They came to Boise State as transfers. Now they’re on the Broncos’ coaching staff
A pair of former Boise State football players who joined the team as transfers are beginning their coaching careers with the Broncos as graduate assistants.
Former safety Jared Reed is on the recruiting staff, and former offensive lineman Will Farrar, who originally joined the recruiting staff as well, now is an offensive graduate assistant. Farrar is working closely with offensive line coach Tim Keane.
“Will is a smart guy who has played a lot of football,” Keane said. “He has some learning to do as a coach, like anyone, but he has the mindset and IQ to do it, and I think he’s going to make a great one.”
Farrar was barking orders and leading players through drills during spring practice on Tuesday. The 25-year-old said coaching the same players he called teammates just a year ago has felt a little weird at times, but he’s enjoying his transition from versatile interior lineman to coach.
“I’ve been around this game for a long time,” Farrar said. “I don’t know anything else. It’s what I love, and I want to give back to the game that’s given so much to me.”
Farrar, a 6-foot-5, 320-pound native of Richmond, Texas, transferred to Boise State in 2021 after four years at Texas Tech. He started 15 games in two seasons with the Broncos and played three different positions: right and left guard, and center.
Farrar said his knowledge of the game and his time at Boise State are helping him connect with players, even though many of them are barely younger than he is.
“I care about this place and love this place,” Farrar said. “It’s the same offensive scheme for the most part. I’ve played with these fundamentals and techniques, so I know what it’s like to play in this offense.”
Farrar said he was planning to put his name up for the NFL Draft this time last year, but six years of playing a brutally physical position caught up to him, and he knew it was time to move on from his playing days.
Reed said he always planned to get into recruiting after his playing career ended, but he’s actually done a lot of coaching the past two years — because it’s all he could do.
The 24-year-old joined the Broncos with high expectations, but injuries derailed his plans from the get-go. Reed didn’t appear in any games in 2021 after suffering an injury before the season began. He played in just two games last year, suffering a season-ending injury in the home opener against UT Martin.
Relegated to the sideline, he knew he had to find a way to make the most of a difficult situation.
“I caught the injury bug,” said Reed, who transferred to Boise State in 2021 after two years at Utah State and two seasons at Portland State. “It was out of my control, but I made sure I was still involved and helping my teammates as best as possible.”
Reed comes from a football family. His father, Daryl, was a defensive back at Oregon who was picked by the Seattle Seahawks in the 11th round of the 1990 NFL Draft and also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Daryl also coached at the youth and high school levels, and Reed said he’s excited to be following in his father’s footsteps.
“I always had dreams when it comes to football, but I’ve always had aspirations outside the game, too,” Reed said. “It’s a blessing for me to begin my coaching career here at Boise State, and I owe coach (Andy) Avalos and his staff a big thank you.”
As an assistant on the recruiting staff, Reed said he spends his days studying film of recruits, and helping with junior days and visits. He hasn’t gone on the road recruiting yet, but Reed said he thinks he can do very well in the job.
“I’m a people person and I love establishing relationships,” he said. “With the history here, this place speaks for itself, but our ideal recruit is driven, has great work ethic, fits into our culture and system, and is coachable.”
