Since Boise became D1 in 1996, the Broncos have had 8* Head Coaches.
- Pokey Allen, 1996 (1 season)
- Tom Mason*, 1996 (1 season)
- Houston Nutt, 1997 (1 season)
- Dirk Koetter, 1998 - 2000 (3 seasons)
- Dan Hawkins, 2001 - 2005 (5 seasons)
- Chris Petersen, 2006 - 2013 (8 seasons)
- Bob Gregory*, 2013 (Bowl Game)
- Bryan Harsin, 2014 - present (1+ seasons)
Success Breeds Poaching
Head Coaches Who Did Not Leave
Though not the topic of this thread, it's important to provide some history. Of the men who were either Head Coaches or Interim Head Coaches for Boise State after the 1995 season (Boise's final season in FCS), these men did not "leave for greener pastures".
Pokey Allen, Head Coach 1993-1996, died of cancer
His final season in 1996 was Boise's first in D1. Sadly, Pokey was battling cancer and was too sick to coach. Tom Mason was Interim Head Coach that year.
Tom Mason, Interim Head Coach: 1996, not hired as Head Coach
Tom compiled a 1-9 record and was not offered the head coaching job. Tom went on to many other coaching opportunities: his latest at Hawaii.
Bob Gregory, Interim Head Coach: 2013 Bowl Game, followed Chris Petersen to Washington
Bob Gregory currently coaches linebackers at Washington.
Bryan Harsin, Head Coach 2014 - Present
As we all know, Coach Harsin brought a shot of adrenaline to the Bronco program and finished his first season 12-2, which includes a victory over Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl.
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How Do You Rank a Coach?
Before thinking about each of the following coaches - and how your feelings towards each may have changed when they left, it's important to consider what it means to be a "good coach". Is it:
Core Values
- Honesty
- Integrity
- Concern for Others
- Humility
- Loyalty / Friendship
- Faith
Concern for Student Athlete
- Ability to Prepare Student Athlete for Life After Football
- Academics
- Good Role Model / Mentor
Manner in Which Program is Run
- "Clean vs. Dirty"
- Individual vs Team
- How Program Represents School
- Community Service
Athletic Department Stuff:
- Wins and Losses
- Recruiting
- Branding
- Financial Success of Program
- Long Term Success of Program
Once we decide what makes a "good coach", how - if at all - did our perception of them change after they left Boise State? Did accepting a job elsewhere change their core values? Did it change their ability to win games? Did it change their concern for student athletes? How fair is it for one action (taking a job elsewhere) to alter what we previously believed to be true about these things?
Were any of the moves "good" for Boise in the long run? Does this make us more "forgiving" of the departure?
What should be the rules for leaving? How should one "say goodbye", if at all?
Should coaches be allowed to recruit their current school's recruits? Should we penalize a coach for flipping a recruit if it's in the student's best interest?
How might we compare coaching careers to our own? Is it fair to hold them to a different standard?
Does a coach "owe" an school a certain amount of time on the job? If so, how long? Should a coach "turn down" at least one High Profile job before being "allowed" to leave?
An interesting thought... if a coach is good at everything except winning, is it "OK" for a school to fire him? If yes, why can't it be the other way around and be OK for a coach to leave?
Head Coaches Who Did Leave
Next up are the four head coaches who decided to "leave for greener pastures".
Houston Nutt - coached 1 season (1997)
Left to accept a head coaching job at Arkansas. After 10 years as the head coach at Arkansas and 4 as the head coach at Ole Miss, he is currently a studio analyst for CBS Sports.
Dirk Koetter, coached 3 seasons (1998 - 2000)
Dirk left Boise for Arizona State, where he was the head coach for 6 years before coaching stints at 3 different NFL teams. He is currently the Offensive Coordinator for the Tampa Bay Bucs.
Dan Hawkins, coached 5 seasons (2001 - 2005)
Hawk accepted a Head Coaching position at Colorado in 2006, where he coached for 5 years. After 1 season in the CFL, Dan is currently listed as a college football analyst on ESPN's website.
Chris Petersen, coached 8 seasons (2006 - 2013)
Left to accept a Head Coaching job at Washington.
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This is a fascinating subject for me because of how much feelings towards a coach can change after one simple act: leaving for another job. We seem to allow career changes in everyday life, but as fans, we seem to have a different set of rules when it comes to our Head Coach. Everyone seems to be affected by this phenomenon (even myself)... I think it's mainly a matter of where on the spectrum one falls. I'm not sure it's fair, but I'll admit I do it too.
Do we hold coaches too highly in our minds while they are coaching at our University, only to watch this easily fall when they are no longer "our guy"?
Sports are a highly emotional topic. Are our rational brains colored by emotion? Does the fan in us just enjoy being mad at the "Traitor"? There are no right or wrong answers for this topic... please remember our OBNUG values and be respectful of others. Go Broncos!
What are your thoughts? How - if at all - did your feelings towards the following coaches change as a result of them leaving Boise State?