Coaching carousel: Former Boise State coaches Bryan Harsin, Justin Wilcox team up; Broncos lose assistant to UCF

Assistant quarterbacks coach Steve Cooper reunites with Scott Frost at UCF

Former Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin. / Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

The coaching carousel is heating up across college football.

Bill Belichick to North Carolina?

Rich Rodriguez returning to West Virginia? 

As Boise State (12-1) gears up for the College Football Playoff, current and former Bronco coaches are also on the move. 

Boise State assistant quarterbacks coach and offensive analyst Steve Cooper was named UCF’s new offensive coordinator on Wednesday. Earlier this week, Cal head coach Justin Wilcox — Boise State’s defensive coordinator from 2006-09 — announced that former Broncos head coach Bryan Harsin will run the Golden Bears’ offense. 

Cooper spent just one season in Boise under head coach Spencer Danielson. He was Maine’s offensive coordinator in 2023 after working under Scott Frost for four seasons at Nebraska.

Frost was named head coach at UCF on Saturday. Frost also coached the Knights from 2016-17, leading UCF to a 13-0 record in his final season and a Peach Bowl victory. 

Cooper played football at Oregon State and Portland State and was an assistant with the Vikings from 2010-17 before joining Frost at Nebraska. 

“First off, I want to express my deepest appreciation to coach Frost for believing in me and offering this incredible opportunity to join Knight Nation as offensive coordinator,” Cooper said in a release. “I’m beyond excited to contribute to this program’s rich tradition of offensive innovation and success. The energy, the passion, and the culture here are unmatched, and I can’t wait to get to work with these talented student-athletes and the amazing Knight community.”

Cooper was considered a candidate to replace outgoing Boise State offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, who plans to retire after the College Football Playoff. Koetter, 65, is a former head coach for Boise State, Arizona State and the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

A Boise native, Harsin graduated from Capital High School and played quarterback for the Broncos from 1995-99. He was an assistant at Boise State from 2001-10 and took over for Chris Petersen in 2014, going 69-19 overall in seven seasons as head coach.

Harsin left Boise State for Auburn and was fired after 21 games. He spent the last two seasons out of football.

Harsin takes over as offensive coordinator for Mike Bloesch, whose contract was not renewed. 

“Coach Harsin is one of the best offensive minds in football and we are excited to welcome him to Cal,” Wilcox said in a statement. “I have spent several years of my coaching career on the same staff and in the same room with coach Harsin. He is a proven winner whose record speaks for itself, and he will make an immediate impact on our offense and in recruiting.”

Wilcox is 43-49 overall in eight seasons at Cal, including a 6-6 (2-6 ACC) mark this year. 

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