Can Andy Avalos Repeat As The Mountain West Coach Of The Year?
Avalos Became The First Boise State Coach To Win The Award
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Will He Be Able To Win Consecutive Awards?
Following his 2022 Mountain West Coach of the Year honor, Boise State head coach Andy Avalos can become the second coach in Mountain West history to win back-to-back Coach of the Year awards.
Former Utah head coach Urban Meyer was the first and only Mountain West head coach who won the award in consecutive seasons in 2003 and 2004. Another award in 2023 would place Avalos in rarefied air with Meyer. Avalos, who is entering his third season at Boise State, is one of the leading candidates to win the award in 2023.
Boise State has a loaded roster with key players returning for the season on both sides of the ball. The 2022 season tested Avalos’ ability to weather the storm and produce wins.
The offense will have many returning players start in 2023, while the defense will need to replace several key players. Safety JL Skinner and defensive tackle Scott Matlock were both selected in the sixth round of last month’s NFL draft. In addition, outside linebacker George Tarlas signed with the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent. Defensive back Tyreque Jones was another undrafted free agent who signed with the Tennessee Titans.
Avalos, who is a defensive-minded head coach, will have to fill several holes in the secondary and front seven. Based on his prior experience, Avalos had to replenish Boise State’s defense during his time as the Broncos defensive line coach, linebackers coach, and defensive coordinator. He was on Boise State’s defensive staff in those three roles from 2012 to 2018.
In the past, Avalos had to replace former Boise State standouts like DeMarcus Lawrence and Leighton Vander Esch. For this season, Avalos and his defensive staff will rely on linebacker DJ Schramm and safety Rodney Robinson to spearhead Boise State’s defense.
Aside from replacing valuable players on offense and defense, Boise State will have a challenging non-conference schedule against Washington, Central Florida, North Dakota, and Memphis. If Boise State can end the non-conference schedule with a winning record, Avalos will be in a position to have a successful conference campaign for the final two months of the season.
In his third season as Boise State’s head coach, Avalos will have an opportunity to reclaim the Coach of the Year award with another successful season.
