Gene Bleymaier (2020) - Hall of Fame - Boise State University Athletics

Gene Bleymaier

Induction:
2020

Bleymaier served as Director of Athletics for 30 years. He came to Boise State in 1981 and was promoted to AD in February of 1982, serving in that capacity until September of 2011. During his tenure, Bleymaier was recognized nationally for his leadership and accomplishments, receiving the prestigious Bobby Dodd Athletic Director of the Year Award in 2011 and was a finalist for the Street and Smith's Sports Business Journal Athletic Director of the Year Award in 2010. Bleymaier received the Astro Turf Athletic Director of the Year Award in 2008 and the Boise Valley Economic Partnership Recognition Award in 2007. He served a four-year term on the NCAA Division I Management Council and was President of the NCAA I-AA Athletic Directors' Association. The famous Blue Turf, installed in Albertsons Stadium in 1986, was Bleymaier's brainchild. In 1997, he founded the annual football Bowl game played in Albertsons Stadium and also created the popular "Beauty and the Beast" event, featuring gymnastics and wrestling simultaneously. During his 30 years as AD, Bronco student-athletes excelled in the classroom and garnered a record 102 Conference Championships in 18 different sports. Boise State dominated the WAC, winning the all sports Commissioner's Cup in 2006, 2010 and 2011. Five additional Pac-10 Championships in wrestling resulted in a record 37 titles in 10 years. He oversaw Boise State's transition from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision, and then took the Broncos from the Big West Conference, to the Western Athletic Conference to the Mountain West Conference. During Bleymaier's tenure, he oversaw the construction of more than $125 million in athletic facilities, and with Dr. George Wade, brought the Idaho Sports Medicine Institute to the Boise State campus. In 2013, the new football operations building was named the Bleymaier Football Center. A partial list of Bleymaier's coaching and staff hires includes Chris Petersen, Dan Hawkins, Dirk Koetter, Pokey Allen, Leon Rice, Bobby Dye, Gordy Presnell, June Daugherty, Trisha Stevens, Shawn Garus, Tina Bird, Sam Sandmire, Greg Patton, Curt Apsey and Ron Dibelius.