Boise State only got three spring football practices in before everything shut down
Shortly after Idaho Gov. Brad Little issued a statewide stay-home order Wednesday in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus, Boise State football coach Bryan Harsin encouraged residents to listen.
“I know it’s not convenient. I know it doesn’t fit into everybody’s situation perfectly,” Harsin said in a video conference with reporters. “However, this is what we’re asked to do, and we can do it. And if we do it properly, then hopefully this will slow down and we can get back to some normalcy.”
Harsin spoke publicly for the first time since Boise State announced March 17 that all football activities were suspended. He said the plan was for players to return to campus March 29, in accordance with the Mountain West’s COVID-19 policy, but that return date has been postponed for at least a week, into early April.
He admitted, though, that he’s not certain players will be able to return then. And even if they do, they’ll likely be limited early on to gathering in small groups and focusing on conditioning. Not having the 15 spring practices the NCAA allows will have a lasting impact.
“The question was why do we have to practice football? My answer was football is a different game,” Harsin said. “You’ve got to play the game to get better at the game.”
Harsin also shed some light on the Spring Game, which as of Wednesday remained scheduled for April 11 despite restrictions on large gatherings from city, state and national leaders.
“Right now, I don’t see the Spring Game happening,” Harsin said. “I hope we just get back together.”
Harsin said about 20 players remain in Boise, but all have relocated to off-campus housing or have somewhere to stay until housing opens up. He also said players who move off campus will get stipends for living expenses, and if it came down to it, he and most of his assistants have spare rooms available.
“Just like our own kids, if they’re here, we’re doing our best to make sure they’re safe,” Harsin said.
Several of last year’s seniors are also in town preparing for Pro Day, which was scheduled for April 2, but the NFL has banned all in-person visits leading up to the NFL Draft. Harsin suggested Boise State staff members could record the workouts and send the videos to interested teams.
Offensive linemen Ezra Cleveland and John Molchon, wide receiver John Hightower and pass rusher Curtis Weaver competed at the NFL Scouting Combine, so they have less to prove. For former defensive linemen David Moa, Sonatane Lui and Chase Hatada and the rest of the hopefuls, Pro Day is one of the few chances they’re going to have to show NFL teams what they can do.
The virus hasn’t just affected the Broncos’ outgoing players. The Mountain West also banned all in-person recruiting, which Harsin said canceled several visits scheduled this spring with recruits in the 2020 and 2021 classes.
After Boise State shut down in-person contact between coaches and players on Friday, the Broncos’ staff has been keeping in touch with players via video conferences, and sharing game film with a program called ThunderCloud. Assistant coaches were also assigned small groups of players to check in with on a regular basis. Wednesday was FaceTime day, Harsin said.
He added that players have been provided individualized workout and nutrition plans, but without being there in person, there’s only so much the coaches can do.
“Our players are going to have to do a lot of things on their own right now the best they can to prepare themselves,” Harsin said. “If they’re doing that work, then we’ll be ready — maybe not physically right away — but ready when we come back. If they’re not, then that’s going to delay a lot of factors when we get into the summer and into August.”
The Broncos got three spring practices in before everything shut down. Their last was March 11. Harsin said the loss of those practices not only affects development at every position on the field, but a player’s sense of where he stands on the depth chart.
Like coaches all over the country, Harsin didn’t have a solid answer for how to make up that lost practice time. He suggested that maybe the NCAA would allow a certain number of practices in the summer, similar to the NFL’s Organized Team Activities. He also conceded that at some point, coaches have to call the offseason a loss and prepare for fall camp on Aug. 1.
If that’s the case, the coaching staff is going to have to approach fall camp in a different manner than in the past.
“We’re going to really have to focus on the individual and the development of each player as we get into August,” he said. “But the game is one where you’ve got to play it. You’ve got to get 11 guys out there working together against another 11 guys.”
This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 3:10 PM.
