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Boise State Athletics
Danielson Announces Additional Staff Changes
1/29/2026 11:00:00 AM | Football
BOISE, Idaho – Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson announced another round of coaching staff updates on Thursday.
Danny McDonald will now be the assistant quarterbacks coach while Demitri Washington has moved to an assistant coach on the defensive line. Additionally, Devon McPeek joins the program as a special teams analyst while Kenny Zamberlin has been named an offensive quality control coach.Â
Danny McDonald, Assistant Quarterbacks
McDonald slides over to the assistant quarterback role after working as an assistant tight ends coach for the Broncos last season. Under his tutelage, Matt Lauter finished the season with 37 receptions for 330 yards and two receiving touchdowns on his way to earning honorable mention all-conference recognition, while Matt Wagner totaled 251 yards on 24 receptions and a score. He returned to the Treasure Valley after serving as a defensive quality control and assistant linebackers coach for Blue and Orange during the 2020 season.
Between his time with Boise State, he served as the special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach at Eastern Washington. Under his direction, Ben Adams totaled a team-high 76 tackles and finished eighth in the Big Sky with 7.0 tackles per game. Jaren Banks ranked second on the team with 57 total tackles.
McDonald has also had stints with the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League (2022-23), Auburn (2021-22), West Texas A&M (2016-18), East Los Angeles College (2015) and Washington State (2013-14).
Demitri Washington, Assistant Defensive Line
Washington will assist with the entire defensive line after coaching with the program's EDGEs since 2024. Last season, the Bronco defense forced 23 turnovers, a mark that ranked third in the conference and 21st in the nation. The Broncos were also third among MW teams in total defense (337.6 yards per game). EDGEs accounted for 12 of the team's 27 sacks a season ago. He played a big role in the Broncos' nation-leading 55 sacks on the season and 111 tackles for loss - a mark that was good for seventh in the nation - in 2024.
With his assistance, EDGE rusher Ahmed Hassanein and Jayden Virgin-Morgan captured all-conference honors. Hassanein, a first-team honoree in 2023 and 2024, ranked sixth in the country with 12.5 sacks as a junior before tying for 16th with 9.5 sacks as a senior. Virgin-Morgan totaled 10.0 sacks as a redshirt sophomore in 2024, which was tied for 14th in the country. This last season, Virgin-Morgan earned second team all-conference accolades after notching 56 tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles.
Washington is a former alum of the Boise State program, donning the Blue and Orange for six seasons. After redshirting during the 2018 campaign, the Solana Beach, Calif., native went on to participate in 42 games from 2019-23, finishing with 133 tackles, 16.0 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks. He was a five-time Academic All-Mountain West honoree and four-time MW Scholar-Athlete.
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Devon McPeek, Special Teams Analyst
McPeek arrives in the Treasure Valley as a special teams analyst after spending last season as a special teams analyst and specialist coach at Sam Houston State. Under his watch, the Bearkats ranked 18th in special teams efficiency (ESPN), an improvement of 88 spots from the year prior. He helped aid Tim Burns to an all-conference honorable-mention nod after averaging 25.5 yards per return and tallying one touchdown.
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He spent two seasons at UC Davis (2023-24) as a defensive and special teams quality control coach. After serving as a defensive quality control coach in his first season with the Aggies, McPeek was promoted to the assistant special teams coordinator and specialists coach. According to PFF, his unit finished the year with an 89.8 special teams grade, the fifth-highest among FCS programs.
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McPeek began his career in 2017 working with the defensive backs at Northern Arizona. In his one season with the Lumberjacks, he helped lead the squad to its sixth appearance in the FCS Playoffs and coached a quarter of all-conference players in Wes Sutton, Khalil Dorsey, Kam'ron Johnson and Maurice Davison. Northern Arizona finished the season ranked 19th nationally in passing yards allowed (174.3 yards per game) and 14th in interceptions (16). Four of those interceptions were returned for touchdowns, tied for the most in the country.
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Between his stints with Northern Arizona and UC Davis, McPeek served in the United State Navy as a Naval Aviator and Naval Supply Corps Officer from 2018-23. He most recently served as the Aviation Supply Officer onboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower deploying to the 5th and 6th Fleet Area of Operations during Operation Freedom Sentinel and Operation Inherent Resolve.
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Kenny Zamberlin, Offensive Quality Control
Zamberlin returns to the staff to serve as an offensive quality control coach. Last season, he worked in the recruiting office and assisted in the running backs room. He helped a dominant ground attack that generated over 250 yards on four occasions. The room finished with 29 touchdowns and 2,507 total rushing yards. Dylan Riley (1,125 yards) and Sire Gaines (811 yards) combined to become one of nine duos across the nation that generated 800 yards rushing on the season while on the same team.Â
He worked as a graduate assistant coach at Nebraska-Kearney for the 2023-24 campaign while working with the team's tight ends. Prior to his experience with the Lopers, Zamberlin spent the 2022 season as an assistant quarterbacks coach at Montana before ending the season at Ohio working with the Bobcats offensive line. He ended the season winning Mid-American Conference East Division Championship and winning the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl with a 30-27 victory over Wyoming in overtime. The Bobcats finished the season with the MAC's top offense as the offensive line blocked for MAC Offensive Player of the Year Kurtis Rourke.
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Zamberlin began his career as an assistant wide receivers coach with the College of Idaho in 2021, coaching two all-league receivers en route to claiming a 2021 Frontier Conference title. An alum of Meridian High School, Zamberlin is the son of former NFL player and longtime college pro and high school coach John Zamberlin.
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Danny McDonald will now be the assistant quarterbacks coach while Demitri Washington has moved to an assistant coach on the defensive line. Additionally, Devon McPeek joins the program as a special teams analyst while Kenny Zamberlin has been named an offensive quality control coach.Â
Danny McDonald, Assistant Quarterbacks
McDonald slides over to the assistant quarterback role after working as an assistant tight ends coach for the Broncos last season. Under his tutelage, Matt Lauter finished the season with 37 receptions for 330 yards and two receiving touchdowns on his way to earning honorable mention all-conference recognition, while Matt Wagner totaled 251 yards on 24 receptions and a score. He returned to the Treasure Valley after serving as a defensive quality control and assistant linebackers coach for Blue and Orange during the 2020 season.
Between his time with Boise State, he served as the special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach at Eastern Washington. Under his direction, Ben Adams totaled a team-high 76 tackles and finished eighth in the Big Sky with 7.0 tackles per game. Jaren Banks ranked second on the team with 57 total tackles.
McDonald has also had stints with the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League (2022-23), Auburn (2021-22), West Texas A&M (2016-18), East Los Angeles College (2015) and Washington State (2013-14).
Demitri Washington, Assistant Defensive Line
Washington will assist with the entire defensive line after coaching with the program's EDGEs since 2024. Last season, the Bronco defense forced 23 turnovers, a mark that ranked third in the conference and 21st in the nation. The Broncos were also third among MW teams in total defense (337.6 yards per game). EDGEs accounted for 12 of the team's 27 sacks a season ago. He played a big role in the Broncos' nation-leading 55 sacks on the season and 111 tackles for loss - a mark that was good for seventh in the nation - in 2024.
With his assistance, EDGE rusher Ahmed Hassanein and Jayden Virgin-Morgan captured all-conference honors. Hassanein, a first-team honoree in 2023 and 2024, ranked sixth in the country with 12.5 sacks as a junior before tying for 16th with 9.5 sacks as a senior. Virgin-Morgan totaled 10.0 sacks as a redshirt sophomore in 2024, which was tied for 14th in the country. This last season, Virgin-Morgan earned second team all-conference accolades after notching 56 tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles.
Washington is a former alum of the Boise State program, donning the Blue and Orange for six seasons. After redshirting during the 2018 campaign, the Solana Beach, Calif., native went on to participate in 42 games from 2019-23, finishing with 133 tackles, 16.0 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks. He was a five-time Academic All-Mountain West honoree and four-time MW Scholar-Athlete.
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Devon McPeek, Special Teams Analyst
McPeek arrives in the Treasure Valley as a special teams analyst after spending last season as a special teams analyst and specialist coach at Sam Houston State. Under his watch, the Bearkats ranked 18th in special teams efficiency (ESPN), an improvement of 88 spots from the year prior. He helped aid Tim Burns to an all-conference honorable-mention nod after averaging 25.5 yards per return and tallying one touchdown.
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He spent two seasons at UC Davis (2023-24) as a defensive and special teams quality control coach. After serving as a defensive quality control coach in his first season with the Aggies, McPeek was promoted to the assistant special teams coordinator and specialists coach. According to PFF, his unit finished the year with an 89.8 special teams grade, the fifth-highest among FCS programs.
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McPeek began his career in 2017 working with the defensive backs at Northern Arizona. In his one season with the Lumberjacks, he helped lead the squad to its sixth appearance in the FCS Playoffs and coached a quarter of all-conference players in Wes Sutton, Khalil Dorsey, Kam'ron Johnson and Maurice Davison. Northern Arizona finished the season ranked 19th nationally in passing yards allowed (174.3 yards per game) and 14th in interceptions (16). Four of those interceptions were returned for touchdowns, tied for the most in the country.
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Between his stints with Northern Arizona and UC Davis, McPeek served in the United State Navy as a Naval Aviator and Naval Supply Corps Officer from 2018-23. He most recently served as the Aviation Supply Officer onboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower deploying to the 5th and 6th Fleet Area of Operations during Operation Freedom Sentinel and Operation Inherent Resolve.
Â
Kenny Zamberlin, Offensive Quality Control
Zamberlin returns to the staff to serve as an offensive quality control coach. Last season, he worked in the recruiting office and assisted in the running backs room. He helped a dominant ground attack that generated over 250 yards on four occasions. The room finished with 29 touchdowns and 2,507 total rushing yards. Dylan Riley (1,125 yards) and Sire Gaines (811 yards) combined to become one of nine duos across the nation that generated 800 yards rushing on the season while on the same team.Â
He worked as a graduate assistant coach at Nebraska-Kearney for the 2023-24 campaign while working with the team's tight ends. Prior to his experience with the Lopers, Zamberlin spent the 2022 season as an assistant quarterbacks coach at Montana before ending the season at Ohio working with the Bobcats offensive line. He ended the season winning Mid-American Conference East Division Championship and winning the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl with a 30-27 victory over Wyoming in overtime. The Bobcats finished the season with the MAC's top offense as the offensive line blocked for MAC Offensive Player of the Year Kurtis Rourke.
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Zamberlin began his career as an assistant wide receivers coach with the College of Idaho in 2021, coaching two all-league receivers en route to claiming a 2021 Frontier Conference title. An alum of Meridian High School, Zamberlin is the son of former NFL player and longtime college pro and high school coach John Zamberlin.
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Players Mentioned
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