Northern Arizona Lumberjacks: QB Pennington, LB Ammon & Coach Wright on Building Team Chemistry

While at Big Sky Conference's 2026 Media Day in Spokane, host Luke Schmit got a chance to sit down with the University of Montana's new football coach and standout players. Luke talks with starting quarterback Ty Pennington, linebacker Ammon Allen and head coach Brian Wright about improving on last year's numbers, building offense-defense chemistry, and what it takes to turn the page on a tough 2025 season.

Northern Arizona's QB Pennington threw for over 3,000 yards last season. He says the focus this year isn't the stat line - it's efficiency and putting the offense in the end zone regardless of what the defense knows is coming. LB Ammon Allen talks about the bond growing between the offense and defense this offseason, calling it a necessity for a team with championship aspirations, while sharing what he does to unwind in Flagstaff between hiking, journaling and ceramics. Head coach Wright discusses building resiliency after a difficult 2025 season, the excitement of playing in front of Lumberjack fans at home, and how the team's leadership group and captain vote have shaped the culture heading into fall camp.

Watch the Big Sky Now podcast's panel discussion about their time in Spokane for Big Sky Conference's Media Day: https://youtu.be/181QjRjRo1M

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Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:21

We're back here with a group of lumberjacks here with Ty Pennington, the quarterback. Ty, just talk to me uh your feeling going into this year and uh also how you've enjoyed your time here this weekend.

SPEAKER_02 0:29

Yeah, I'm you know excited to finally get Gellin, you know, court on the pads um for the first time in a while. Um, you know, just excited to see, you know, how how our teams come from you know January um to this point and continue that, you know, momentum going forward. Um, you know, looking forward to getting better every day. Uh and yeah, this weekend. So I was here last year, uh always a fun event. Uh, you know, get to meet new people, um, get to talk a little ball.

SPEAKER_00 0:54

Um, so it's been fun. Yourself last year, you had over 3,000 yards. You know, yourself you had a good season, but in your standards, you know, where do you want to see yourself improve? And then on the side of that, offensively with the team.

SPEAKER_02 1:05

Yeah, just um, you know, being more efficient just as an offense. Um, you know, that's that's my job at the end of the day. It doesn't matter how many, you know, yards I throw forward, it matters, you know, getting the offense in the end zone and winning football games. Um so you know, just being a more, more explosive unit, um, if you know, that can can impose our will on any down. Um, and you know, just having that mindset, um, you know, who cares if you know they know what we're running, um, we're gonna run it and we're gonna be successful. Um, so you know, just just improving that mentality and our efficiency all around.

SPEAKER_00 1:36

How's this offseason looked for you training wise? Have you have you kind of really dialed in or have you tried to take a little bit of a second just to, you know, enjoy the offseason the summer?

SPEAKER_02 1:44

Yeah, you know, there's there's opportunities to, you know, chill out and get a get around away from the game for a little bit. But um, you know, from the for the vast majority of the time, you know, my focus has been on football and you know, trying to get better. Um, you know, always trying to look for that, you know, 1% over our opponent. Um, and you're not gonna gain that by you know just just sitting around and relaxing. Um, so you know, it's been it's been a good offseason. Um, you know, our team's come a long way. Um, and I'm excited to see that moving forward.

SPEAKER_00 2:12

For Big Sky fans, Ty, I gotta ask you a fun question.

SPEAKER_02 2:14

Who's your favorite quarterback in the NFL? Or maybe ever? Uh I've got to go Baker Mayfield. I grew up uh watching Oklahoma football. Um so just you know, seeing him, just his mentality, um, his toughness. Um, you know, that's kind of inspired me on the field, just carrying that toughness to you and not not going off the field under any circumstances.

SPEAKER_00 2:34

Come on, Alan here. Talk to me about this weekend as well and your feelings for the team.

SPEAKER_01 2:39

Uh I've enjoyed my weekend here. First time being in at this conference, and it's been a huge blessing to just experience, meet a ton of guys, get the influence of just and wisdom from coaches around. And this season uh we're expecting a lot from our team, you know. The necessity to be elite has been brought to our team this year with just guys coming in, guys stepping up to the standard we have built, and I'm excited to see where that goes.

SPEAKER_00 3:08

How is how have you felt the team camaraderie has been in the offseason?

SPEAKER_01 3:12

It's been great. You know, I've been getting close with a lot of guys, especially Type Bennington. Offense, defensive side of the ball has grown immensely, and I think that can be hard for teams at times to get a blend between offense and defense, but having that is uh a necessity to be an elite.

SPEAKER_00 3:29

Absolutely. For fans that don't know yet, you know, what do you like to do on your free time and outside of football?

SPEAKER_01 3:35

Free time, uh I love to go out in Flagstaff with a lot of nature, trees, greenery. So hiking is a huge blessing to have at our fingertips there. Um I'll also read, journal, I do yoga, kind of just get the body right. Uh I'll do ceramics, so pot making and all that. Also, that's a cool experience since I started in high school, uh doing an elective there, and it's just grown on me since.

SPEAKER_00 3:59

It's awesome. Last question I have for you, you know, when we're going into the season, where do you want to see this team, not in the wins or losses, but come together more than maybe one area than another? Like, where are you looking for the team to improve and be strong at, maybe compared to last year? If that makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 4:15

Yes. Uh when hard times hit us, we stand together and we don't lose our lose our mind, lose our head, lose our cool. It it is we're calm, collected, and we know what needs to be done in that moment.

SPEAKER_00 4:29

Move down here to Coach Brian Wright. Coach, just talk to me. Let's gotta go ask you as well how this weekend's been for you and uh how excited you are for the season.

SPEAKER_03 4:39

Yeah, it's a uh it's a good weekend to come together and and visit with some of the other you know coaches and get to meet some of the players uh in the conference. And uh we're excited about the season, of course. You know, you you you get through your eight weeks in the summer and and and you're ready to start uh real football.

SPEAKER_00 4:57

Coach, if you could take some from last year to improve on to proven this year, kind of the same question I asked him. You know, what you get to look at both sides of the ball. What are you looking at in that aspect?

SPEAKER_03 5:06

Uh I think a couple things. One is just our resiliency. Uh, as Ammon said, uh, you know, we want to be a team that can drive through the smoke and uh when things are going uh good or bad, uh that we're still the same team, that we we don't change our identity. And uh we've worked really hard on that over the last eight months. Uh and I think uh a team that just uh consistently puts its best foot forward uh so that we can be the best that we can become this year.

SPEAKER_00 5:35

And talk to me how fun is it for for our Big Sky fans out there that don't know? Is it to play in front of those lumberjack fans every Saturday at home?

SPEAKER_03 5:43

Yeah, it's a lot of yeah, it's a lot of fun at home. Uh, you know, the the the dome is a great place to play. Uh we, you know, our administration's done a good job with some of the game day events and and and building that environment and uh throughout uh most of our games there, our team's done a great job uh of winning there, you know, these last two years. We went undefeated in the dome, our first year here uh together. And so uh we've created some momentum in there and and uh it's a it's a a great product to watch. Coach, what's your favorite part about fall camp? Uh uh it's my favorite part of coaching, just being with the guys, uh just having the opportunity to uh sit in the quarterback room with those guys, to uh sit at the dinner table with other guys on the team and just uh be alongside them through the journey.

SPEAKER_00 6:39

And same question, you know, I asked how have you seen the camaraderie with this offseason on this team? You know, have you seen uh an improvement or has there been a leader, a couple leaders step up that you haven't noticed?

SPEAKER_03 6:48

Well, we've had a lot of leaders step up, so that's been exciting to me. Uh our our leadership group that we started uh uh back in January has done a great job and then uh really excited about our captain vote just uh uh recently, a week ago. I just think we have some authentic guys that are gonna, you know, lead our program, certainly. And, you know, I think you have to work hard as a program uh to build that connection and that camaraderie that you speak of. Certainly when you bring in so many new players, as so many of us have to do year in and year out. So uh we've done a great job of that within the culture of the program, but also just with the the character of the person we brought into the program that uh our guys that are just good teammates want to get to know each other and have each other's best interests in mind.