Boise State coach Spencer Danielson has added another national honor to his season, landing on the 2026 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award watch list announced Wednesday by the American Heart Association.
The recognition puts Danielson among a select group of coaches being tracked for one of the sport’s annual coaching awards. The Bear Bryant Award goes to a head coach each January and is tied to the idea of improving the game for fans and student-athletes through grit, integrity and a winning approach to coaching and life on and off the field.
Danielson was the only Pac-12 coach included in this midseason group, and he was one of six Group of Six head coaches on the list. It is the second midseason watch list nod he has picked up this season after being named to the Dodd Trophy Midseason Watch List.
His resume is already starting to look award-worthy. After the 2024 season, Danielson was one of eight finalists for the Bear Bryant Award, which ultimately went to Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman. Former Boise State coach Chris Petersen has won the award twice, taking it in 2006 and 2009.
Danielson’s season has given the Broncos plenty of momentum to go with the recognition. Boise State is 5-1 at the midpoint and sits in both national polls, checking in at No. 21 in the latest Associated Press Poll and No. 22 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. Danielson is also one win away from a milestone, as he heads into Oct. 24 against Washington State with a 29-9 career record and a chance at his 30th victory.
The Broncos’ recent success has also put Danielson in rare company. He has guided Boise State to three straight conference titles, joining Lincoln Riley - who did it at Oklahoma from 2017-19 - as the only coaches to win three consecutive FBS conference championships in the first three seasons of their career.
The Bear Bryant Awards Ceremony will be held in Houston, Texas, on Jan. 27, 2027, with the National Coach of the Year Award presented as one of five honors that night. The banquet will air nationally on CBS Sports Network.
The watch list also includes David Braun, Troy Calhoun, Bob Chesney, Curt Cignetti, Mario Cristobal, Ryan Day, Kalen DeBoer, Jake Dickert, Eli Drinkwitz, Jason Eck, Kirk Ferentz, Freeman, Willie Fritz, Pete Golding, Josh Huepel, Charles Huff, Rhett Lashlee, Joey McGuire, Eric Morris, Billy Napier, Tim Polasek, Lincoln Riley, Steve Sarkisian, Morgan Scalley, Kalani Sitake, Kirby Smart and Will Stein.
In Other News...
Boise State Faces A Tough WR Decision Against Washington State
Boise State should have most of its wide receiver group available when it lines up with Washington State, a useful development for an offense trying to find the right mix entering a matchup that figures to ask plenty of its skill players. Rasean Jones and Cam Bates are both back after missing the previous game, and Darren Morris is also back on the availability report, giving the Broncos a much fuller picture at receiver than they had last week.
The only real uncertainty among that group centers on Ben Ford, who is listed as questionable after leaving the Fresno State game at halftime. On the other side of the injury report, senior left guard Carson Rasmussen is still out for a third straight game, leaving Boise State to continue juggling its front while hoping its passing options stay intact against the Cougars. [Read more 🡒]
Former Bronco Kirby Moore Is Bringing A New Problem To Boise State
Kirby Moore has always been part of the Boise State story, and now he is showing up on the other sideline with a different kind of challenge for the Broncos. The former Boise State wide receiver and current Washington State head coach talked recently about his connection to the program and the path that took him from the blue turf into a head coaching job, but the timing matters now because Washington State is getting ready to host Boise State in an upcoming game.
Moores offense is also arriving with some recent momentum after he took over the play-calling duties and made a notable quarterback move. Washington State went with a different signal-caller and produced its highest point total of the season in a loss to Oregon State, which at least suggests the Cougars may have found something useful as they turn to a familiar face with a new wrinkle for Boise State to sort out. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Faces A Dangerous Test In Its Biggest Defensive Weakness
Washington State is turning to redshirt freshman quarterback Owen Eshelman for his next start, and Boise State is preparing for a version of him that already looked dangerous in his first career outing against Oregon State. Eshelman completed 32 of 49 passes for 289 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, and he added another layer with 136 rushing yards and a touchdown, the kind of dual-threat performance that can test a defense in a hurry.
Boise State coach Spencer Danielson said he expects Eshelman to get better with more experience, which only adds to the challenge for a Broncos defense that has already had trouble this season against explosive plays. Danielson pointed back to the basics, stressing that Boise State needs cleaner tackling and stronger fundamentals rather than a wholesale scheme change, a reminder that this matchup could hinge as much on discipline as on game plan. [Read more 🡒]