Avalos Returns to Boise State as Head Coach
1/9/2021 10:30:00 AM | Football
ANDY AVALOS BIO
SEASON TICKETS
BOISE, Idaho – Boise State University has named Andy Avalos, a former Bronco student-athlete, assistant coach and defensive coordinator, the 11th football head coach in the program's history as a four-year institution, Director of Athletics Jeramiah Dickey announced Saturday.
"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."
Avalos, a team captain and all-conference linebacker during his playing career (2000-04) under head coaches Dirk Koetter and Dan Hawkins, is just the second graduate of Boise State to lead the Broncos' football program (Bryan Harsin). He previously coached at Boise State from 2012-18 under head coaches Chris Petersen and Harsin, ascending to defensive coordinator for the 2016-18 seasons before accepting the same role at Oregon for the last two seasons (2018-19) under head coach Mario Cristobal.
"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."
"Andy Avalos embodies all that we could ask for in a football coach — confident, as well as hungry to learn more; a blue collar worker, as well as an innovator; fiercely competitive, as well as fully invested in the development of young athletes as men of character, integrity and compassion. He represents the best of Boise State as it is evidenced across our campus. This is an incredible win for Bronco Nation, and I am so delighted to welcome him home," said Dr. Marlene Tromp, Boise State president.
In addition to coaching stops at Boise State (2012-18) and Oregon (2019-20), Avalos also spent time working under Hawkins at Colorado (2006-08), at Sacramento State (2011) and at Nebraska-Kearney (2009-10).
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.
The Ducks won Pac-12 championships each season with Avalos in charge of the defense, adding to three Mountain West Championships the Broncos captured with Avalos on staff (2012, 2014 and 2017) and two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championships while at Nebraska-Kearney (2009-10). As a student-athlete, Avalos won three Western Athletic Conference championships (2002, 2003, 2004) in his four years as a starting linebacker.
In Avalos' two seasons at Oregon, the Ducks earned a victory in the 2020 Rose Bowl and played in the 2021 Fiesta Bowl, a game the Broncos also appeared in during the 2014 season, defeating Arizona (38-30) for Boise State's third victory in the game. With Avalos on staff, Boise State also appeared in the Las Vegas Bowl (2012 and 2017), the Hawai'i Bowl (2013), the Poinsettia Bowl (2015) and the Cactus Bowl (2016), and was selected to play in the First Responder Bowl (2018). While Avalos was playing for the Broncos, Boise State appeared in the 2002 Humanitarian Bowl, the 2003 Fort Worth Bowl and the 2004 Liberty Bowl, a game in which he returned an interception 92 yards for a touchdown.
Avalos has overseen the development of 50 student-athletes that have garnered all-conference honors, and multiple All-Americans, of whom several will be familiar to Bronco Nation - DeMarcus Lawrence, Curtis Weaver and Leighton Vander Esch. Ducks defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux picked up All-America accolades this past season, in addition to being one of four student-athletes to earn Freshman All-America honors in Avalos' two seasons with Oregon (linebacker Noah Seweill in 2020, and Thibodeaux, defensive back Verone McKinley III and linebacker Mase Funa in 2019). Thibodeaux and Sewell were named Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons (2019-20).
Vander Esch was named MW Defensive Player of the Year for the Broncos in 2017 before declaring early for the National Football League Draft and ultimately being selected in the first round by the Dallas Cowboys. Lawrence and Weaver also opted to forego their final seasons of eligibility with the Broncos, being selected in the second and fifth rounds, respectively.
Oregon 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' 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).
Prior to joining the Oregon staff, 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. While at his alma mater he also served as defensive line coach (2012-13) and linebackers coach (2014-15).
Avalos started his coaching career in his hometown of Corona, Calif., where he coached linebackers at Corona High School. He then spent three seasons as a graduate assistant at Colorado before coaching two seasons at Nebraska-Kearney and one at Sacramento State.
A four-year letterwinner for the Broncos, Avalos earned first-team All-WAC honors at outside linebacker in each of his final two seasons. He completed his career ranked fourth all-time with 365 tackles, and led the Broncos in the statistical category in each of his final three seasons. He was named to the All-Blue Team during the 2016 season, a list of the 30 greatest players at Boise State since the inception of The Blue in 1986.
Avalos and his wife Summer had their first child, a daughter named Paityn, Jan. 31, 2014, and added a second daughter, Paige, April 12, 2016.
SEASON TICKETS
BOISE, Idaho – Boise State University has named Andy Avalos, a former Bronco student-athlete, assistant coach and defensive coordinator, the 11th football head coach in the program's history as a four-year institution, Director of Athletics Jeramiah Dickey announced Saturday.
"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."
Avalos, a team captain and all-conference linebacker during his playing career (2000-04) under head coaches Dirk Koetter and Dan Hawkins, is just the second graduate of Boise State to lead the Broncos' football program (Bryan Harsin). He previously coached at Boise State from 2012-18 under head coaches Chris Petersen and Harsin, ascending to defensive coordinator for the 2016-18 seasons before accepting the same role at Oregon for the last two seasons (2018-19) under head coach Mario Cristobal.
"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."
"Andy Avalos embodies all that we could ask for in a football coach — confident, as well as hungry to learn more; a blue collar worker, as well as an innovator; fiercely competitive, as well as fully invested in the development of young athletes as men of character, integrity and compassion. He represents the best of Boise State as it is evidenced across our campus. This is an incredible win for Bronco Nation, and I am so delighted to welcome him home," said Dr. Marlene Tromp, Boise State president.
In addition to coaching stops at Boise State (2012-18) and Oregon (2019-20), Avalos also spent time working under Hawkins at Colorado (2006-08), at Sacramento State (2011) and at Nebraska-Kearney (2009-10).
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.
The Ducks won Pac-12 championships each season with Avalos in charge of the defense, adding to three Mountain West Championships the Broncos captured with Avalos on staff (2012, 2014 and 2017) and two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championships while at Nebraska-Kearney (2009-10). As a student-athlete, Avalos won three Western Athletic Conference championships (2002, 2003, 2004) in his four years as a starting linebacker.
In Avalos' two seasons at Oregon, the Ducks earned a victory in the 2020 Rose Bowl and played in the 2021 Fiesta Bowl, a game the Broncos also appeared in during the 2014 season, defeating Arizona (38-30) for Boise State's third victory in the game. With Avalos on staff, Boise State also appeared in the Las Vegas Bowl (2012 and 2017), the Hawai'i Bowl (2013), the Poinsettia Bowl (2015) and the Cactus Bowl (2016), and was selected to play in the First Responder Bowl (2018). While Avalos was playing for the Broncos, Boise State appeared in the 2002 Humanitarian Bowl, the 2003 Fort Worth Bowl and the 2004 Liberty Bowl, a game in which he returned an interception 92 yards for a touchdown.
Avalos has overseen the development of 50 student-athletes that have garnered all-conference honors, and multiple All-Americans, of whom several will be familiar to Bronco Nation - DeMarcus Lawrence, Curtis Weaver and Leighton Vander Esch. Ducks defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux picked up All-America accolades this past season, in addition to being one of four student-athletes to earn Freshman All-America honors in Avalos' two seasons with Oregon (linebacker Noah Seweill in 2020, and Thibodeaux, defensive back Verone McKinley III and linebacker Mase Funa in 2019). Thibodeaux and Sewell were named Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons (2019-20).
Vander Esch was named MW Defensive Player of the Year for the Broncos in 2017 before declaring early for the National Football League Draft and ultimately being selected in the first round by the Dallas Cowboys. Lawrence and Weaver also opted to forego their final seasons of eligibility with the Broncos, being selected in the second and fifth rounds, respectively.
Oregon 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' 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).
Prior to joining the Oregon staff, 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. While at his alma mater he also served as defensive line coach (2012-13) and linebackers coach (2014-15).
Avalos started his coaching career in his hometown of Corona, Calif., where he coached linebackers at Corona High School. He then spent three seasons as a graduate assistant at Colorado before coaching two seasons at Nebraska-Kearney and one at Sacramento State.
A four-year letterwinner for the Broncos, Avalos earned first-team All-WAC honors at outside linebacker in each of his final two seasons. He completed his career ranked fourth all-time with 365 tackles, and led the Broncos in the statistical category in each of his final three seasons. He was named to the All-Blue Team during the 2016 season, a list of the 30 greatest players at Boise State since the inception of The Blue in 1986.
Avalos and his wife Summer had their first child, a daughter named Paityn, Jan. 31, 2014, and added a second daughter, Paige, April 12, 2016.
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