Avalos returns to Bronco Nation as Head Coach

On Jan. 9, news swept across Bronco Nation as Andy Avalos was announced as the new head coach of the Boise State Football program. The announcement was made by the Director of Athletics Jeremiah Dickey. 

“I am elated to bring Andy Avalos back to Boise State, where he belongs,” Dickey said. “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. Andy 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.”

Avalos spent seven seasons coaching at Boise State, including the final three as defensive coordinator. During his time as coordinator, the Broncos led the MW in sacks, ranked second in rush defense and third in total defense.

He was a former all-conference linebacker for the Broncos from 2000 to 2004 while playing for Head Coaches Dirk Koetter and Dan Hawkins; which will ascend him to be the second graduate from Boise State University. 

Avalos started his coaching career in his hometown of Corona, California, where he coached linebackers at Corona High School. He then spent three seasons as a graduate assistant at the University of Colorado before coaching two seasons at Nebraska-Kearney and one at Sacramento State. 

Avalos would then go on to be an assistant coach for the Broncos from 2012 to 2018. From there, he would work his way up to the title of defensive coordinator in 2018 while working alongside Chris Peterson and Bryan Harsin. He then took the defensive coordinator position for the University of Oregon Ducks from 2018 to 2019 working under Mario Cristobal. 

While Avalos was at Oregon, the Ducks led the Pac-12 in sacks over the course of his two seasons as coordinator and ranked third in the conference in both rush defense and total defense.

Oregon finished the 2019 season ninth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 16.5 points per game. The Ducks ranked 13th nationally in rushing defense (108.93 yards per game) and 22nd in total defense (329.1 YPG). Avalos’s defense disrupted opposing offenses, finishing second in the country in interceptions (20), sixth in passes defended (76), 13th in sacks (41.0), and 21st in tackles-for-loss (97.0).

During his five seasons as a defensive coordinator, Avalos established himself as one of college football’s premier coordinators. He was named a semifinalist for the Broyles Award, which honors college football’s top assistant coach, during his first season at Oregon in 2019.

Avalos’s head coaching career will begin Sept. 11 in the season-opener against the UTEP Miners. The university and Bronco Nation are now waiting to see what Avalos can do.

“This is a dream come true, and a very humbling opportunity for myself and my family to be back in this program,” Avalos said. “I’m excited to get back around the players I have missed the last two years and to provide an elite experience for all the young men in the Boise State football program. I can’t wait to get to work and help this program make our university, community, and the state of Idaho proud by continuing to grow the blue-collar mentality that has been the staple of our program and allowed it to thrive for years.”