In April, Boise State doubled its HC Spencer Danielson’s salary to $2 million, and by December, it was justified. UNLV Rebels had a shot at redemption for the third time, but ultimately fell short again. This was also the last time the Broncos would be part of the Mountain West Conference, as their head coach closed the chapter with his name in the history books.

Danielson has become just the second head coach in FBS history to win back-to-back three-conference championships in the first three years of his tenure. The first one is, of course, $110 million contracted USC head coach Lincoln Riley, who has done the same with Oklahoma. It’s a record that is also special since this would leave the MWC to the newly constituted Pac-12 from 2026.

This was Spencer Danielson’s second season as the full-time coach. He was promoted from Defensive Coordinator of the team in 2023, as the previous coach was fired, Andy Avalos (5–5). Interestingly, Danielson’s interim status was changed after the win against UNLV in his first MW championship game. This year too, it was not straightforward.

UNLV held Boise State with no TD in the third quarter to make it 28-21. But the Broncos eventually pulled away, posting 38 total points on the board. In his post-game interview, Danielson outlined how his team had come back after losing two consecutive games against Fresno State and San Diego State during the regular season.

“Man, doesn’t matter what you’re going through, doesn’t matter how hard it is, anything is possible, and we were left for dead three weeks ago. But this team kept believing. Bronco Nation kept believing. We got the best players in the country. And we have the best staff in the nation. We got the best fan bases in the nation,” said a jubilant Spencer Danielson.

Danielson’s tenure with Boise State is that of a long-time loyal coach and fan who never gave up loving the Broncos. As a teenager, Spencer watched the 2007 Fiesta Bowl between the Broncos and Southern California in high school, and was immediately awed by the team as it pulled off a historic upset.

“I’ll never forget watching at home with my dad, not knowing a ton about Boise State football and the tradition, the legacy, but being blown away. Those moments are what really put Boise State football on the map,” said Danielson.

But the kindling of a boyhood fandom would eventually lead Danielson to be the Broncos’ head coach. The 37-year-old didn’t know that at the time. Spencer joined Boise State in 2017 as a graduate assistant after ending his playing career at Azusa Pacific in 2011. He served as a graduate assistant and linebackers coach at Azusa Pacific from 2013 to 2016. But Boise State eventually gave him the big break in 2017. From then on, Danielson’s career trajectory was epic.

“We weren’t bad, but we were just a middle-of-the-road team. Maybe good enough for others, but not at Boise State,” described former OL Ben Dooley about the state of things at Boise State before Danielson. But Danielson didn’t immediately become the head coach. He persisted with the program, rising through its ranks, and finally, when the opportunity opened, the program didn’t look beyond him.

Spencer Danielson’s next goal: taking Boise State to national title contention

The Solona Beach, California native became the team’s DEs coach in 2018, co-DC in 2019, and DC in 2021. But the floodgates of his head coaching tenure opened in 2023, when head coach Andy Avalos was fired. Avalos compiled a 22-14 record at Boise State and was let go in 2023, when the Broncos were about to have their first losing season since 1997.

Spencer, already well-versed in Boise State culture and a long-time loyal was announced as the interim head coach. The head coach grabbed that opportunity and won three games straightaway. He was named the head coach and hasn’t stopped winning ever since.

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Spencer’s first full season as the HC was historic. Boise State qualified first time ever for the playoffs after compiling an 11-1 record, also winning the MWC. The funny part? This time again, Danielson defeated UNLV 21-7 and cruised to the playoff first-round game against Penn State.

Not to mention, the season also saw the Broncos’ field arguably the best Bronco RB ever to take the field in Ashton Jeanty, a Heisman finalist. But the goal for the head coach isn’t to win a conference title, it’s to go all the way and win the national championship. “Our goal is to go win a national championship,” said the head coach last year. While that may look lofty for a G-5 team, Boise State has become a legit powerhouse under Danielson, and even power teams should beware of their offensive and defensive threat.