First Year BSU Coach Avalos Earns a Disappointing C+ Effort

The college football regular season is over, which leads us to the end of the year review of our favorite teams. The Boise State Broncos had a disappointing year finishing 7-5, and will play Central Michigan in the only bowl out of the forty that will not be televised.

Remember when the Broncos would play their post-season bowl games against power-five opponents like Baylor, Washington, and Oregon. Fans are beginning to wonder if this year's disappointment is a blip on the radar or more of the same?  

First-year coach Andy Avalos and first-year athletic director Jeramiah Dickey promised a tenacious defense along with an unstoppable offense. They didn't deliver on their promises. Avalos is working hard on the recruiting trail, selling athletes that Boise State is their school.  

If you were in charge of grading the program, what grade would you give Avalos? The BSU coach returned to town in a whirlwind with a staff of young and inexperienced coaches. Can we all agree that offensive coordinator Tim Plough's offense was a failure? The happy sports press media regurgitated the talking points concerning how Plough's offensive 'tore up' opposing defenses at the FBS level throughout summer camp.  

Was Boise State's offense unstoppable? As we reported, several former players expressed concern about how the new scheme didn't fit the current personnel—poor Hank Bachmeier, who had to endure the most hits of any college quarterback last year. The Broncos are known for their innovative approach to offense and a decisive running game; sadly, that was not the case last year.  

Will Boise State hire a new offensive coordinator? Or replace Bachmeier? Those decisions will have to be made by Avalos in the upcoming weeks.  ESPN has evaluated all first-year coaches for this season based on several factors. ESPN writer Adam Rittenburg gave BSU's coach a C+ while giving former BSU Coach Bryan Harsin a B.  

"Avalos had some notable wins in his first season leading his alma mater, as Boise State beat eventual Mountain West champion Utah State, No. 13 BYU and Fresno State. But inconsistent play early on led to the Broncos alternating losses and wins through the first half of the season. Boise State put together a four-game win streak late but still recorded its first five-loss season since 2013."

Bronco Nation is not accustomed to the results or a C+ grade from the experts. Avalos showed potential and a lot of growing pains in year one. He will now have a season of experience has a head coach going into year two. If he fixes the 'rookie' mistakes, the Broncos could be back in business. If not, perhaps Bronco Fans will have to acknowledge that the glory days are in the past and not the future.