Max Halpin joined the MoState football staff in February of 2021 as the squad’s offensive line coach.
In his fifth season with the Bears, the 2024 offensive line helped MoState eclipse 5,000 total yards and 400 points for just the fourth time in team history while producing the third-most first downs (259) in Bears history. The Bears also finished No. 4 nationally in passing offense (306.2 ypg) and pass efficiency (169.98). He boasted two All-Valley honorees in second-teamer Cash Hudson and honorable mention pick Hutson Lillibridge.
Topping the list of 2023 accolades for Halpin’s unit was guard Lillibridge’s selection to the All-MVFC Team as an honorable mention selection. Likewise, standout center Hudson was selected to the Phil Steele FCS Freshman All-Amerca first team. Halpin’s group helped Missouri State rank No. 5 nationally in passing yards per game (300.3), 21st in third-down efficiency (.437) and 26th in total offense per game (400.8).
In 2022, All-MVFC selection Landon Bebee headlined a Bears offensive line that helped the club average 5.2 yards per carry on rushing plays and rack up over 4,000 yards in total offense for the season.
In the fall of 2021, Bebee made a return appearance on the All-MVFC list, while the Bears averaged 436.5 yards and 34.2 points per game, both of which ranked in the top 16 among all FCS programs.
In Halpin’s first season the spring of 2021, he made an immediate impact on the Bears front five, helping the offense rack up 310 yards per game in league play and earn a share of the Missouri Valley Football Conference title for the first time in 30 years. In 2020-21, Halpin boasted All-MVFC second teamer Bebee who excelled as one of the top guards in the league and turned in a 96 percent assignment grade as a sophomore.
Halpin came to Springfield after spending the last three years at Purdue University where he assisted offensive line coach Dale Williams in all aspects of the Boilermakers offensive front.
He played for Bobby Petrino as a freshman at Western Kentucky and also played for Williams and current Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm at WKU where he was a first-team all-conference center for the Hilltoppers in 2016. The 2016 WKU front five were ranked as the No. 4 offensive line in the country, according to Pro Football Focus, and led an offense that ranked No. 1 in points per game (45.5) and No. 5 in yards per game (523.1) among all NCAA FBS schools.
Halpin spent 2012-16 at WKU and advanced from a walk-on to one of the program’s most prolific players while helping the Hilltoppers win back-to-back Conference USA championships during his tenure. He was on the Rimington Trophy Watch List, awarded to college football’s top center, in both 2015 and 2016, and was a nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy in 2016, given to the the best Division I player who started his career as a walk on.
Originally from Fort Mitchell, Ky., Halpin earned his degree in Business Administration from WKU in 2016 and later completed his masters in Technology Leadership and Innovation from Purdue in 2020.
He was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter at Covington Catholic High School and earned all-state honorable mention laurels his senior season. He was also selected as the starting center for the Kentucky Best of the Bluegrass All-Star game.
