2 former Boise State coaches who helped win Fiesta Bowls are together again. Here’s how
A pair of football coaches with rich Boise State histories are teaming up again, wearing navy blue and gold rather than orange and blue.
Cal head coach Justin Wilcox hired Bryan Harsin to be the offensive coordinator in Berekely. Harsin was the tight ends coach at Boise State from 2002 to 2005, the offensive coordinator from 2006 to 2010, and then the Broncos’ head coach from 2014 to 2020, before he left for a short, rather disastrous stint at Auburn.
Wilcox was the defensive coordinator at Boise State from 2006 to 2009. He and Harsin were hired by former head coach Chris Petersen to lead the defense and offense, respectively, and they were part of the undefeated 2006 season that ended with the famous Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma, and the undefeated 2009 season that culminated with a win over TCU in the same bowl game.
The pair were also graduate assistants together at Boise State in 2001.
“I have spent several years of my coaching career on the same staff and in the same room with Coach Harsin,” Wilcox said in a news release. “He is a proven winner whose record speaks for itself and he will make an immediate impact on our offense and in recruiting.”
Harsin returns to college football after two years out of the game. The Boise native, who has lived with his family in Eagle the past two years, was fired as Auburn’s head coach in October 2022 after going 6-7 in his first season and starting 3-5 in his second.
While coordinators under Petersen, the duo helped Boise State go 49-4 over four seasons, including the two undefeated campaigns.
Harsin’s first year as offensive coordinator saw Ian Johnson lead the country in rushing touchdowns (25) and set what was then the Boise State single-season rushing record (1,713) — a record that stood until junior running back Ashton Jeanty broke it earlier this season. He also helped develop Kellen Moore into one of college football’s best quarterbacks.
Wilcox has been at Cal since 2017, his first head coaching gig. He has a record of 43-49, including going 6-6 in 2024 and earning an invite to the LA Bowl against UNLV.
This story was originally published December 11, 2024 at 11:42 AM.
