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We're going to get to know tomorrow Warren through the
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Welcome in BJ Rains of Bronco Nation News via the
twenty four seven Sports Network BJ. Hey you living.
Speaker 1: I'm good. I'm hoping you guys are sending me a
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Speaker 3: Brother.
Speaker 2: We appreciate you joining us BJ. What's going on in
Bronco Nation right now?
Speaker 3: Give us a little update from the Boise State side
of things. How are things cooking with the coaching staff,
the transfer portal, everything out there on Boise? Yeah?
Speaker 1: I mean you talk about a team that you went
to the college football playoff two years ago and had
high expectations coming into this year and then they lose
five games, go nine and five, you know, kind of
lucked into the Mountain West championship game due to some tiebreakers.
Still was able to win that championship there, third in
a row as they get ready for the Pac twelve,
but still lost four regular season games, lost the bowl
game pretty badly to Washington. They've really struggled to late
against Power four teams and that's been a story here.
But there were some folks kind of wanting a little
bit of change, you know. Last year they brought back
the entire coaching staff. This year they've lost three assistant
coaches so far, including the safety's coach and obviously the
corners coach to Mario Warren that we're going to talk about.
But so a little bit of change on the on
the coaching staff, you know, and obviously, like I said,
moving to the Pac twelve. So there's some excitement, but
certainly some positions they got to fail. Just lost their
their star safety to Lane Kiff and an Lsu and
the transfer portal. So a lot of change going on,
especially on defense for Boise State, and they're trying to
you know, shore up the ross the portal here as
they you know, get set for the spring semester.
Speaker 2: How how is the collective fan base right now? Are
they like, are they like yearning for the Brian Harson
era to be revitalized and they moved on from that.
I know, the Andy Avolos, the Andy Avolo's tenure was
was not as good, right, only one double digit season
of wins.
Speaker 3: But Spencer Danielson comes in year one, twelve and.
Speaker 2: Two and just uh just a one went away from
a ten win season. How is How's broncodation feeling right now?
Speaker 1: No, I think they feel pretty good. I mean, you
have your two percent that every fan base does at once,
you know, every coach fire after every game. But I
think for I think that the rational kind of you know,
the most fans realize, hey, Spencer Danielson's a young coach.
He's still learning as a as a coach. And you know,
the haters will say, oh, Ash and gen T carried
him the first year and that was the only reason
that they did anything. But I think for the most part,
like I said, they still won the Mountain West championship
last year. He's won a conference championship in both of
his full years as the head coach, even when he
took over as the interim coach a couple of years
ago got them to a championships. So he's actually won
three conference championships in his three years two and a
half as coach, and so hard to argue with that
at this point, Like I said, you have a small
group that I think is a little frustrated with the
you know, the power for results. I don't think Spencer
Danielson has beaten a Power four team since he took over,
so that's been a little bit of a talking point.
But overall, to have you know, the nineteen wins or
whatever it is in two years, I think people feel
pretty good about it here. But there are some major
holes on the roster and certainly they have some some
things to clean up here going into this season, which
doesn't start easy. Their first games at Oregon, their second
games home against Memphis. I mean, they've got another tough
schedule next years they hit into the Pac twelve.
Speaker 2: You mentioned assistant coaches getting poached. Let's talk about those
guys here. You mentioned the safeties coach.
Speaker 3: Obviously, I do want to talk about tomorrow at one,
but let's talk about the other two. Why are they
getting poached from? Where are they going?
Speaker 1: Yeah, Matt Miller, the wide receivers coach. He's going to
Washington State with new coach Kirby Moore. There. You know,
Matt Miller was a guy that played at Boise State.
One of the all time great receivers but red receivers
had a lot of drops this year. They were very inconsistent.
There were some fans calling for him to be fired.
So I think that was one of those blessing in
disguises when he left fresh Start for him and he
gets raised to be the offensive coordinator at Washington State
under a friend of his, a former player, but fresh
you know, blood in there at the wider seer position.
I think a lot of fans were happy about. And
then you know, they lost their safeties coach as well.
Tyler stocked into Michigan, Kyle Whittingham going to Michigan and
took the safeties coach at Boise State with him. I
don't know if he was trying to bring the safety
tide benefield with him as well or not. He end
up committing to LSU and Lane Kiffin. But you know,
like I said, that the secondary loses both their coaches,
and you know, Tyler Stockton was a guy that had
really no ties to Idaho, was kind of a Midwest guy,
so it wasn't really that surprised to see him eventually
head back. And frankly the same with the Mario Warren too.
You know, heavily had no ties to the area and
to t Boise Elist or Idaho, and then you wanted
to got to raise a raise the position coach, you know,
went from head coach to position coach, but got a
raise and was able to learn some things and and
you know, four years here and we can get into
it some mixed results, I would say, And I don't
think a lot of you know, some fans were disappointed
because they had a good twenty twenty five, but some
previous years they had struggled some. And I think he
was on the hot seat a little little bit before
this season. So another one that I think most fans
are okay with thought he did okay this year, but
I think they're ready for some fresh playd at the
corner as well.
Speaker 2: Why did Andy bring him in in twenty twenty one?
What was the rhetoric? What was the justification to bring
to Mario Warren into Boise State as the cornerbacks coach
at that time?
Speaker 1: Well, I mean I think that they had an opening,
and he had been a head coach I want to
say six years at Southern Utah something like that, And
like I said, I think it was also just him
wanting to expand his game. And it was a pay
raise that he got there.
Speaker 2: And I don't know if he no, I'm talking about
more so like Andy, Why did you think Andy brought
him in?
Speaker 3: Do you think did you? I don't know if you
have any.
Speaker 1: Because his you know, I'd have to refresh my memory
on the stories and stuff. But I mean, I think
this his experience on the defensive side of the ball,
and part of it I think was they had some
other higher price coaches on the staffs, so they were
able to get him as one of the lower price coaches.
He also came in and helped out with his special teams.
I know they're one year that he overlapped with Papinga.
Papinga was one of the main special teams coaches and
then Warren actually took it over after that. But uh,
I think the experience that he had was being a
head coach, being able to come in and lead a
group of players at a position and had came highly
qualified and had some uh you know, defensive background, and
they needed a corners coach and didn't have a ton
of money to pay, and I think it, uh, it
was just a good fit for both sides at that point.
Speaker 2: So Andy wasn't there all that long, Spencer Danielson takes over,
why was why was de Mario retained if it wasn't
I mean it was mixed results right in those in
those first few years.
Speaker 3: Why do you think he was retake because I look
at that as like a good sign.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean the first year in twenty twenty two,
they were very good. I mean that the past defense
was fifth in the country. Uh they had they were
fourteenth I think in the country with fifteen interceptions as
a team. So that first year, the first year, the
corners were actually really good. And then you know that
that was also the you know, twenty twenty three they struggled.
And that was where you know, halfway through the season
when Spencer Dames and took over as interim coach in
twenty twenty three, when they fired Andiavolos and so he
you know, pretty much every coach had the opportunity to
come back. With Spencer Danielson, he pretty much didn't change
much at all in terms of the assistant coaches. And
that was the first season that the pass defense had struggled.
In twenty twenty three, they were one hundred and tenth.
They only had eleven interceptions, but I think was fifty fifth,
and then the next year it got worse, and so
in twenty twenty four they were one hundred and seventh
in past defense. They were one hundred and seventh and
only seven interceptions all season on the defense. And there
are a lot of fans that wanted him fire because
he also took over as a special teams coach and
the special teams were not good at all, and so
he was the guy that everybody wanted to get rid
of after twenty twenty four, and Spencer Danielson stepped up
and said, hey, we got to be better. He knows
that the position nat to be better, and kind of
put him publicly on the hot seat, and they responded.
They were very good last year, fifteenth in the country
in pass defense. They were twenty second I think, and
with fourteen interceptions. He had an he coached in all
conference corner, you know, in the Mario McCoy. So I
think that whatever happened, and at one point he took
a pay cut. That might have been when he lost
a special team's job. At one point he took a
pay cut, and like I said, it was publicly put
on the hot seat a little bit, but they they
they were he responded in a big way. The corners
were strong this year, and like I said, last year,
a lot of more people would have been happy this year.
I saw some people, you know, when he left, When
the announcement came out that he was leaving, there was
a small percentage that said, oh man, you know, not
that sad to see him go. But I think there
were some fans that were thought that he had rebounded
and got that position, going back in the right direction,
and we're said to see him go.
Speaker 3: How was he as a recruiter there? Would you say?
Speaker 2: Was he bringing in some good talent year over year
at that cornerback room?
Speaker 1: Yeah, no doubt about him. They brought in Jeremiahrby, a
transfer from CAL who had starting experience at Cal and
came and started and had a rough start to the
year two years ago. But last year was a solid
corner for him. And they brought in, like I said
to Marion McCoy, a junior college guy that came in
and ended up being an all Mountain West corner and
developed him. And they had some some high you know,
some recruits they liked as well. They brought in Jade
and Mickey a corner. A transfer from Notre Dame brought
him in end up playing him at Nickel last year.
But he was, I believe a corner at Notre Dame.
But when they got him, and so yeah, I you know,
like I said, I always enjoyed talking to him. I
think he knows what he's talking about. I think the
players loved him. I mean, the players absolutely loved him.
Like I said, when there was times wondering why is
this guy not getting fired whatever, you'd talk to players
and they would, just to a man talk about how
much they loved him as a coach, and then how
much he cared for him and that he was like
family to them. So some of the fans man thought differently,
but for the players in that room, they apparently just
loved the Mario Warren, loved the connection that he had
and thought he was a great coach. And so I
think that he I think that he's going to fit
in whatever locker room, whatever team he's with. But I
know that the players were sad to see him go
because they really loved him.
Speaker 2: Yeah, So like I think this is a really good
kind of like I've I've been kind of evaluating this,
and I'm like, Okay, he's been at two locations in
his coaching career.
Speaker 3: Two thousand and eighty one, he was at SEU. It's
in Cedar City.
Speaker 2: He's from California, I believe, I want to say Fairfield
and uh where his initial ties where he became a
running back at uc Or Vine before getting his shot
at SUU and eventually becoming the head coach. Right, Like,
very good trajectory in that regard, and things were good
up front and then not so good on the back
end at su and then that's why he went up
to Poise State and took a position coach and and
but he seems to be on a good trajectory. But
he's had undulations ups and down. But everyone collectively, I've
taught to talk to a lot of people. They love
him as a person. He's a hard worker, and he's
he's he's a good recruiter and and the players love him.
Speaker 3: So it's it's an intriguing hire to me.
Speaker 2: And obviously the connection between Kelly Pepinga and him, Obviously
Kelly really likes him and believes in him. How would
you grate out the hire if you were to kind
of give a grade to it. No, what you know
about tomorrow, where he's been, what he's done, and what
maybe BYU's looking for in that cornerback room like we
you know, we we struggle to bring in high level cornerbacks,
athletic cornerbacks year in a year rout.
Speaker 1: Yeah, And I could be wrong on this, but somebody
told me also, I believe that to Mario's wife is
either from that area or has family in the area
there in Utah. So I know he may not be
from there, but I believe he has family that is there,
and so part of this move may have had to
do with getting closer to his wife's family. And I
could be totally off based on that, but that's what
I was told yesterday. Also might have played a factor
in this, So that's just a small side story maybe,
But yeah, I mean I think it's a solid higher right.
I don't know the history of the corners there at
BYU and if they were bad or good or what,
but like I said, they did have a couple of
years where they struggled at corner and you could get
do all kinds of reasons. Why you know, Andy Evil
is getting fired during one of those years, In twenty
twenty three, Spencer Danielson takes over first year as head coach.
The pass defense numbers were not good. I mean they
were one hundred and twentieth in the country two years ago.
I think in like giving up passing plays of over
forty yards. A lot of the fans would say the
DBS never turned their heads around on some of the
long balls, on the fifty to fifty balls, they would
always try to be out of position and never turn
around and try to intercept them and end up given
a lot of big plays. But like I said, last year,
you know, he was called out publicly some things needed
to change, and it did. It did change. It got
a lot better last year, and so I think you
saw a big improvement. And was that a one year
wonder or is that him figuring something out as a coach.
I think he's a solid coach, Like I said, more importantly,
I think he's a solid human being. And I know
I'm not We're not in those meeting rooms, we're not
in the in the fox hole with these guys. All
you can go off is what the players say about them,
and the players the players absolutely loved them. We we
I talked to a number of corners this past season,
and it was like hey, and even like former corners like, hey,
defend this guy. Fans want them gone and they're to
a man said that he was one of the best
coaches they've ever had, and so the players love him,
and so I'll take their word for it. And the
stats this year were pretty impressive at corner or two.
And yeah, that one year they were together in twenty
twenty two was the heck of a year for the
Boise State defense. And in terms in the past defense,
like I said, top five and passing yards allowed, top
twenty in the interceptions, so, uh, they were only I
forgotten all about that till you told me. I looked
that up that they were actually crossover by one year.
But it was a pretty special year for this defense.
And obviously, uh, you know, Kelly Papinga saw saw something
he liked inta Mario warm.
Speaker 2: Well you even look at Kelly Papinga's trajectory, right he
was he was coming off of a Virginia stint, ended
up at Bois State and then.
Speaker 3: Got his opportunity back at BLA.
Speaker 2: He's been one of the best special teams coordinators over
the last three years at BYU and and you know,
I don't know how how Boise State fans felt about
K pop when he was there, was you know, he
was he was coaching the edge edges and also special
teams coordinator.
Speaker 3: What was the synopsis of K pop when.
Speaker 1: He was at Oh, they liked him there. I think
they were a little uh disappointed that he you know,
bolted after nine months or whatever it was to leave
because he was only there for for one year. But
I think he ended up taking a couple of players
with him. He took the Kicker, right.
Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, I know, yeah, he took a couple of
players and uh and then I know the kicker end
up being and Boise State had some kicking problems and uh,
you know, they end up taking him and he had
a great career there at Kicker and and you.
Speaker 1: Know, he he was a solid addition for them. So
I know that kind of rubbed some people the wrong
way when he left, and he took a couple of
players with him, but overall had a solid year here.
And I think he was the edge coach at Boise
State and they you know, that's a position that they
had a lot of history at Boise State. And stuff.
So yeah, I don't think anybody was really surprised. Again,
didn't really have any ties the Boise State. It was
kind of looking for a job that year, and and
it just the pass crossed and aligned, and I don't
think anybody had, you know, really, Like I said, I
think people thought that they had had a good year
there and wish he had stayed, but weren't super surprised
when he had no ties that he bolted back to
BYU pretty quick. But you know, no, he was. He
had a solid year there, and like I said, I
think overall, to Mario Warren, I guess I think a
lot of people are ended up being side to see
him go. If this would have happened twelve months ago,
you would have had eighty percent of people excited about it.
But the last year, the corners were great, the pass
defense was great. How much of that was to Mario Warren,
how much of that was the rest of the defensive staff,
I don't know. But the players love him. The stats
said he had a solid year, and so I think
overall it's going to be a nice match with those
two there. I know Boise States got some young corners
they like and that's the next thing folks are paying
attention to. Now they're going to any of them can
all of a sudden jump into portal and follow him
the BYU. They're they're hoping that's not going to be
the case.
Speaker 2: Yeah, how are you feeling about Boise State next year?
With the staff that is retained and the players that
should or could possibly be retained. Do you think they
build off of what they had this year? Yeah?
Speaker 1: I mean, like I said, they had a safety who
was thinking about going to the NFL Draft or coming
back to school and decided to come back and transfer,
and that you know, went to LSU. So that was
a huge lost. In the secondary, They're losing both their
starting corners, both their starting safety is a starting linebacker.
But so far that you know, that's the only player
of that they wanted to keep that's left has been
Ty Benefield, the safety. So a tough schedule, as I said,
you know, starting the season at Oregon week one, uh,
and then having to play Memphis at home in week two,
and you know, we don't know the schedule yet for
the Pac twelve and how that's going to work out,
and there's only eight teams in the Pac twelve right now,
So they're going to play seven conference games and then
they have to have one extra like non conference game,
probably against the conference opponent, just to get everybody another
game because they've only got four non conference game scheduled.
So still some things to iron out with the schedule
and the PAC twelve and what that is all going
to look like here moving forward. But you know, they
got like if they haven't hired anybody yet, they still
have the safeties coach available and still have that. Obviously
the corners coaches is available, and those are both positions
of need right now that they have and they need
to find some guys and they don't have a position coach.
So a little uh, you know, I don't know if
uneasiness is the right word, but just some questions out
there about what what it's ultimately going to look like.
But I think Spencer Daniels Sin to this point still
deserves the benefit of the doubt. And they're they're bringing
both their running backs back, their starting quarterback back that
they're you know, their tight end back. They've got to
get some receivers, got to get some offensive lineman and
like I said, a lot of holes on defense. But
I still think overall they're they're going to be the
heavy favorites in the PAC twelve, at least going into
the season.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I just wanted to build off that you mentioned
there at the end. You think that their their heavy
favorites to win the PAC twelve. Do you think they
should be they as of now? Obviously the way too
early season, way too early season. Do you think they
could be considered one of the contenders to be that
G six team to slide into the playoffs should they
go win the PAC twelve?
Speaker 1: Well, I mean they, like I said that, they always
are going to be in that conversation, and we'll have
to see how the rosters shake down. It's funny all
these powerful schools, you know, and all these national pundits
want nothing to do with the group of five teams
and stuff in the playoffs and everything. Yet you saw
how many group of five coaches and how many group
of five players continue to get poached by the four teams.
So they don't want the teams and they'll gladly take
your players and coaches. So we'll see what happens, you know,
big picture wise, they have the schedule to do it, because,
like I said, they play at Oregon. Week one, they
play at Western Michigan, who I think is returning maybe
gonna be the favorite there in the MAC and has
a lot of returning players. They play Memphis, so a
team they're challenging a good group of five game on
the blue next year. And so they're opening their new
north endzone renovation project that they played with the limited
capacity all this season. They'll have their full north end
zone back open again for next season, which should be big.
And so yeah, we'll see how it shakes out with
the rosters. But you know, Washington State, Oregon State both
we're not great teams this past year. And then you
look at the other teams going over San Diego State, Fresno,
Utah State, Colorado State, Poise State, im Andan. Yeah, there's
no reason they shouldn't be the favorite in that group.
And they believe if you're gonna win the PAC twelve,
this new look PAC twelve, most years, you're gonna be
right there in the mix for that bid. So we'll
see how the playoff shakes out. I think it's probably
gonna go to sixteen and what that means for the
group of five going fullar or we'll just have to
wait and see, but yeah, I don't think they go in.
You know, this year they went in is the clear favorite,
even though they lost genty. I don't think they go
in as the clear favorite this year. There's some other
teams probably on paper that look a little better. But
a lot of those teams two Lane, James Madison, we
ever all lost their coaches. So we'll see what that
looks like going into it. But certainly Boise State just
the name alone is going to have them in the
conversation going into the year.
Speaker 2: BJ rains ladies and gentlemen, Boise State Insider BJ. Best
way to support you, what you do, how you do
it for all of our listeners.
Speaker 1: Yeah, we're with twenty four to seven Sports, so everybody
knows twenty four seven Sports and the recruiting asset. We're
inn affiliate with them. Bronco Nationnews dot Com is the website,
so yeah, we got all the recruiting coverage and Boise
State stuff there. And I know Utah State basketball is
coming to town on Saturday, So looking forward to having
the igs up here in Boise and looking forward to it.
So yeah, Bronco Nationnews dot Com is the website. Football basketball,
and we'll we've been covering everything Mountain West now and
then we'll obviously transition over with Utah State and cover
Pac twelve stuff starting next year.
Speaker 2: Let's go bj Rains, ladies and gentlemen, the ultimate Bronco
Insider boys and State Broncos inside.
Speaker 3: I appreciate you BJ, thanks for joining us today.
Speaker 1: Brother yep, no worries. Man, appreciate it. Have a good one.
Speaker 3: They go.
Speaker 2: That's BJ Rains and that was a Cougar inside or
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