Boise State is reportedly moving on from head coach Andy Avalos.
ESPN and Sports Illustrated reported Sunday that the school intends to fire Avalos before the conclusion of his third season as the Broncos’ head coach. Avalos, a former Boise State linebacker, spent seven years as a defensive assistant on the staffs of Chris Petersen and Bryan Harsin in Boise and had a two-year stint as the defensive coordinator at Oregon before returning to his alma mater as head coach in 2021.
Avalos was hired by Boise State after Harsin left for Auburn, but he was unable to replicate the program’s high standard of success. The Broncos went 7-5 in his first season and then had a tough 2-2 start to the 2022 season. However, his team rebounded and won seven of its final eight regular season games but fell to Fresno State in the Mountain West title game.
Through 10 games this season, the Broncos are 5-5 overall with a 4-2 record in conference play. They played a difficult non-conference schedule, losing to Washington, UCF and Memphis amid a 3-4 start to the season. There was also a loss at Colorado State on a last-second Hail Mary after the Broncos had a 30-10 lead with six minutes to play.
The Broncos have won two of three since that loss, including a 42-14 home win over New Mexico on Saturday, but it wasn’t enough for Avalos to be retained moving forward.
Following Saturday’s win, Avalos will finish out his tenure as Boise State head coach with a 22-14 overall record with a 17-6 mark in Mountain West play. The Broncos had at least four losses in each of Avalos’ three seasons on the job. Before the Broncos went 7-5 in 2021, Avalos’ first season, they had four losses just twice in the previous 15 years.
Without Avalos, Boise State will return to the field next Saturday at Utah State with the goal of becoming bowl eligible. The Broncos will then close out the season at home vs. Air Force on Friday, Nov. 24.
Boise State last finished with fewer than seven wins in 1998.