Utah State brings Guy back as head coach

Hawkins to consider longer stay at Boise State

by DJRamFan

Dec. 3, 2004
SportsLine.com wire reports

POCATELLO, Idaho -- Boise State coach Dan Hawkins is considering a five-year, $2.6 million offer from the university that could keep him with the school through 2009.

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The State Board of Education on Thursday approved the new contract offer, which would boost Hawkins' salary more than 30 percent from this year.

Hawkins, who has led the Broncos to 22 straight victories, said he wouldn't make a decision until Sunday, at the earliest.

"I need to get back and mull it over and talk with my family and powwow," said Hawkins, who made $50,000 when he joined Boise State as an assistant head coach in 1998.

The offer, which Hawkins himself helped structure, includes big bonuses and incentives -- but penalties if he left before the end of the deal. If Hawkins stayed for less than the full five years, it would cost him or his new employer $850,000 to end the agreement.

Dan Hawkins has coached Boise State to 22 consecutive wins.(AP)
"This is a package that (Hawkins) consented to," Boise State president Bob Kustra said. "We've discussed this with him over the course of the last few days. He knows everything that's in it, and he thought it was a very attractive offer for Boise State to make."

Hawkins' name has come up as a possible candidate for several high-profile job openings, including Florida, and Washington.

Hawkins said none of those schools have contacted him and he intends to consider the Boise State offer first.

During his four years as head coach at Boise State, the Broncos have won three consecutive Western Athletic Conference championships and compiled a 44-6 record.

Hawkins, 44, signed a deal two years ago that will net him $501,500 this season, including bonuses, if he remains employed at Boise State through March 1, 2005.

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The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2004, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
- Channel: COLLEGE
-12-04-2004, 02:01 PM
Illinois excited about possibilities under Zook

by DJRamFan

Dec. 6, 2004
SportsLine.com wire reports

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Former Florida coach Ron Zook took over Illinois' struggling football program Tuesday, returning to his roots and promising to turn around a team that has sunk to the bottom of the Big Ten since winning a league title in 2001.

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Zook, a native of Ohio and a former assistant coach at Ohio State, said taking the job was an easy decision.

"I was raised in the Midwest. I coached in the Big Ten," he said. "It's one of the finest athletic conferences in the land."

Athletic director Ron Guenther said he wanted to find a coach with integrity, who was committed to academics and with a strong ability to recruit. He called Zook "a perfect fit."

"He's a players' coach," Guenther said. "His players picked up on the passion and played extremely well for him."

Zook received a five-year deal, worth about $1 million a year, according to university spokeswoman Robin Kaler.

Ron Zook doesn't get any down time as he steps right into the Illinois gig.(AP)
Zook and Guenther talked last Tuesday, but Illinois could not name a new coach until a two-week waiting period to comply with state guidelines passed. The deadline was Monday.

Florida fired Zook on Oct. 25, two days after the Gators lost at Mississippi State, satisfying a growing groundswell for his ouster that began two years earlier -- after he replaced Steve Spurrier.

But Zook coached the Gators for the rest of the season and led them to a 3-1 record in their final four games and an invitation to the Peach Bowl. In his three seasons at Florida, he went 23-14 with impressive victories over eventual national champion LSU last season and an upset of Florida State on Nov. 20, the Gators' first win in Tallahassee since 1986.

Zook has 27 years of coaching experience, including six years in the NFL as an assistant for the Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints, where he was defensive coordinator for two seasons.

At Illinois, Zook will replace Ron Turner, who was fired Nov. 22 -- two days after finishing his third straight losing season. Turner's teams won only five Big Ten games after winning the conference championship in 2001 and going to the Sugar Bowl.

Illinois won only once in 2003 and lost 14 consecutive Big Ten games between Nov. 23, 2003, and a 26-22 win over Indiana on Nov. 6. Two of the Illini's four wins in the past two seasons have been against Division I-AA opponents, Illinois State and Florida A&M.

Guenther replaced Turner after determining that recruiting problems had "reached a point of no return," he said.

Zook has a reputation for being a tireless and effective...
- Channel: COLLEGE
-12-08-2004, 05:36 PM
Boise again stands between Fresno and WAC title

by DJRamFan

Aug. 14, 2005
By J. Darin Darst
CBS SportsLine.com Staff Writer
Tell J. Darin your opinion!

Expectations are high at Fresno State this season.

But as long as Pat Hill is coaching, this year is just like any other.

"My expectations have always been to win -- that will never change," said Hill, who is entering his ninth season at the school. "Until we finish the job every game for the entire season, we aren't getting the job done. It places a big bull's-eye on my back every year, but we are going to set our goals high and our job is to obtain those. And we haven't done that yet."

WAC
Predicted Finish
1. Fresno State
2. Boise State
3. Nevada
4. New Mexico State
5. Louisiana Tech
6. Hawaii
7. Idaho
8. San Jose State
9. Utah State
Off. player of year:
Bryson Sumlin, Fresno State
Def. player of year:
Korey Hall, Boise State
Coach of the year:
Pat Hill, Fresno State

Fresno State returns eight starters on offense, including quarterback Paul Pinegar and running back Bryson Sumlin. That's good news for a team that finished 9-3, averaged 40 points per game and won its third consecutive bowl game over a team from a BCS conference.

But the one thing the keeps evading the Bulldogs is a conference title and a chance to play in a major bowl game.

Fresno State's last conference title was 1999, and a major reason for the drought is Boise State.

Boise State is 4-0 against Fresno State since joining the WAC in 2001 and has won the past three championships and a record 26 consecutive conference games.

Boise State QB Jared Zabransky returns after throwing 16 TDs in 2004. (Getty Images)
"If you are going to win this conference you have to win against Boise," Hill said. "I compare Boise State to BYU in the '70s and '80s; they just didn't lose. Right now we are going through a cycle where Boise State has a very good program. What they've done over the past three years is amazing."

Fresno State has lost at least two conference games in each of the past four seasons but has knocked off an impressive list of teams from BCS conferences, including Kansas State, Georgia Tech, UCLA, Virginia, Oregon State and Colorado.

This season's schedule features two more out-of-conference games that could get the Bulldogs closer to achieving their goals -- Sept. 17 at Oregon and Nov. 19 at Southern Calfornia.

"We have the type of schedule for us to obtain certain goals in Division I. We need to focus and play every game like a Game 7," said Hill. "This team has a lot of potential, but you got to win the WAC. ... You...
- Channel: COLLEGE
-08-16-2005, 03:24 PM
Boise State could replace Utah in Liberty Bowl

by DJRamFan

Nov. 21, 2004
SportsLine.com wire reports

BOISE, Idaho -- Boise State is in line to take Utah's spot in the Liberty Bowl, now that the Utes have all but locked up a spot in the Bowl Championship Series.

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The Liberty Bowl has a contract with the Mountain West Conference that requires the league's champ to play the winner of Conference USA in Memphis, Tenn., on New Year's Eve.

Officials with the Liberty Bowl have started discussions with the Western Athletic Conference and Boise State to have the Broncos (10-0, 7-0 WAC) fill the vacancy left by MWC champ Utah.

The matchup Liberty Bowl officials are hoping for is No. 10 Boise State taking on No. 7 Louisville (8-1). The Cardinals' only loss was against Miami.

Broncos-Cardinals would match the two highest scoring teams in the country and it might be the only game with two teams in the top 10 of the BCS standings, outside of the national championship game in the Orange Bowl.

"If it happens, we think that we would have the most compelling, exciting bowl game outside of the national championship game. There is no doubt about that," Liberty Bowl associate executive director Harold Graeter said before Boise State's 55-14 win over Louisiana Tech on Saturday.

"Both of these teams play an entertaining style of football and that's what we're looking for."

Contractually, the Liberty Bowl could have forced Utah to play in Memphis. But Liberty Bowl executive director Steve Ehrhart, who was in Salt Lake City for Utah's 52-21 victory over BYU on Saturday, said he will continue to work with MWC commissioner Craig Thompson on a deal to free the Utes.

"We understand the landscape and wish Utah well," Ehrhart said

By beating Louisiana Tech, the Broncos extended the nation's longest win streak to 21 and tied BYU for the most consecutive conference wins at 25.

They also clinched at least a share of their third consecutive WAC title.

The Broncos still need to finish out their regular season Saturday at Nevada. Louisville has two games remaining, versus Cincinnati Saturday and at Tulane on Dec. 4. A win next week will wrap up the Conference USA title for Louisville and a spot in the Liberty Bowl.

Then, there's still the matter of Boise State sneaking into the BCS.

With losses Saturday by Michigan and Florida State, the Broncos -- No. 9 in last week's BCS standings -- still have the slimmest of hopes of joining Utah in the big-money games. They would need loses by California and Texas to even have a shot.

Still, that was enough for Fiesta Bowl representative Steve Horrell to spend Saturday in Boise.

"That football can bounce some funny ways sometimes," Horrell said. "These...
- Channel: COLLEGE
-11-21-2004, 05:01 PM
McBride takes over coaching position at Weber St.

by DJRamFan

Dec 8, 2004
SportsLine.com wire reports

OGDEN, Utah -- Former Utah coach Ron McBride is taking over as the coach Weber State.

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The 65-year-old McBride was introduced as coach of the Wildcats on Wednesday after two seasons as an assistant at Kentucky.

"This is a dream come true for me," McBride said. "I love the state of Utah and have missed being here. This is the job I want and Weber State is an ideal situation for me."

WSU athletic director William J. Weidner said McBride is a proven winner who brings 40 years of coaching experience to the job.

"Coach McBride possesses all of the qualities that one would look for in a successful head football coach," Weidner said.

McBride was hired at Utah in 1990 and spent 13 seasons with the Utes before being fired after the 2002 season and replaced by Urban Meyer.

McBride went 88-63 with Utah and led the Utes to six bowl games.

McBride replaces Jerry Graybeal, who resigned last month after a 1-10 season, the worst in school history.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2004, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
- Channel: COLLEGE
-12-10-2004, 08:46 AM

Announcement

Utah State brings Guy back as head coach

Utah State brings Guy back as head coach

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