Regarding the hire, Boise's Director of Athletics, Mark Coyle, said:
We are extremely excited in our selection of Bryan Harsin as the next head football coach at Boise State. Bryan is one of the top young head coaches in college football and we are thrilled to bring him back to Boise to lead the Bronco program. Bryan played a key role in the development of the football program as an assistant for 10 years at Boise State and we look forward to his leadership as we continue the ascension of Bronco football.
The Broncos also provided a statement from Harsin:
We're coming home. Kes and I are thrilled about returning to Boise State, it's a special place built by special people. One of the hardest decisions we ever made was leaving Boise. We did that so I could become a better coach, so I could one day have the opportunity to return as head coach - that day has arrived.
I appreciate the history and tradition of the Boise State program. I embrace that success but won't rest on it. We will build this program every day with a sense of urgency. I can't wait to get to work. Go Broncos!
Harsin led the Red Wolves to a 7-5 record this season, enough to earn them a spot in the GoDaddy Bowl opposite Ball State. He talked about the program's excitement level after working its way to a postseason berth, via the athletic department's official site.
We are excited about the opportunity to play in the GoDaddy Bowl. Playing in a bowl game was one of the goals we set prior to the season, and our players, coaches, support staff and administration have all worked extremely hard to make this a reality. We look forward to another chance to take the field and finish our season strong.
Now, it turns out he isn't likely to take part in the bowl game for Arkansas State. Schad states the 37-year-old coach is not expected to coach after accepting the Boise State job.
Harsin is a Boise native who played quarterback at the university in the 1990s. He went on to start his coaching career at Eastern Oregon before moving to the Broncos as a graduate assistant and then climbing the ladder to tight ends coach and eventually offensive coordinator.
His experience at the school should bode well in terms of convincing potential recruits to join the program and dealing with the rising expectations. The potential downside is his lack of head coaching experience, with his one season at Arkansas State being his only run as the head of a program.
