Here’s who Boise State should hire to replace Harsin as football coach, and why
In the world of sportswriters, 7 a.m. is a ghastly early hour to do anything.
But in March 2019, when Andy Avalos called and said the only free time he had was then, I had to agree.
As the new defensive coordinator at Oregon, he was getting to work at 6 a.m., leaving after dark, absorbing every possible thing he could — and giving a half-hour the day before spring practices to talk.
“I was very invested in the program, it was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do,” Avalos said about leaving Boise State, where he coached or played for 12 seasons.
Avalos said on that day he never set out to be a head coach, just to do the best in his role and address opportunities as they come.
Well, the opportunity is here, and Boise State should do everything it can to bring Avalos back home.
Bryan Harsin’s departure for Auburn was a shocker, but his displeasure with the Mountain West and issues within the athletic department were clear over the last year. It was the destination, not the act, that was surprising.
Harsin often spoke about consistently striving for more, about not being complacent, about being challenged. He can do that in the SEC, and Avalos can do that as a first-time head coach.
He is a beloved former player who understands exactly what it means to suit up for Boise State. He worked under Chris Petersen and Harsin, earning rave reviews as he moved from coaching defensive linemen (2012-13) to linebackers (2014-15) and then to defensive coordinator (2016-18).
You could see just how much he meant to former players when he left less than two years ago, with a flurry of emotional tweets. He cares about them, about this place, about the program.
And proof of his skills was clear in his first two years at Oregon.
The Ducks went from 48th to ninth in the FBS in scoring defense from 2018 to 2019, and finished second in interceptions and 13th in sacks. In 2020, the Ducks are sixth in the Pac-12 in total defense, but they won the Pac-12 championship Friday, holding USC to a season-low 24 points and intercepting Kedon Slovis three times.
“I would say, if Boise State hired coach Avalos, it would be an absolute win for Boise State,” former Boise State linebacker Ben Weaver said Tuesday. “That place is in his blood.”
Yes, it is easy to just think of Boise State ties in a potential Harsin successor. But this is a unique place, and a unique program.
Kellen Moore will certainly be considered, as he should. Some in the athletic department even thought there was a good shot the legendary quarterback would have landed in Boise as an assistant if he wasn’t retained in Dallas after last season. But he doesn’t have any college coaching experience, and the Cowboys staff is expected to return in 2021.
Oregon had the No. 6 class in the 2021 recruiting rankings, per 247Sports.com, and No. 11 in 2020. No doubt, it takes a staff, but Avalos helped land some major talent.
Weaver, who led Boise State in tackles in 2015 and 2016, said Avalos’ “passion that he brought every single day, that’s the thing I think of most.” That translated into recruiting success and buy-in from his players.
And it’s the perfect time for that at Boise State.
The Broncos find themselves at a crossroads, with a major opportunity to forge something new.
A new head coach will be hired without a permanent athletic director in place. As of now, the goal is to hire one by March. A possible stadium renovation was in the works earlier this year, but with the department facing major losses, it’ll take some heavy lifting to get back on track.
It was obvious Harsin wanted Boise State to find a new conference. The new coach probably will share that sentiment, but perhaps whoever it is can understand the pros and cons of what it means.
Everyone loves offense, and Boise State has built its brand on it — but it wouldn’t have won so many games the past 20-plus years without a good (and often great) defense making those scores so lopsided.
When Petersen left seven years ago, the program needed new energy. Harsin came in with a bolt of it, the “Attack The Future” mantra part of his arsenal. When he was hired, he said he needed to leave Boise to learn what was necessary to one day return.
If Avalos was so excited to put in work at Oregon, can you imagine how he would be if he came back to Boise State as the next in a line of great head coaches?
The man may never sleep.
And Boise State fans will surely rest easy.
Dave Southorn is a former Boise State football beat writer for the Idaho Statesman who provides occasional commentary on the Broncos.
