Boise State builds on ‘pride and tradition’ with higher salaries for football coaches

Boise State has taken a new approach to paying assistant football coaches since Athletic Director Jeramiah Dickey was hired in January 2021.

Last year, the bulk of the Broncos’ assistant coaches signed multiyear contracts, which have been rare in the past. This year, the athletic department is opening its checkbook to cover salaries previously unseen at the only FBS program in Idaho.

Boise State defensive coordinator Spencer Danielson signed a new two-year deal last December that will pay him $425,000 this year and $450,000 next year. He is the highest-paid assistant coach in program history.

Offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan, a former quarterback at Boise State, was hired last December. His two-year deal pays $400,000 this year and $425,000 next year. The Idaho State Board of Education approved both contracts last week.

Only seven Boise State assistants have made at least $300,000 since 2014, including current head coach Andy Avalos, who made $350,000 as defensive coordinator before leaving for the same position at Oregon in 2019. He’s joined by former offensive coordinators Eric Kiesau, Eliah Drinkwitz, Zak Hill and Mike Sanford, and former defensive coordinators Jeff Schmedding and Marcel Yates.

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Danielson led the staff of assistants last year with a base salary of $290,000. He also led the way in 2021, making $280,000. Former offensive coordinator Tim Plough, who was fired last September, made $280,000 in the final year of his two-year deal.

Dickey said the salary increases are a direct result of 10 donations of at least $1 million that Boise State has received since December 2020. The athletic department announced the latest $1 million dollar donation on Feb. 10. It was from a donor who wished to remain anonymous and the money will fund future capital projects, according to a press release from the university.

It also helps that Avalos’ contract includes an annual $50,000 increase to the assistant salary pool.

“Whatever we don’t have, we’re going to go out and find,” Dickey told the Idaho Statesman. “We are going to be competitive in the market, no matter what it takes. There is a lot of pride and tradition in the program, and we’re going to build on that.”

Danielson and Hamdan are two of the highest-paid assistant coaches in the Mountain West this year. Hamdan would have been tied with Utah State’s Anthony Tucker as the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league, but Tucker left last week to become co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach at Indiana.

Former Utah State defensive coordinator Ephraim Banda was the only other coordinator in the Mountain West who made at least $400,000 last year, but he is now in the NFL, where he will coach safeties for the Cleveland Browns. The Aggies have not announced his replacement.

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Several teams in the Mountain West will break in new coordinators this year.

Fresno State hired Pat McCann to replace Kirby Moore, who left to become offensive coordinator at Missouri. Bryant Vincent is taking over as New Mexico’s offensive coordinator, Ryan Lindley will run the offense at San Diego State and wide receivers coach Kyle Cefalo will also serve as co-offensive coordinator at Utah State.

Troy Reffett is New Mexico’s new defensive coordinator after Rocky Long left for the same position at Syracuse.

Here is a look at the known salaries for offensive and defensive coordinators in the Mountain West, as well as some salaries for previous coaches who just departed. The Air Force Academy is not bound by Freedom of Information Act laws like most other schools, so the salaries of its coaches are largely unknown.

Defensive coordinators

Spencer Danielson, Boise State: $425,000

Kevin Coyle, Fresno State: $354,800

Derrick Odum, San Jose State: $353,652

Kurt Mattix, San Diego State: $330,000

Freddie Banks, Colorado State: $325,000

Jacob Yoro, Hawaii: $304,500

Jay Sawvel, Wyoming: $242,256

Mike Bethea (Co-DC), Nevada: $181,800

Kwame Agyeman (Co-DC), Nevada: $151,500

Mike Scherer, UNLV: unknown (Keith Heyward $303,000)

Troy Reffett, New Mexico: unknown (Rocky Long $300,000)

Vacant, Utah State: (Ephraim Banda 400,000)

Brian Knorr, Air Force: unknown

Offensive coordinators

Bush Hamdan, Boise State: $400,000

Tim Polasek, Wyoming: $350,004

Kevin McGiven, San Jose State: $347,204

Ian Shoemaker, Hawaii: $304,500

Derek Sage, Nevada: $275,000

Matt Mumme, Colorado State: $270,000

Pat McCann, Fresno State: unknown (Kirby Moore $325,000)

Bryant Vincent, New Mexico: unknown (Derek Warehime $250,125)

Ryan Lindley, San Diego State: unknown (Jeff Horton $310,008)

Brennan Marion, UNLV: unknown (Nick Holz $252,500)

Kyle Cefalo (Co-OC), Utah State: unknown (Anthony Tucker $400,000)

Mike Thiessen, Air Force: unknown