This former Boise State coach will be on the TV call for Broncos’ game at Colorado State

In a career that spans five decades, Idaho native Dirk Koetter has served as a head coach and assistant coach in both the college and NFL ranks.

On Saturday, he’ll add TV analyst to his resume, and he’ll no doubt have a wealth of insight into one of the team’s he’s critiquing.

Koetter will be part of the television broadcast crew for Boise State’s Mountain West game against Colorado State. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, with the game televised on Fox Sports 1.

Koetter served as the Broncos’ interim offensive coordinator in 2022 after Tim Plough was fired four games into the season, and he was the program’s head coach from 1998 to 2000. He also was a head coach at Arizona State, and served in the NFL as an offensive coordinator for three teams and head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“The weather’s getting cold, so he’s probably not playing as much golf anymore,” Boise State coach Andy Avalos joked. “... Coach (Koetter) obviously has a tremendous mind and has an eye for the game and can see things, so that’s pretty cool.”

Koetter, whose coaching career began in 1983 at Highland High School in Pocatello, his hometown, retired from the NFL after 14 seasons in January 2021. He had a role as offensive analyst for Boise State last season before the Plough situation necessitated his services.

Current offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan said he has weekly calls with Koetter.

“He texted me last week and said, ‘Hey, I’m gonna be doing some games,’ but he didn’t tell me it was gonna be this one,” Hamdan said. “Coach Koetter has been a mentor of mine for a long time. We are in contact a lot, really over the last three, four years. ... I do talk to him once a week, and he’s just a really, really great resource and somebody who I trust a lot.”

CSU ‘hopeful’ top players return this week

Colorado State, which has never beaten Boise State, lost two key players to injury during a 44-24 loss at Utah State on Saturday: defensive end Mohamed Kamara and wide receiver Tory Horton.

Kamara leads the nation in sacks, averaging 1.90 per game. The 6-foot-1, 250-pound graduate student has 23 tackles and 9.5 sacks through the Rams’ first five games.

Horton is a standout on a national level, too. He ranks sixth in the country with an average of 112.0 receiving yards per game.

Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell told reporters Monday that he’s “hoping that both of those guys will be available for the weekend,” according to Kevin Lytle of The Coloradoan.

The Rams (2-3, 0-1) have had an interesting start to the season, to say the least. They lost their first two games to Pac-12 opponents Washington State and Colorado, with that rivalry matchup being one of the highlights of the college football year so far. Colorado State led the Buffaloes by 11 points in the fourth quarter and lost in a double-overtime thriller, 43-35.

Before the loss last week, the Rams evened their record at 2-2 with wins over Middle Tennessee State and FCS Utah Tech. Those teams are a combined 3-9 on the season.

Colorado State is averaging 31 points per game and is third in the Mountain West in team offense at 428 yards a contest, just behind Boise State. The Rams are next-to-last in the league in team defense, giving up 478 yards per game.

Two Broncos honored by league

Punter James Ferguson-Reynolds and quarterback Maddux Madsen were each honored by the Mountain West on Monday.

Ferguson-Reynolds was named the league’s special teams player of the week, while Madsen was chosen as the freshman of the week.

In Boise State’s 35-27 comeback win over San Jose State, Ferguson-Reynolds averaged 53.7 yards per punt, including a long of 71 yards. That 71-yarder was the longest in the Mountain West this season and the second-longest in the nation.

Sharing snaps with redshirt sophomore Taylen Green, Madsen went 9-for-16 passing for 155 yards, including an 83-yard touchdown pass to Eric McAlister. Madsen also ran for 39 yards and another score.

BOISE STATE AT COLORADO STATE

When: 7:45 p.m. Saturday

Where: Canvas Stadium (36,500, Synthetic PowerBlade Pro System), Fort Collins, Colorado

TV: Fox Sports 1 (Dan Hellie, Dirk Koetter)

Radio: KBOI 670 AM/93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)

Records: Boise State 3-3, 2-0 MW; Colorado State 2-3, 0-1 MW

Series: Boise State leads the series 12-0, including a 49-10 win last season in Boise

Vegas line: Boise State by 7.5

Weather: High of 58, 6% chance of rain, 8 mph wind