (Defensive Line)
2009-10 Bemidji State Graduate Assistant (RBs/Strength)
2007-08 Bemidji State Student Assistant (Linebackers)