BOISE – Spencer Danielson is officially a candidate for the open Boise State football heading coaching position.
The Boise State interim head coach confirmed Monday during his weekly press conference that he interviewed with Boise State athletic director Jeramiah Dickey and the search committee Sunday.
“We had a great conversation about myself and the vision for this program if that’s where they want to go,” Danielson said.
But that’s about where he left it. His focus remains on the players and trying to bring home the program’s first Mountain West championship since 2019.
Boise State (7-5, 6-2 MW) will play UNLV (9-3, 6-2) in the Mountain West title game at 1 p.m. (MST) Saturday inside Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
“This week is about our players winning a championship,” Danielson. “It’s about this team and their pursuit, given everything they’ve been through. Whatever happens after that, I’ll be very excited to have those conversations.”
Danielson, who became the team’s interim coach for the second time in the wake of Andy Avalos’ firing on Nov. 12, has certainly made a strong case for himself over as of late. He’s completely rejuvenated the Broncos, who not that long ago were dead in the water at 4-5 and in serious jeopardy of not being bowl eligible for the first time in more than a quarter century.
But wins over Utah State and Air Force, along with absolute chaos within the league, have Danielson on the verge of history. He’s already just the second interim coach ever to lead a team to a conference championship game. Georgia Southern’s Clay Helton was the first with USC back in 2015.
And a win on Saturday would make Danielson the first coach on the interim tag, to lead a team to a league title.
It’s not about that for him, though.
“I want every single one of our players to be world changers,” Danielson said. “Ten years from now when I see all these guys being great husbands, fathers, business leaders, NFL football players and doing it the right way, that is success. I’m a firm believer you create elite men, football takes care of itself. You’ll win a lot of games, a lot of big-time games with that group.”
Which is why the players have fully come to embrace him as their guy.
Danielson was given the Gatorade bath and mobbed by the entire team after a 45-10 win against Utah State in his head coaching debut on Nov. 18. He was then hoisted up and passed around from player to player in the team’s locker room following a 27-19 win over Air Force Saturday that ultimately clinched them an unlikely spot in the Mountain West championship game.
“Coach D, love the guy,” said sophomore linebacker Andrew Simpson Saturday. “I believe in him. All the guys do as well. We’re rallying around Coach D.”
Even the ones who are no longer in the building.
Former Boise State players JL Skinner, Tyreque Jones and Scott Matlock all gave Danielson their personal nod of approval on Twitter over the weekend.
Jones even went so far as to write, “Can we please stop the interview process?”
Dickey may have no choice if the Broncos bring home both a Mountain West championship and a bowl trophy – something that hasn’t happened since 2017. Especially when you have arguably the greatest coach in Boise State history echoing the same sentiment.
“He’s going to be a great head coach down the road,” said Chris Petersen during Fox’s pregame show Friday.
Danielson’s greatest accomplishment thus far may be what he’s doing off the field, though. He’s already landed three commits for the 2024 class.
And when Avalos was fired, it allowed players to immediately jump into the transfer portal. However, Boise State has yet to lose a single one.
A fact that Boise State offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan wanted to point out in his support of Danielson Monday.
“So much of it is retention these days, and I think everybody knows that,” Hamdan said. “You’ve got a lot of players on this team that need to stay at Boise State. And that’s just the truth. This isn’t a place you want to leave. There’s no reason to leave this place. We’ve had first-round draft picks. We’ve had second-round draft picks. We’re a top-25 program year in and year. And I think the resilience of what we’ve done here in the last couple of weeks, will lead to big years ahead.”
But will Danielson be the one to lead the Broncos into that future?
He is now the first known candidate to be officially interviewed.
While Dickey has been transparent with the process, no other candidates have yet to be revealed. But the likes of Montana State head coach Brent Vigen have been floated around on who Danielson’s potential competition for the job could be.
Danielson has been with Boise State since 2017 when he started as a defensive graduate assistant under former coach Bryan Harsin. Danielson became the co-defensive coordinator in 2019 before being the interim head coach the first-time around when Harsin left at the end of the 2020 campaign. Prior to this year, the Broncos have boasted a top-12 defense in each of the last two seasons.
“I think what he’s done is he’s let the country know he’s ready,” Hamdan said. “I know there’s a lot of factors that go into it, but leaders don’t grow on trees and he’s done a tremendous job.”
So how does Danielson feel about it all?
“If that is enough, if that proves that I am ready to who needs that, then that fires me up and I’m ready for it,” he said. “If it doesn’t, then God’s got other plans.”
But no matter what happens in the hiring process, nothing can take away these last few weeks. He’s called it “pretty close” to the highlight of his career thus far.
“I’ve had an absolute blast,” Danielson said. “I don’t say that because we’ve won these games. Being around these young men and this staff and helping lead them to continue to work their tail off to accomplish what I believe we’re going to, it just brings me so much joy.”