A coaching veteran of 30 years, including four stints as a coordinator, Bret Ingalls enters his fourth season in charge of the New Orleans running backs.
In 2011, the Saints running game finished with the NFL’s sixth-best rushing yardage total (132.9 ypg.) and fourth-best rushing average (4.9). Ingalls tutored a quartet of tailbacks in Mark Ingram, Chris Ivory, Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas, whose combination of power, speed and versatility in both running and receiving contributed to the Saints setting the NFL single-season record for net yardage. Most notably, Sproles finished the season with the highest single-season all-purpose yardage total in NFL history with 2,969, as he led all NFL running backs with 86 catches for 710 yards in addition to his 87 carries for a team-high 603 (6.9 avg.) yards with a total of ten touchdowns. Thomas carried 110 times for 562 yards (5.1 avg.) with five touchdowns, while setting a career-high in receiving with 50 grabs for 425 yards with one touchdown. Ingram and Ivory combined for an additional 848 yards on the ground and six touchdowns. Ingalls also integrated the talents of FB Jed Collins in his first full NFL season as the team’s lead blocker, also scoring four times on 15 offensive touches.
Despite starting six different players at the position in 2010, the Saints running game averaged 4.0 yards per carry for an offense that was ranked in the NFL’s top ten in both yards per game and points per game. Ingalls helped prepare Ivory, an undrafted rookie who led the club in all rushing categories with 137 carries for 716 yards (5.2 avg.) with five touchdowns, as he was named to several All-rookie teams.
Ingalls’ extensive experience with the run game immediately made an impact in 2009 as the Saints improved in the NFL rushing rankings from 28th to sixth as they churned out 131.6 yards per game and set a club record averaging 4.5 yards per carry. His group combined for 1,837 yards rushing. Thomas enjoyed a breakout season, leading the club in rushing with 147 carries for 793 yards (5.4 avg.) and six TDs, ranking fourth in the NFL in yards per carry. Grabbing 39 receptions for 302 yards, he finished with a team-best 1,095 total yards from scrimmage, adding 254 more and three TDs in the postseason.
Ingalls served on the staff at Northwestern from 2006-08, where he was running game coordinator/offensive line coach his final season. He molded a line without extensive starting experience into the cornerstone of an offense that led the Wildcats to a nine-win season. Northwestern rushed for over 1,800 yards and ranked second in the Big Ten for fewest sacks allowed. In 2007, the offensive line blocked for the Big Ten’s top-ranked passing attack, and in 2006 led the way for 1,705 yards rushing.
Ingalls spent 2005 at Miami University (Ohio), working with the tight ends and tackles, and spent the previous season with Indiana State. From 2000-03, he was the offensive coordinator at his alma mater, the University of Idaho, where he also tutored the quarterbacks and running backs for two seasons each.
From 1997-99, Ingalls served as offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at Northern Iowa and he held similar positions at Louisville from 1995-96. In 1994, he coached the offensive line at Eastern Michigan.
Ingalls held several positions on the offensive side of the ball at San Diego State from 1989-93. Over those years, he had stints as offensive coordinator (1992-93), offensive line coach (1990-92) and running backs coach (1989, 1993). While running backs coach, he tutored future Pro Football Hall of Fame selection Marshall Faulk, who twice led the nation in rushing.
Ingalls' coaching career began at Idaho, where he graduated in 1984. After serving as a student defensive backs coach, he was assistant offensive line coach from 1984-85 and running backs coach from 1986-88. Idaho won four Big Sky Conference championships during his tenure.
A native of Snohomish, Wash., Ingalls was a starting running back at Wichita State (1979-81). He graduated from Idaho in 1984 with a business degree.
Ingalls and his wife, Diana, have two sons – Samuel and Jack – and a daughter, Breana.
PLAYING CAREER: Wichita State, 1979-81.
COACHING CAREER: Idaho, 1982-88; San Diego State, 1989-
93; Eastern Michigan, 1994; Louisville, 1995-96; Northern Iowa, 1997-99;
Idaho, 2000-03; Indiana State, 2004; Miami (Ohio), 2005; Northwestern,
2006-08; New Orleans Saints, 2009- .
