Neil Fendall

Biography

Veteran defensive coach Neil Fendall has joined Head Coach Kirby Moore’s Cougar staff as a senior defensive analyst for the Cougars. Fendall arrives in Pullman after spending the 2025 season as the safeties coach/pass game coordinator at the University of Idaho. Prior to Idaho, Fendall spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons as the defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator at Linfield (Ore.), his second stint with the Wildcats. In 2024, Linfield went 7-0 in Northwest Conference play to earn the league title and a trip to the DIII playoffs. Two players that Fendall coached earned All-American honors. Cornerback Chance Sparks was named a first-team All-American honoree and kicker Gavin Dalziel was named a fourth-team All-American. Fendall arrived at Lindfield prior to the 2023 season following one season at NAIA Southern Oregon where he was the defensive coordinator. He was the head coach at Caldera High School in Bend Oregon in 2021 and at Sisters High School in Sisters, Oregon from 2015-20. He was the secondary coach at Cal Poly from 2012 to 2014 and started his collegiate coaching career at Linfield from 2006-2012 where he served as secondary coach. He played safety at Portland State where he was a part of three NCAA 1AA playoff teams and served as the team captain before graduating in 1997. He and his wife, Lynne, have three children, son Taylor, and daughters Hannah and Gracie.