Coach Pete agrees to 5 year contract with BSU

Phoenix, AZ January 1, 2010 11:00am MST

Boise State just announced head coach Chris Peterson has agreed to a new 5 year contract to continue as the Bronco’s head football coach.  Details are not being released at this time but Athletic Director Gene Blaymeir said this was “a good way to start the new year.”

Below is the transcript of the announcement:

GENE BLEYMAIER:  Good morning.  First of  all,  on  behalf  of  Boise  State  University,  I  just want to thank John Junker and everybody here at the Fiesta Bowl for the tremendous hospitality and reception that they’ve given our team, our staff and our   fans, everybody associated with this great event. It is again  just  a  phenomenal  experience and  one  that  we  are  overwhelmed  with  and  it  all starts  with  John  Junker  and  his  staff  of  yellow jackets.  They have just been tremendous. Today  we  are  very  excited  as  we  start  a new  year  to  announce  that  Boise  State  University and  Coach  Petersen  have  come  to  an agreement on a new five-year contract for Coach Petersen to stay at Boise State University and continue as our head football coach. This   is   something   that   obviously   we’ve been wanting and working on for quite a while with Coach  Petersen.    We  are  just  thrilled  that  we’re able to come to terms and reach agreement on this new  contract.    We  would  like  to  think  that  Coach Petersen will be with us at Boise State throughout his career in coaching.  Four-year record at 48-4 is just unprecedented. We couldn’t be happier with Coach and his staff  and  what  they’ve  done  for  our  university  and for  our  football  program.    And  we  want  nothing more than for that to continue. I  want  to thank Coach Pete for everything he has done for us, for the university, and agreeing to  continue  on  as  the  head  of  this  program  and also    President    Kustra    for    his    support and endorsement  of  the  program.    None  of  this  would be   possible   without   the   commitment   and   the support   of   the   administration   starting   with   the President of the University. So as we start 2010 we’ve got a great day, a  great  year  ahead  of  us,  and  we  are  just  very excited   to   announce   that   we   do   have   a   new five-year  agreement  with  Coach  Pete.    The  terms are being finalized, so we won’t be talking specifics this morning.  We will get the attorneys together to hammer out a contract. Then  it  has  to  go  to  our  state  board  of education.    They  need  to  bless  it  before  we  can talk  publicly about the details of the contract.  But what  I  can  tell  you  today  is  that  we  have  reached agreement in principle on a new five-year contract with Coach Pete.

Q.    This  is  a  new  contract,  not  just  an extension, a whole new five-year deal?

GENE BLEYMAIER:  However you want to say it.  It will be a five-year contract.

Q.  Through 2014? Q.    Pending  state  board  of  education approval?

GENE BLEYMAIER:  That is correct.

Q.  When is that?

GENE  BLEYMAIER:    At  the  next  earliest available  meeting  time.  I don’t know when that is right now.

Q.    Did  you  guys  finalize  this  this  year or  just  decide  to  announce  it  here  and  it  has been done for a little while?  It has been done for a little while.

GENE   BLEYMAIER:      We   finalized   it   a week  ago  and  decided  that  now  would  be a good time, good way to start the new year.

Q.  Is it going to be a significant amount more money or just more years mostly?

GENE BLEYMAIER:  I don’t know want to get into the details of the agreement.  Suffice it to  say,  we  think  it  is  a  win-win  agreement  for  both sides  and  this  was  a  cooperative  effort  from  the beginning  and  something  that  we  both  wanted  to accomplish. I’m very excited to say we were able to do this.

Q.    Where  did  it  rank  on  your  priority list of things you wanted to get done before the new year?

ROBERT KUSTRA:  Clearly we have been working  on  this  for  a  few  months,  and  this  was absolutely a top priority for Boise State University, to   be   affiliated,   and   standing   alongside   Chris Petersen is just a great accomplishment. He  has  done  a  great  job  here  at  Boise State,  one  of  the  finest  football  coaches  in  the nation.  His team – you all know his team.  It has built  character.    It  has  taught  leadership.    He  has shared values, the kind of values we all believe in and respect. In   addition   to   all   his   coaching   abilities, Coach Patterson has been an incredible supporter of  Boise  State  University  as  a  university.    He’s placed  emphasis  on  academic  priorities,  not  only for his student-athletes but for the entire University. To  have  somebody  like  this  as  a  team player  continuing  on  here  in  this  key  leadership role  is  an  awfully  important  thing  for  Boise  State University  as  we  take  this  university  to  the  next level.

Q.    Pete,  what  were  you  looking  for here?  Why did you decide to do this?

COACH  PETERSEN:    Well,  you  know,  I would  just  like  to  say  how  appreciative  I  am  to Dr. Kustra,  Gene,  to  have  this  opportunity  to  stay here as long as possible. You know, I think the one thing is, we have been talking about this for a while, working this out. I think they said it best, I don’t think about it just for me.  I think about it for our coaches as well. And so I think that the longer we can keep our crew intact, the better for Boise State, and I’m just  so  appreciative  with  everything  they’ve  done for our program, my family, our staff. The one thing is we are excited to get this message out.  We don’t want this to take away too much  from  the  reason  that  we’re  here,  from  this great  experience,  to  make  this  about this contract or  anything  like  that.    But  we  are  so  appreciative and very humbled by the whole situation.

Q.    You  said  you  agreed  on  it  a  week ago.    It  is  a  pretty  sweet  Christmas  present then?

COACH   PETERSEN:      No   question.      I really  feel,  like  I  said,  I’m  blessed  to  be  here  and appreciative.

Q.        Did    you    look    into    any    other opportunities this year at all?

COACH    PETERSEN:        No,    no,    really haven’t.    These  things  are  kind  of  hard  as  the season is going on because you are so focused on the task at hand. These  guys  have  done such a nice job of making   it   as   doable   and   as   easy   as   these processes.    They  can  be  tough  processes.    And they   have   been   more   than   generous   and   very great to work with.

Q.  You mentioned your staff.  Did you negotiate some way that they will be taken care of as part of this?

COACH PETERSEN:  There is some give and  take  in  the  whole  contract,  without  question. You know, I mean, there’s – every place has their ceiling on what people can do. We  understand  that  at  Boise  State.    But we  also  understand  what  a  special  place it is and what  great  people  we  work  with.    I  think  it’s  a win-win for all sides involved.

Q.    Gene,  how  important  is  it  to  have Coach Pete locked up and make some of those rumors go away now?

GENE  BLEYMAIER:    It  is  a  number  one priority.    It  is  critical.    The  recruiting  season  is  in high   gear   right   now,   and   we   don’t   want   any questions about who’s going to be heading up this program,  not  only  at  the  top  but  with  the  whole staff. And we did address the assistant coaches in this negotiation and we want to keep this whole team together, because as Coach Pete has always said,  it  is  not  about  one  person  or  two  people  or whatever.  It takes a lot of people in the program, in  the  coaching  staff,  in  the  training  room,  the equipment room, the medical staff, you name it, to make a successful program. We want to make sure that stays as intact as possible.

Q.        Did    anyone    contact    you    for permission to talk to Coach Pete?

GENE BLEYMAIER: This year? (Smiling).

Q.  2009.

GENE    BLEYMAIER:        Not    this    year (laughter).  No, not recently.  They don’t have to.  It is   pretty   obvious   that   people   are   interested   in Coach  Pete  any  time  there  is  a  job  opening.   We would  be  very  naive  to  think  that  he’s  not  under consideration. We know that he’s under consideration for probably every opening that there is in the country. That’s  why  this  announcement  is  so  important  to us and to our program.

Q.    Obviously  there  is  maybe  an  issue with  Pete’s.    Are  you  expecting  the  rest  of those guys to be back with what you have done here?

COACH   PETERSEN:      You   never   know how these things go.  I think it is a nervous time of year for everybody.  It is a nervous time of year for administrators.  It is a nervous time of year for me, for  our  coaches.    It  is  a  nervous  time  of  year because  of  our  recruits.    It  is  just  that  time  of the year.  I know this. We got a great situation at Boise State.  If we  lose  a  guy  to  a  situation  that’s  better  for  him and  his  family,  we  are  all  good  with  that,  but  it  is going to be a really good situation because I think we are all in a good situation as we sit.

Q.    How  nice  is  it  to  have  this  behind you before Monday and not to have to deal with it?

COACH PETERSEN:  No question.  That’s why we wanted to talk about it and put it behind us. It  is all about this game and these players and all the things that they’ve done to help get us here.

Q.    You  have  only  lost  one  guy  to  an NFL team.  How important has that been?

COACH PETERSEN:  I think it is because of    Dr. Kustra    and    Gene    Bleymaier    and    the foundation they have made and the funds and the money they are able to pay the assistant coaches. They are appreciative of the situation that they’re in and  that  we’re  in.    There  is  no  question  about  it. For them to go to another place, I mean, you know, it’s going to have to be somewhere special.

Q.    Gene,  you  said  give  and  take  with the    contract.        How    difficult    is    it    to   put something     like     this     together     given     the fund-raising     challenges     with     the     athletic department?

GENE  BLEYMAIER:    Well,  this  process was as smooth as I have ever been through and it is  a  credit  to  Coach  Pete.    I  think  the  great  thing about  Pete  and  his  staff  is  they  want  to  be  here. They understand – I think that the President and I are   doing   everything   that   we   can   with   Bronco Nation  to  keep  this  thing  going  and  to  keep  this coaching staff together. They  understand  that,  and  I  think  in  any situation that’s all you can really ask for, is people giving it their best shot.

Q.  Are there any specific clauses in the contract that allow guys to leave?

COACH  PETERSEN:    I  think  that  goes without  saying  if  you  don’t  win  enough  games. (Laughter).

GENE   BLEYMAIER:      Yeah,   there’s   the usual   clauses.      Since   they   outlawed   slavery – (smiling) –  we  can’t force anybody to work for the university, as much as I would like that. Again,  I  would  like  to  end  again  by  just thanking the Fiesta Bowl and the reason that we’re here in this great city at this great event, this is an experience of a lifetime for our program and for our players. There’s  not  a  better  Bowl  in  the  country, bar  none, than the Fiesta Bowl and the hospitality and the class with how this whole week is run and everything surrounding this event on Monday night is  nothing  but  the  best.    And  please  know  how appreciative all of us are for being here, the honor to represent our University in this championship.

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Posted by Brad Arendt on Jan 1 2010. Filed under Bowl Championship Series, Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.