‘Best job on the planet’: As carousel spins, could Boise State coach leave?
It’s not even November, and the college football coaching carousel is already in full swing, part of a crazy fall of 2025.
A record 12 Division I head coaches have been fired, leaving job openings at coveted programs across the country, from UCLA and Stanford to Penn State and Florida.
That also means successful coaches’ names both in and out of power conferences are being linked to job openings, and Boise State’s Spencer Danielson is no different. Danielson has a record of 21-5 since becoming interim head coach in November 2023, guiding the Broncos to two Mountain West championships and a trip to the College Football Playoff.
Danielson said earlier this week that programs have “hit him up for jobs,” and he most recently was linked to UCLA, which fired DeShaun Foster after a 0-3 start to the season. The Bruins have enjoyed an uptick since then, going 3-2 under interim coach Tim Skipper to sit at 3-5.
When asked about his name being mentioned as this season’s coaching carnage continues, Danielson — a native of Southern California and graduate of Azusa Pacific University east of Los Angeles — remained adamant in his commitment to Boise State.
“Absolutely, schools have been reaching out, and have interest and have conversations, and that’s just the space,” Danielson told reporters. “But all my focus is on this team, and I want to be here.”
He went on to say that he believes many college football coaches fall into two groups: those trying to avoid being fired and those seeking a better job.
But there’s a third group, according to Danielson, and that’s where he belongs.
“The thing that I love about Boise State and where my heart is, is I’m not in either one of those,” Danielson said. “I really believe I have the absolute best job on the planet.”
Danielson signed a contract extension with Boise State in April 2025 that runs through the 2029 season. It saw his salary increase to over $2 million per year. If Danielson were to leave Boise State, the school would be owed a starting total of $3.5 million that decreases by $500,000 each year of the contract, and by $1 million the final year.
As a comparison, Foster’s annual salary at UCLA was set at $3.1 million in 2025, according to the LA Times. The lowest-paid coach in a Power Four conference is SMU’s Rhett Lashlee, whose salary is $2.47 million. But for Danielson, the value in a program is more than just the money entering his pocket.
“When I look at it face value, when I look at our players, this community, our support, I want to be here,” Danielson said.
“... If you told me 10 years from now, I’m still the head coach at Boise State, that’s a dream come true to me.”
Boise State vs. Fresno State
- When: 1:30 p.m. Saturday
- Where: Albertsons Stadium (32,796, turf)
- TV: Fox Sports 1 (Noah Reed, Robert Smith)
- Radio: KBOI 670 AM / 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
- Records: Boise State is 6-2, 4-0 Mountain West; Fresno State 5-3, 2-2
- Series: Boise State leads the series 17-9
- Betting line: Boise State by 17.5
- Weather: 65 degrees, partly cloudy, 12% chance of rain
