Boise State University Athletics named former player and assistant coach Andy Avalos as head football coach Saturday, replacing Bryan Harsin who departed for Auburn last month.
“This is a dream come true, and a very humbling opportunity for myself and my family to be back in this program,” Avalos said in a press release.
Avalos leaves the University of Oregon football program where he had been defensive coordinator for the past two seasons.
As a player, Avalos was a team captain and all-conference linebacker under Boise State head coaches Dirk Koetter and Dan Hawkins. He follows Harsin as only the second graduate of Boise State to lead the Broncos’ football program.
He served as assistant coach at Boise State from 2012-18 under head coaches Chris Petersen and Harsin, ascending to defensive coordinator for the 2016-18 seasons before leaving for Oregon.
During his first season at Oregon in 2019, Avalos was named a semifinalist for the Broyles Award, which honors college football’s top assistant coach.
“I am elated to bring Andy Avalos back to Boise State where he belongs,” new Boise State Director of Athletics Jeramiah Dickey said. Dickey was hired last week, and had reportedly traveled to Eugene, Oregon to interview Avalos, as well as traveling to Bozeman, Montana to interview Montana State head coach Jeff Choate. University of Southern California offensive coordinator Graham Harrell and University of Florida offensive coordinator Brian Johnson were also reportedly in the mix for the job.
“We did our due diligence with this search in a very short period of time, and this was a national search, not just something we were looking at keeping within the family,” Dickey said.
“[Avalos] left no doubt that he was the individual that would continue building on the well-established culture within Bronco Football. His passion for this program was evident, and I am excited for our student-athletes, our staff and Bronco Nation.”
The Idaho Press first reported the hire Friday evening. Avalos is the latest in a now 23-year stretch of former players or assistant coaches hired as Boise State head coach.
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