Veteran coach Brian Lindgren is set to begin his first season as the Kevin M. Hogan Quarterbacks Coach at Stanford in 2026.
Lindgren brings 16 years of offensive coordinator experience at Michigan State, Oregon State, Colorado, San José State, and Northern Arizona with him to The Farm. In his 19 seasons of coaching in the college ranks, he has mentored 14 NFL draft picks and led his players to 84 all-conference honors.
In 2025, Lindgren was instrumental in the development of the Spartans’ two promising quarterbacks who threw for 20 touchdowns and the fewest interceptions (tied with Illinois, 6) in the Big Ten: junior quarterback Aidan Chiles, who started nine games throughout the season, and redshirt freshman quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, who took over for Chiles in the final three games of the season. Chiles led the Spartans to a 3-0 start to the 2025 season, including an impressive 42-40 double overtime victory over Boston College on Sept. 6. Miliovojevic helped the Spartans end the season on a high note with a 38-28 victory over Maryland, and in just his fourth career start, threw for 292 yards and four passing touchdowns en route to Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors.
In 2024, Lindgren mentored Aidan Chiles in his first season as a starting quarterback, becoming just the sixth Spartan sophomore QB to throw for more than 2,000 yards in a season (2,415).
Lindgren joined the Spartans after six seasons as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Oregon State (2018-2023). In 2023, he was influential in the success of quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, who threw a career-high 2,638 passing yards (219.8 YPG) in addition to his 21 touchdown passes, alongside 219 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns.
While at Oregon State, Lindgren also mentored All-Pac-12 selections Jake Luton and Chance Nolan. Nolan was second in the Pac-12 in pass efficiency in 2021 (148.29), while also leading the 2019 Beaver offense that led the nation for fewest turnovers committed (6) and in red zone touchdown rate (84.6 percent). Luton was one of three players in the FBS with 25-plus touchdown passes (28) and three or fewer interceptions (3) during the 2019 season. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Under his tutelage as offensive coordinator, in both 2021 and 2023, the Beavers’ offensive line was recognized as one of 12 semifinalists for the Joe Moore Award, which is given annually to the nation's top offensive line. Running back Damien Martinez was named the 2022 Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and earned a freshman All-America nod in his first campaign with the Beavers, and throughout his career earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors twice in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons and was a semifinalist for the Doak Walker award in 2023. Martinez finished the 2023 regular season with 1,185 rushing yards, ranking him at No. 13 in the Oregon State single-season record books. Martinez was selected in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft by Seattle. He also was key to the success of Jermar Jefferson, who finished fifth in OSU history with 2,923 rushing yards, 27 touchdowns and 15 100-yard rush efforts. Jefferson was also named the AP Pac-12 Co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2020, as well as the Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2018. Jefferson was selected in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions.
Prior to Oregon State, Lindgren was offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Colorado from 2013-17. He helped lead the Buffaloes to the 2016 Alamo Bowl, which was CU's first bowl game in nine seasons, after earning an 8-1 league mark and the Pac-12 South Division title. While at Colorado in 2013, Lindgren was a finalist for the Quarterback Coach of the Year by FootballScoop.com.
Under Lindgren's tutelage, Colorado quarterbacks Sefo Liufau and signal-caller Steven Montez combined to set numerous school records for the Buffs. Additionally, wide receiver Nelson Spruce set CU career marks for receptions (294), receiving yards (3,347) and touchdown catches (23).
Before Lindgren's stint in Boulder, he was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at San José State in 2012, helping lead the Spartans to an 11-2 season, SJSU's most wins in a season in over 70 years. San José State won the 2012 Military Bowl, earning SJSU's first postseason game in six years. Throughout his time in San Jose, he mentored quarterback David Fales and tight end Ryan Otten to All-American honors. Fales threw for 4,193 passing yards and 33 TDs, against just nine interceptions to lead the FBS in completion percentage (.725), and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
Prior to San José State, Lindgren began his coaching career at Northern Arizona, starting off as a graduate assistant working with the wide receivers in 2006, helping the Lumberjacks lead the FCS in scoring and total offense. The next season he earned his first full-time job as NAU's running backs coach. In 2008, Lindgren became the passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach, before becoming offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach from 2009-11. Northern Arizona's offense finished fifth in the nation in total offense and scoring in 2009 and quarterback Michael Herrick threw for 3,356 yards with a 66 percent completion percentage and 22 touchdowns. For his efforts, Herrick was a finalist for the 2009 Walter Payton Award, given annually to the most outstanding offensive player in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision.
Lindgren was a three-year letterwinner at quarterback at Idaho, passing for 6,541 career yards with 44 touchdowns as a three-year starter. He threw an Idaho school-record six touchdown passes in a 48-38 win over San Diego State on Sept. 22, 2002. Lindgren was a three-time Sun Belt Conference Academic Team member, and was the recipient of the Kathy Clark Scholar-Athlete Award, presented to the top Idaho GPA for graduating seniors.
A native of Walla Walla, Washington, Lindgren earned his bachelor's degree in business marketing from Idaho in 2004, and his master's degree in educational leadership from Northern Arizona in 2007. Lindgren and his spouse, Bradee, have three children, Bronson, Brooks and Blake.