Boise State football: Oregon’s Andy Avalos the favorite with Kellen Moore sticking with Cowboys

Andy Avalos is close to leaving the Oregon Ducks for his alma mater Boise State Broncos.

With longtime Boise State football coach Bryan Harsin leaving the for Auburn Tigers, many thought Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore would take over at his alma mater. However, he is no longer a candidate, leaving former Broncos linebacker and current Oregon Ducks defensive coordinator Andy Avalos as the leading candidate to be the next Boise State football coach.

Despite Boise State being in the Group of 5, this is one of the strongest football programs on the West Coast and one of the most consistent winners anywhere. Boise State routinely contends in the Mountain West and occasionally will contend for New Year’s Six bowl games. With a long line of successful head coaches, look for Avalos to carry on that tradition if he is the one to replace Harsin in Boise.

What can Andy Avalos do to set his mark at Boise State?

Avalos played for the Broncos from 2001-2005. The Corona, California native was hired by his alma mater in 2012 to coach the defensive line. He held that role for two years before becoming the linebackers coach in 2014, taking on defensive coordinator responsibilities in 2016. Avalos left Boise for the Oregon defensive coordinator job in 2019 to join Mario Cristobal’s staff.

While that may have been seen as a lateral move, it may have been just what Avalos needed to get a great job like the one he is up for now. Oregon won the Pac-12 in back-to-back seasons under Cristobal, winning the Rose Bowl over the Wisconsin Badgers in 2019, but falling to the Iowa State Cyclones in the Fiesta Bowl this year. His defense made Oregon menacing.

Should Avalos get the job, the biggest thing Avalos can do at Boise State is to be himself. Yes, he can learn from guys like Cristobal, as well as Boise State coaching legends like Dan Hawkins, Chris Petersen and Harsin. However, the only way this is going to work for Avalos is if he is 100 percent authentically himself. Boise State is a great job, but there are great expectations waiting for him.

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