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Eric Kjar speaks during a press conference introducing him as Weber State's new head football coach on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, at Stewart Stadium in Ogden.

Robert Casey, Weber State Athletics

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Gavin Fowler

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Weber State cornerback Eddie Heckard (5) tries to avoid Southern Utah tacklers after intercepting a pass during a game Oct. 12, 2019, at Stewart Stadium in Ogden.

Robert Casey, Weber State Athletics

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Eric Kjar has officially been in charge of Weber State football for two weeks, offering a handful more Utah recruits and putting together a coaching staff as the transfer portal’s two-week window arrives on Jan. 2.

The Standard-Examiner has obtained details of his contract framework and how his bench of assistant coaches is shaping up.

Weber State hired Kjar to a four-year contract (2026-29 seasons), according to a document obtained via an open records request. The document, titled “offer letter and memorandum of understanding,” outlines the framework of “the material terms” to be included in the formal employment contract. It’s signed by Kjar, WSU athletic director Tim Crompton, and university vice president Mark Halverson.

Kjar and Weber State have agreed to a salary of $250,000 annually with a $25,000 retention bonus each September. For comparison, Mickey Mental was paid $215,000 annually and, in Jay Hill’s final season at WSU, he was paid $366,475 of guaranteed salary and bonuses.

The offer sheet also outlines an early termination option for Weber State, which could come into play if WSU has a losing conference record in Kjar’s third season.

Kjar’s buyout is $150,000. The memo also details typical incentive bonuses for winning a conference championship or good APR performance, and typical termination clauses over failure to perform and breaches of university policy or NCAA rules.

RETAINED COACHES

Weber State has announced three of four assistant coaches who will remain on staff.

Skyler Ridley, the former BYU receiver who’s been on Weber State’s staff for 10 seasons, will remain and has been promoted to assistant head coach. He’ll continue to assist with special teams and return to coaching tight ends.

Ridley, a California native, was a graduate assistant for three years, coached tight ends for three seasons, and has coached receivers for the last four campaigns; he became special teams coordinator in 2021.

James Cowser, who finished his fifth overall season coaching defensive ends at WSU, and who is a Kaysville native, will return. Zach Larson (Orem, Utah) will return and enter his third season as quarterbacks coach and sixth overall on staff. (Larson is the son of former Ogden High and longtime Lehi head coach Ed Larson.)

Not yet announced, Kjar will retain four-year support staffer Jace Campbell and promote him to a staff position. Campbell, an alum of Weber High School, has spent two years as a defensive quality control staffer and two more as a defensive graduate assistant.

Kjar will call plays as offensive coordinator.

Brent Myers (offensive line, assistant head coach), Joe Dale (defensive coordinator, safeties), Robert Conley (tight ends), Daniel Wright (running backs), Brady Daigh (defensive tackles), Justin Mullgrav (linebackers) and Keilan Benjamin (cornerbacks) will not be retained on Kjar’s staff.

ADDITIONS, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Former Davis High quarterback and BYU safety Gavin Fowler will lead Weber State’s defense. KSL Sports Zone radio host Hans Olsen reported Monday on Fowler’s addition to WSU as defensive coordinator; sources confirm Fowler will be Weber’s DC and coach safeties on Kjar’s staff.

Sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because the school waits to announce hires publicly until the official hiring process is complete.

Fowler has been on BYU’s staff since 2019 in roles as a graduate assistant, defensive analyst and assistant safeties coach. He’s expected to bring the same 4-3 defense he’s coached under Hill and Kalani Sitake at BYU.

Tanner Jacobson, another former BYU safety, will also join Weber State’s staff with duties including linebackers and special teams, sources said. Jacobson has been the head coach at Tyler Junior College (Texas) for four years. The Texas native spent one year coaching at BYU and two at Snow College before his hire as Tyler’s head coach; the Apaches went 11-1 this season and lost in the NJCAA semifinals.

Two former players may be on their way back to Ogden to join the staff, too. WSU is targeting Eddie Heckard to coach cornerbacks and Isiah Jackson to lead the wide receivers group, sources said.

Heckard is one of nine Weber State players to earn All-Big Sky First Team honors three times and finished his playing career in 2023 at BYU. The Las Vegas native was on BYU’s defensive staff for the 2025 season.

Jackson would be returning to WSU’s staff. He was an offensive graduate assistant for the Wildcats in 2022-23 after playing 36 games as a WSU receiver from 2017-21. The Sandy native played for Kjar at Jordan High School; he was first in the state in receiving TDs and third in yards as a senior in 2016.