‘Once a Bronco, always a Bronco’: Boise State running backs coach is staying home
Winston Venable will continue to coach running backs at his alma mater, Boise State football coach Andy Avalos announced Friday.
Venable was promoted to running backs coach last year after he spent the 2018-19 seasons as player development director.
He’s the second member of former Boise State coach Bryan Harsin’s staff that the school has retained so far. Spencer Danielson, who served as interim head coach after Harsin left for Auburn, was named defensive coordinator on Tuesday.
“Winston’s passion and enthusiasm for building young men of character has been a valuable asset to our culture,” Avalos said Friday in a press release. “His ability to connect with people is what sets him apart as a coach, and I’m excited to continue to watch him grow in this profession. He’s been proud to represent Boise State since his days as a player, and we’re proud to have him continuing to represent this program and this community.”
Avalos also has hired former UC Davis offensive coordinator Tim Plough to run the offense, longtime Utah State assistant Frank Maile to coach the defensive line and former Oregon assistant Reid Kagy as strength coach.
Boise State announced Thursday that former Oregon player personnel and development assistant Da’Vell Winters will be Avalos’ chief of staff, and announced the addition of assistant strength coaches Lucas White and Brandon Pietrzyk.
Retaining Venable goes along with the “Once a Bronco, always a Bronco” theme Avalos brought up Sunday during his introductory press conference when asked about the importance of filling his staff with coaches who have ties to Boise State.
“The most important thing is to create those relationships and value people,” Avalos said. “College athletics bring people together.”
Venable was promoted to running backs coach last February, and he took over a unit led by freshman George Holani, who posted 1,014 rushing yards in 2019, marking the 11th straight season that Boise State produced a 1,000-yard rusher.
That streak ended last season after Holani played in just one full game — posting 100 yards on the ground in the season opener against Utah State. He suffered an apparent knee injury the next week at Air Force, and his only playing time for the rest of the year was short-lived in the regular-season finale at Wyoming.
Holani didn’t look healthy at Wyoming and he exited the game early. He didn’t play the following week in the Mountain West championship game.
The Broncos were also without senior Robert Mahone last season after he was suspended in August following an arrest for alleged domestic battery. He eventually transferred. Junior college transfer Taequan Tyler was lost in the preseason after he suffered an Achilles tendon injury.
Junior Andrew Van Buren carried the load for the bulk of the Broncos’ seven-game season. He finished with 382 yards on 111 carries and led the Mountain West with eight rushing touchdowns.
Boise State finished last in the conference at 107.1 rushing yards a game, but Venable said he is happy to take on the challenge of improving those numbers on the campus he once called home as a player.
Venable was a two-time All-Western Athletic Conference pick as a linebacker at Boise State in 2009-10.
“This program has meant so much to me for such a long time, and I’m excited to be able to continue to give back to it by bringing young men through and instilling the values and culture that have made so many of us who we are today,” Venable said in Friday’s press release. “I’m elated to work for someone like Andy Avalos and to learn from him and our new offensive coordinator, Tim Plough. This is a special place with special people, and I’m excited for our future.”
With signing day less than a month away, Venable’s first job will be to find a running back to add to the Broncos’ 2021 class.
Eli Sanders — a three-star running back from perennial Arizona powerhouse Chandler High — was verbally committed to Boise State with his teammate, wide receiver Jalen Richmond. But Richmond signed with the Broncos on early signing day and Sanders didn’t. Sanders then reopened his recruitment on Dec. 27.
Sanders, who picked up scholarship offers from Iowa and Iowa State after he committed to Boise State, is expected to announce his decision on Sunday.
Boise State gymnasts upset Oregon State
The Boise State gymnastics team opened the 2021 season Friday night with a win at No. 13 Oregon State.
The Broncos outscored the Beavers 194.300-191.950. Senior Emily Muhlenhaupt won the bars title with a 9.95 and tied for the beam title at 9.85. It was the Broncos’ first meet since COVID-19 canceled the final portion of last season.
“The team came out tonight with grateful and determined hearts, which led to a record number of stuck landings as a team,” coach Tina Bird said in a press release. “We’ve been working really hard on landings, so to start off like this is so indicative of what this team can accomplish.“
Boise State opens its home schedule Jan. 23 against BYU. The meet will be streamed on BroncoSports.com.
This story was originally published January 15, 2021 at 5:58 PM.
