Boise State: a football coaching history
See Boise State’s full 91-year Zeitgeist History →← all coaches
Stature and coaches, 1996–2026
The program’s standing over time, with every coach’s tenure beneath it — read down to see who was there for each rise and fall.
DynastyBlue BloodPower ProgramNational ProgramRegional Program
Run↔pass identity, by season
Every coach
Big movers show how many stature points they built or lost against what they inherited; steadier tenures show the tier they reached instead. A small blue arrow marks a real System Shift at that changeover — how hard the offense’s run/pass identity flipped.
2023–now
Spencer Danielson Steady ◆ COY
Spencer Danielson held the Broncos at Power Program III for 4 seasons.
2026 offense ranked in the 96th percentile nationally — elite
+1.1 pts over 4 seasons · top 29% of 3-5-season tenures (717 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Herm Edwards’s Arizona State run (2018–2022)
3rd-best Boise State tenure of 6 by the numbers.
Followed Andy Avalos (2021–2023).
| Season | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | |||||
| Record | 3-1 | 12-2 | 9-5 | 7-1 | |
| Postseason | L bowl | CFP loss | L bowl | — | |
| Recruiting rank | #67 | #64 | #62 | #51 | |
| Style — pass rate | |||||
| Pass rate | 39.9 | 43.1 | 46.2 | 41.3 | |
| Coordinators | |||||
| OC | Bush Hamdan | Dirk Koetter / Nate Potter | Matt Miller / Nate Potter | Nate Potter / Zak Hill | |
| DC | Kane Ioane / Spencer Danielson | Erik Chinander / Tyler Stockton | Erik Chinander / Tyler Stockton | Erik Chinander / Terrence Brown | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | |||||
| Offense | 84 | 91 | 58 | 96 | |
| Defense | 54 | 58 | 73 | 61 | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | |||||
| 1st-down pass% | 37.5 | 35.5 | 38.6 | 36.1 | |
| Red-zone pass% | 26.3 | 35.3 | 31.2 | 43.5 | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | 17.1 | 40.5 | 40.5 | 53.8 | |
Recruiter or developer?
Outperforms his recruiting talent on offense and performs about as expected for his recruiting talent on defense.
Offense vs. talent
+29.9 pts
#13 of 208 · top quarter
Defense vs. talent
+13.2 pts
#59 of 208 · middle half
Recruiting talent is team-wide (no offense/defense split exists in the source data) -- both sides are scored against the same talent input, only the outcome is side-specific.
Roster construction · portal era
A typical amount of portal roster-building.
Portal arrivals
40
2.9★ avg rating
Portal departures
71
left via the portal
Net portal flow
-31
#125 of 187 FBS stints
Who they bring in
Typical size for position, once adjusted for position mix.
A typical class-year mix of incoming transfers.
Avg. size (raw)
6′2″, 239 lbs
across 32 of 40 arrivals — unadjusted for position mix
Size vs. position-typical
+2.2 lbs
#184 of 255 · middle half
Avg. class year
Jr
#121 of 255 · middle half
Top states: CA (14), TX (3), FL (2), CO (2), NJ (1)
Who won the portal our read
Talent added
53.8
position-weighted
Talent lost
55.5
position-weighted
Net
-1.7
arrivals minus departures
Best addition: Malachi Nelson (QB) from USC
Biggest loss: Hank Bachmeier (QB) to Louisiana Tech
Position-value-weighted (QB/CB weighted highest, depth-decayed within each position) — the same scoring engine as the Portal Heat feed, not a separate grade.
Does the system survive a coordinator change?
OC: Dirk Koetter / Nate Potter (co) → Matt Miller (co) / Nate Potter · 2025
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
1st-down pass rate: 35.5% → 38.6% (+3.1 pts)
Confound, shown not hidden: only 58% of offensive production returned the year the coordinator changed — the roster turned over at the same time, not just the play-caller.
OC: Matt Miller (co) / Nate Potter → Nate Potter / Zak Hill (co) · 2026
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
1st-down pass rate: 38.6% → 36.1% (-2.4 pts)
Confound, shown not hidden: only 66% of offensive production returned the year the coordinator changed — the roster turned over at the same time, not just the play-caller.
DC: Erik Chinander / Tyler Stockton (co) → Erik Chinander / Terrence Brown (co) · 2026
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
Roster size, by position
Skill positions · usage-weighted (real participation)
Quarterback
204 lbs
6′0″ avg · #623 of 767 · bottom quarter
Running back
207 lbs
5′10″ avg · #413 of 791 · middle half
Wide receiver
195 lbs
6′1″ avg · #274 of 791 · middle half
Tight end
240 lbs
6′4″ avg · #567 of 731 · bottom quarter
Trench & secondary · recruited roster, not confirmed starters
Interior line
304 lbs
6′4″ avg · #599 of 779 · bottom quarter
D-line
284 lbs
6′3″ avg · #391 of 753 · middle half
Edge
251 lbs
6′3″ avg · #110 of 188 · middle half
Linebacker
226 lbs
6′2″ avg · #492 of 772 · middle half
Cornerback
190 lbs
6′1″ avg · #416 of 771 · middle half
Offensive-line size is one undifferentiated bucket — the source data almost never distinguishes tackle from guard from center, so we can't split them out.
Where the roster comes from, by position
Grows Tight end from high school
80%
#146 of 188 stints
Grows Linebacker from high school
88%
#191 of 225 stints
Postseason detail2023: Lost to UCLA 22-35 Starco Brands LA Bowl2024: Lost to Penn State 14-31 College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl2025: Lost to Washington 10-38 Bucked Up LA Bowl
3 NFL Draft picks: Ashton Jeanty (2025), Ahmed Hassanein (2025), Kage Casey (2026)
Coach of the Year: Mountain West Coach of the Year (2024)
2 player-seasons honored (All-America / national award): Ashton Jeanty (2023), Ashton Jeanty (2024)
+1.1
31-9
2021–2023
Andy Avalos Steady ◆ COY
Andy Avalos held the Broncos at Power Program III for 3 seasons.
No outlier style signal this stint
−0.8 pts over 3 seasons · top 36% of 3-5-season tenures (717 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Brad Scott’s South Carolina run (1994–1998)
4th-best Boise State tenure of 6 by the numbers.
Followed Bryan Harsin (2014–2020) · succeeded by Spencer Danielson (2023–now).
System Shift, on departure
| Season | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | ||||
| Record | 7-5 | 10-4 | 5-5 | |
| Postseason | — | W bowl | — | |
| Recruiting rank | #70 | #62 | #67 | |
| Style — pass rate | ||||
| Pass rate | 47.1 | 41.2 | 39.9 | |
| Coordinators | ||||
| OC | Tim Plough | Tim Plough | Bush Hamdan | |
| DC | Kane Ioane / Spencer Danielson | Kane Ioane / Spencer Danielson | Kane Ioane / Spencer Danielson | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | ||||
| Offense | 36 | 83 | 84 | |
| Defense | 91 | 84 | 54 | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | ||||
| 1st-down pass% | 52.8 | 33.3 | 37.5 | |
| Red-zone pass% | 56.6 | 39.1 | 26.3 | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | 29.3 | 23.8 | 17.1 | |
Recruiter or developer?
Outperforms his recruiting talent, on both sides of the ball.
Offense vs. talent
+18.6 pts
#44 of 208 · top quarter
Defense vs. talent
+27.0 pts
#11 of 208 · top quarter
Recruiting talent is team-wide (no offense/defense split exists in the source data) -- both sides are scored against the same talent input, only the outcome is side-specific.
Roster construction · portal era
Barely touches the portal — recruits and develops his own.
Portal arrivals
18
2.7★ avg rating
Portal departures
30
left via the portal
Net portal flow
-12
#160 of 187 FBS stints
Who they bring in
Brings in bigger-than-position-typical players than most.
Recruits older, more experienced transfers than most.
Avg. size (raw)
6′2″, 260 lbs
across 14 of 18 arrivals — unadjusted for position mix
Size vs. position-typical
+7.1 lbs
#50 of 255 · top quarter
Avg. class year
Sr
#1 of 255 · top quarter
Top states: CA (5), IN (1), MD (1), WA (1), OR (1)
Who won the portal our read
Talent added
44.2
position-weighted
Talent lost
52.3
position-weighted
Net
-8.1
arrivals minus departures
Best addition: Sam Vidlak (QB) from Oregon State
Biggest loss: Hank Bachmeier (QB) to Louisiana Tech
Position-value-weighted (QB/CB weighted highest, depth-decayed within each position) — the same scoring engine as the Portal Heat feed, not a separate grade.
Roster size, by position
Skill positions · usage-weighted (real participation)
Quarterback
216 lbs
6′2″ avg · #287 of 767 · middle half
Running back
214 lbs
5′11″ avg · #150 of 791 · top quarter
Wide receiver
197 lbs
6′1″ avg · #194 of 791 · top quarter
Tight end
241 lbs
6′4″ avg · #547 of 731 · middle half
Trench & secondary · recruited roster, not confirmed starters
Interior line
304 lbs
6′4″ avg · #576 of 779 · middle half
D-line
279 lbs
6′2″ avg · #486 of 753 · middle half
Edge
258 lbs
6′3″ avg · #67 of 188 · middle half
Linebacker
232 lbs
6′1″ avg · #230 of 772 · middle half
Cornerback
198 lbs
6′1″ avg · #49 of 771 · top quarter
Offensive-line size is one undifferentiated bucket — the source data almost never distinguishes tackle from guard from center, so we can't split them out.
Where the roster comes from, by position
Grows Tight end from high school
83%
#155 of 188 stints
Grows Running back from high school
75%
#162 of 208 stints
Postseason detail2022: Beat North Texas 35-32 Frisco Bowl Presented by SERVPRO
3 NFL Draft picks: Khalil Shakir (2022), JL Skinner (2023), Scott Matlock (2023)
Coach of the Year: Mountain West Coach of the Year (2022)
1 player-season honored (All-America / national award): Ashton Jeanty (2023)
−0.8
22-14
2014–2020
Bryan Harsin Inheritor
Bryan Harsin inherited Boise State at Power Program I and saw it slip to Power Program III.
No outlier style signal this stint
−5.0 pts over 7 seasons · bottom 22% of 6-9-season tenures (368 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Rip Scherer’s Memphis run (1995–2000)
2nd-best Boise State tenure of 6 by the numbers.
Followed Chris Petersen (2006–2013) · succeeded by Andy Avalos (2021–2023).
System Shift, on arrival
| Season | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | ||||||||
| Record | 12-2 | 9-4 | 10-3 | 11-3 | 10-3 | 12-2 | 5-2 | |
| Postseason | W bowl | W bowl | L bowl | W bowl | — | L bowl | — | |
| Recruiting rank | #63 | #58 | #68 | #64 | #57 | #50 | #65 | |
| Style — pass rate | ||||||||
| Pass rate | 42.5 | 48.7 | 45.2 | 45.8 | 47.0 | 47.2 | 49.0 | |
| Coordinators | ||||||||
| OC | Mike Sanford | Eliah Drinkwitz | Zak Hill / Scott Huff | Zak Hill | Zak Hill | Eric Kiesau / Zak Hill | Eric Kiesau | |
| DC | Marcel Yates | Marcel Yates | Andy Avalos | Andy Avalos | Andy Avalos | Spencer Danielson / Jeff Schmedding | Spencer Danielson / Jeff Schmedding | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | ||||||||
| Offense | 93 | 71 | 83 | 65 | 87 | 77 | 49 | |
| Defense | 85 | 92 | 58 | 64 | 59 | 58 | 59 | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | ||||||||
| 1st-down pass% | 37.2 | 45.5 | 38.9 | 41.6 | 45.1 | 40.3 | 43.2 | |
| Red-zone pass% | 25.8 | 33.1 | 34.2 | 33.3 | 36.8 | 35.9 | 29.1 | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | 30.0 | 32.0 | 45.5 | 24.4 | 34.0 | 30.6 | 29.4 | |
Recruiter or developer?
Outperforms his recruiting talent, on both sides of the ball.
Offense vs. talent
+21.8 pts
#36 of 208 · top quarter
Defense vs. talent
+14.7 pts
#49 of 208 · top quarter
Recruiting talent is team-wide (no offense/defense split exists in the source data) -- both sides are scored against the same talent input, only the outcome is side-specific.
Does the system survive a coordinator change?
OC: Mike Sanford → Eliah Drinkwitz · 2015
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
1st-down pass rate: 37.2% → 45.5% (+8.4 pts)
Confound, shown not hidden: only 36% of offensive production returned the year the coordinator changed — the roster turned over at the same time, not just the play-caller.
OC: Eliah Drinkwitz → Zak Hill (co) / Scott Huff (co) · 2016
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
1st-down pass rate: 45.5% → 38.9% (-6.7 pts)
Confound, shown not hidden: only 86% of offensive production returned the year the coordinator changed — the roster turned over at the same time, not just the play-caller.
OC: Zak Hill (co) / Scott Huff (co) → Zak Hill (co) · 2017
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
1st-down pass rate: 38.9% → 41.6% (+2.7 pts)
Confound, shown not hidden: only 61% of offensive production returned the year the coordinator changed — the roster turned over at the same time, not just the play-caller.
OC: Zak Hill (co) → Eric Kiesau (co) / Zak Hill (co) · 2019
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
1st-down pass rate: 45.1% → 40.3% (-4.9 pts)
Confound, shown not hidden: only 33% of offensive production returned the year the coordinator changed — the roster turned over at the same time, not just the play-caller.
OC: Eric Kiesau (co) / Zak Hill (co) → Eric Kiesau · 2020
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
1st-down pass rate: 40.3% → 43.2% (+2.9 pts)
Confound, shown not hidden: only 69% of offensive production returned the year the coordinator changed — the roster turned over at the same time, not just the play-caller.
DC: Marcel Yates → Andy Avalos · 2016The defense collapsed across the change
2-season window either side.
DC: Andy Avalos → Spencer Danielson (co) / Jeff Schmedding (co) · 2019The system held
2-season window either side.
Where the roster comes from, by position
Grows Tight end from high school
100%
#164 of 188 stints
Grows Edge from high school
100%
#191 of 208 stints
Postseason detail2014: Beat Arizona 38-30 Bowl2015: Beat Northern Illinois 55-7 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl2016: Lost to Baylor 12-31 Motel 6 Cactus Bowl2017: Beat Oregon 38-28 Las Vegas Bowl2019: Lost to Washington 7-38 Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl
14 NFL Draft picks: Jay Ajayi (2015), Kamalei Correa (2016), Darian Thompson (2016), Rees Odhiambo (2016), Jeremy McNichols (2017), Tanner Vallejo (2017), Leighton Vander Esch (2018), Cedrick Wilson (2018) + 6 more
1 player-season honored (All-America / national award): Demarcus Williams (2020)
−5.0
69-19
2006–2013
Chris Petersen Builder
Chris Petersen raised Boise State from National Program I to Power Program I.
2010 defense ranked in the 100th percentile nationally — elite
+15.3 pts over 8 seasons · top 8% of 6-9-season tenures (368 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Mark Mangino’s Kansas run (2002–2009)
1st-best Boise State tenure of 6 by the numbers.
Followed Dan Hawkins (2001–2005) · succeeded by Bryan Harsin (2014–2020).
System Shift, on arrival
System Shift, on departure
| Season | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | |||||||||
| Record | 13-0 | 10-3 | 12-1 | 14-0 | 12-1 | 12-1 | 11-2 | 8-4 | |
| Postseason | W bowl | L bowl | L bowl | W bowl | W bowl | W bowl | W bowl | — | |
| Recruiting rank | #80 | #63 | #87 | #69 | #110 | #53 | #61 | #55 | |
| Style — pass rate | |||||||||
| Pass rate | 35.7 | 47.0 | 49.4 | 47.4 | 46.6 | 49.2 | 45.2 | 45.3 | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | |||||||||
| Offense | 93 | 77 | 90 | 89 | 96 | 81 | 66 | 74 | |
| Defense | 74 | 79 | 95 | 96 | 100 | 80 | 71 | 52 | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | |||||||||
| 1st-down pass% | 27.8 | 33.6 | 41.5 | 42.0 | 47.9 | 43.4 | 41.8 | 40.3 | |
| Red-zone pass% | 25.5 | 30.9 | 42.8 | 38.2 | 40.8 | 41.7 | 37.1 | 34.5 | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | 51.6 | 45.7 | 22.0 | 34.1 | 30.0 | 39.1 | 34.9 | 44.4 | |
Where the roster comes from, by position
Grows Kicker from high school
100%
#52 of 56 stints
Grows Tight end from high school
100%
#164 of 188 stints
Postseason detail2006: Beat Oklahoma 43-42 Fiesta Bowl At Glendale Az2007: Lost to East Carolina 38-41 Bowl2008: Lost to TCU 16-17 Bowl2009: Beat TCU 17-10 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl2010: Beat Utah 26-3 Maaco Bowl Las Vegas2011: Beat Arizona State 56-24 Maaco Bowl Las Vegas2012: Beat Washington 28-26 Maaco Bowl Las Vegas
20 NFL Draft picks: Gerald Alexander (2007), Legedu Naanee (2007), Korey Hall (2007), Derek Schouman (2007), Ryan Clady (2008), Orlando Scandrick (2008), Kyle Wilson (2010), Titus Young (2011) + 12 more
+15.3
92-12
2001–2005
Dan Hawkins Builder
Dan Hawkins raised the Broncos from Regional Program I to National Program I.
2005 defense ranked in the 95th percentile nationally — elite
+14.6 pts over 5 seasons · top 2% of 3-5-season tenures (717 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Dennis Franchione’s TCU run (1998–2000)
5th-best Boise State tenure of 6 by the numbers.
Followed Dirk Koetter (1998–2000) · succeeded by Chris Petersen (2006–2013).
System Shift, on departure
| Season | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | ||||||
| Record | 8-4 | 12-1 | 13-1 | 11-1 | 9-4 | |
| Postseason | — | W bowl | W bowl | L bowl | L bowl | |
| Recruiting rank | — | — | — | #74 | #62 | |
| Style — pass rate | ||||||
| Pass rate | — | — | — | 37.3 | 41.1 | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | ||||||
| Offense | — | — | — | 94 | 41 | |
| Defense | — | — | — | 93 | 95 | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | ||||||
| 1st-down pass% | — | — | — | 34.7 | 42.6 | |
| Red-zone pass% | — | — | — | 29.1 | 44.1 | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | — | — | — | 30.8 | 53.8 | |
Where the roster comes from, by position
Grows Tight end from high school
100%
#164 of 188 stints
Grows Edge from high school
100%
#191 of 208 stints
Postseason detail2002: Beat Iowa State 34-16 Bowl2003: Beat TCU 34-31 Bowl2004: Lost to Louisville 40-44 Bowl2005: Lost to Boston College 21-27 Bowl
4 NFL Draft picks: Matt Hill (2002), Jeb Putzier (2002), Brock Forsey (2003), Daryn Colledge (2006)
+14.6
53-11
1998–2000
Dirk Koetter Steady
Dirk Koetter moved Boise State from Regional Program III to Regional Program I in 3 seasons.
+7.9 pts over 3 seasons · top 8% of 3-5-season tenures (717 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Brian Kelly’s Central Michigan run (2004–2006)
6th-best Boise State tenure of 6 by the numbers.
Followed Houston Nutt (1997) · succeeded by Dan Hawkins (2001–2005).
| Season | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | ||||
| Record | 6-5 | 10-3 | 10-2 | |
| Postseason | — | W bowl | W bowl | |
| Recruiting rank | — | — | — | |
| Style — pass rate | ||||
| Pass rate | — | — | — | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | ||||
| Offense | — | — | — | |
| Defense | — | — | — | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | ||||
| 1st-down pass% | — | — | — | |
| Red-zone pass% | — | — | — | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | — | — | — | |
Postseason detail1999: Beat Louisville 34-31 Bowl2000: Beat UTEP 38-23 Bowl
2 NFL Draft picks: Dave Stachelski (2000), Shaunard Harts (2001)
+7.9
26-10
1996
Tom Mason Short tenure
1-9
1996
Pokey Allen Short tenure
1-1