Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Today on the Ever
Onward podcast.
We are so excited.
In fact, he just left and we'restill like ready to run through
a brick wall for this guy.
We have coach Spencer Danielson, the head coach of the Boise
State football team, here.
It was an absolute honor and aprivilege.
Everyone knows about this guy.
He is on fire, sits down, ballof energy.
He took over the head coachingrole, took the Boise State
(00:24):
Broncos to the inauguralfootball playoffs this year.
He'll talk about Ashton Gentry,he'll talk about the team next
year and all the things going onwith NIL.
It was just amazing to have himon.
He's an incredible human being,incredible leader, coach
Spencer Danielson.
(00:46):
Coach, thanks for coming on,buddy.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
No, Tommy, I
appreciate it, man.
I've been looking forward togetting some time with you.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Oh man, I don't know
about that, but hey, you just
had your first baby boy.
I want to start there.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Oh, man, it's been
awesome.
We have two little girls, wehave a 4-year-old and a
2-and-a-half-year-old Eleanorand Rosalie and we waited to
find out on this third onebecause my wife, Rachel, who's a
rock star, was like this isprobably it.
So I'm like let's wait to findout.
So we waited all the way to theday and she felt the girl.
(01:25):
So I'm like, all right, Lord,I'm a girl, dad of three, and
when that baby popped out and itwas a boy, we're very grateful
and so yeah, william Ethan,william Ethan, Congratulations,
that's huge.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Oh, so we're so
grateful.
So we had the exact oppositethis year, because I have two
grandkids that were four and twoand my daughter wanted a girl.
It's this long story.
She did the multiple testsbefore and they were false
positives, false negatives.
She's freaking out at all theway to the end, and then she
ended up having a girl.
Yes, so our girl's six monthsold, but that's a beautiful
(01:53):
thing.
I'll tell you, man, that threethrows you over the edge a
little bit.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Oh, it does.
Oh yeah, we're playing zonedefense now hey.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
I'm not to feel sorry
for my daughter anymore, my
son-in-law, because I'm going tosay hey, coach, you've got just
a few things going on, noquestion, your poor wife.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Oh yeah, she's a rock
star.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Like, by the grace of
God, she.
This is not why I like doingthis.
I think is kind of just aconversation to let people talk
about things.
Maybe they wouldn't Tell usabout your wife.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Yes, we met in
college.
So we met at Azusa Pacific, asmall Christian school in
Southern California.
She played volleyball, I playedfootball and I chased her
around for a while until shefinally get yogurt with me and
we dated in college for a coupleyears and then ended up getting
engaged like maybe a yearoutside of college.
Didn't have any money.
(02:42):
She worked at Trader Joe's.
I just finished playing,started coaching and everybody
was telling me I need to get areal job and I was like man, I
think I got one.
You know I love coaching mywife just the whole time.
So supportive.
I mean she's just got a heartof gold and loves people and so
she's the rock.
Where did she grow up.
She's from Murrieta, so kind ofSouthern California as well.
(03:03):
So when we moved to Idaho in2017, it was like I was taking
her out of the world.
She's like are we moving toIraq?
Because at that point there wasstill not as much people moving
from Southern California.
Now, obviously, it's throughthe roof, but now it's home.
I mean, she loves the TreasureValley, boise, idaho.
All our kids have been born atSt Luke's, so it's home now.
(03:29):
And since that time now hermom's moved out here, her
sister's moved out here, mybrother's a fireman in Boise, so
we've really immersed ourselvesin the culture.
But she's a rock star.
I mean, as any wife is, let'sjust start there.
But especially in the coachingprofession, there's so many
things that pull at you, thebusyness of it and it really
it's not a job.
I really believe it's a calling, it's a vocation.
I mean it has to be everythingyou do from.
You know our players are overat our house all the time we're
(03:50):
doing.
They're coming to practice.
It has to be everything, and itreally is for her too.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
That's awesome.
Well, bless her heart, man,because that's three of those
ages.
She's got it.
She's got it cut out for her,especially you're.
You're always busy talk alittle bit about being a head
coach at your level.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Um, I know you love
it, it's your passion, you're in
it with her, your team, yeah,but but it's a, it's a, it's a
grind yeah, it is tommy, I mean,and no different for you, I'm
sure you're, you know, busythrough the roof, you know, and
a lot of people in theirdifferent sectors are.
But you love it, right, I right, you love it.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
I'm talking to you.
I stayed up until like 1.30last night doing a spreadsheet.
My wife showed up.
What the hell are you doing?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Come to bed and I'm
like I'm almost done right.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
So I mean I think we
have, but to me you do what you
love and you're just into it.
But the pressure has got to bea different thing.
I mean collegiate athletics atthe level you are.
Forget the busyness likeconstant pressure.
Have you always dealt well withthat?
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Yeah, I mean my one
thing I'm very open about, I
mean my rock is my relationshipwith Jesus.
I think if I didn't have that,if I lived on what people
thought of me, or if we won thatgame, or if we played well,
your life would be a rollercoaster.
I mean you'd be high one dayand then the next week you'd be
low.
I just don't want to live thatway.
I'm a positive, high-energy guy.
I think I'm naturally wiredthat way.
(05:12):
I'm a glass half full.
If there's a mountain to climb,let's go climb it.
No one thinks you can, let's godo it.
That's kind of how I professionmy rocks my relationship with
Jesus and my wife and me.
You know we got into this toimpact people and I'm open about
.
You know, at Azusa Pacific,where I started coaching, it was
not for money or for fame.
I mean, you know it was 13 hourbus rides to go to road trips,
(05:35):
you know.
But you're doing it justbecause you love impacting these
kids and I was one of thosekids that got impacted.
That's why I did.
It is because I had amazingcoaches that changed my life and
I'm like I want to do the same.
And so now, yes, maybe the youknow there's more people
watching these games or there'smore money may be involved, but
it's still football.
It's still developing a hundredkids a year to to be better
husbands, better fathers, andthat's what takes a lot of time,
(05:58):
but you love it, it's yourpassion.
I mean, when my head, when myhead, hits the pillow every
night, tommy, I'm thinking aboutthese kids.
I'm thinking about wherethey're at in life, how we can
grow them, maybe what they'restruggling with, or maybe what
they did that day that maybe Iknow they've got to be better,
or whatever it might be.
It's my passion and it's ourpassion as a couple together to
have an impact.
I truly believe I get judged onwhat happens 12 nights a year,
(06:21):
but what I really am going to bejudged by, in my opinion, is
how these young men are 20 yearsfrom now.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Dude, I have
goosebumps.
I'm ready.
Coach, Just put me in.
We're like five minutes intothis thing.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
That's what it is,
and I believe that.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
You brought up Jesus,
so I'm going to get into it
here really quick, but before Igo there I can only imagine you
sitting in my living room.
You got to be killing it.
Yeah, Like recruiting, I meanbecause in the world we live in,
right, I mean with kids andmoney and future, whatever have
you always excelled atrecruiting?
I know with NIL, and I'll talka little bit about that later
(06:59):
today, but Spence man, thisright here, it's got to resonate
with a whole bunch of familiesout there that want their kid to
not only go get an education,not only learn football, maybe
make it to the next level, butthey got to be eating this up.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Yeah, well, it does,
tom, and it's something you're
always trying to fine tune yourcraft.
No different in any space, butespecially at Boise State.
We have so much to be able topresent to these families and
being able to be at a placewhere you know they're going to
be safe, you know they're goingto be built into, and so I can
look at a mom, a dad, a grandmain the eyes and be like I know
this is the best place for yourson.
(07:35):
I believe that in my heart andyou could show them the proof of
it and telling them like,because everybody's at a
different place, some come fromreally good families, some maybe
come from some broken homes,some come from money, some come
from nothing.
Some come from California, somecome from Egypt.
Right, you got all differentbackgrounds.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
Who then go to the
NFL.
Yes, correct.
What a great story, correct?
Speaker 2 (07:54):
But the vehicle of
football is what creates these
connections.
And I tell them, I mean, andeverybody recruits at a
different background.
Some are, some are Christians,some are LDS, some are Muslims,
some want nothing to do withreligion at this point in their
life.
For me, I tell them, when mylike I just said, when my head
hits the pillow, I'm thinkingabout your son.
Yeah, that's where, that'swhere you want to come here,
(08:16):
Cause I'm not thinking abouthe's Jersey number 21.
I'm thinking about exactly whoyour son is, what makes him tick
, and I'm thinking about allthings, and football is the last
part.
I'm a firm believer we're goingto grow these young men to be
champions off the field.
They're going to make the rightdecision on fourth down, but
I'm more concerned about makingthe right decision on Friday
night, and so I just think thatwhen you find the right people
and they want that for their sonor the, or the young man wants
(08:36):
it for himself that's when theycan come here and you can hit
the ground running.
I'm very open about hey, it'svery hard here because of how we
work and how we train, butlife's hard.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
We've got to get you
ready for life.
Man, put me in, sign me up.
I mean I think you're such agreat representative of I mean I
just can't imagine theUniversity of Idaho, of what you
do, of your family, of yourvalues, of Christ, of everything
.
Let's talk about the Jesusthing.
You get a little bit of grieffor that, and I think it's.
(09:12):
I wanted to hit this today andask you if it would be okay,
because I've thought a lot aboutit.
I've been around you and heardit and you wear it on your
sleeve.
This is kind of what you'reabout.
But I've also seen you be sodang respectful and so I want my
thought in coming into this iswith you.
Two things can be very true,right.
One you're a passionatebeliever in Jesus Christ.
It's part of who you are, it'syour rock, it's your foundation
(09:33):
and that's what you're built onand you're going to share that
with other people.
Two, you were, because of Jesus, very respectful of other
beliefs and higher power orpeople, whatever they are, in
their journey.
Right, that's right.
And both of those things can betrue.
And when I saw it just got alittle cringy when I saw some
criticism of that, because Ijust thought it was unfair.
I thought it was unfair forsomeone who may not know or
(09:56):
watch the way you interact.
I don't think it puts pressureon others.
I think it's so loving andcaring and inclusive Thoughts on
that.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Yeah, I think, just
like anything, tommy, one of the
number one commandments is loveyour neighbor as yourself.
Right, and love is a core valuein our program.
We define it as action andsacrifice.
And no different for me, nodifferent for our players.
I can say I love you, but ifI'm not backing that up with
action, it's fake.
And so how I live this everyday matters For me.
(10:27):
I believe in being authentic asa head coach, so I'm very open
with recruits and players aboutmy relationship with Jesus.
I talk about three things thatI want to do.
I'm not saying this is ourprogram.
That I want to do every dayLove Jesus, work hard, treat
people right.
Those are three things that I'mactively working on.
Everybody's at a different place.
We had 115 players on our teamthis year.
We have Christians on our team.
We have Muslims on our team.
(10:48):
We have LDS players on our team.
We have people on our team thatwant nothing to do with
religion at this point in theirlife and all are welcome, all
are loved, all are built into,because that's my heart and when
my head hits the pillow, that'swhy, when I'm open about
recruits, I tell them hey, thisis me, you could be at a
completely different place, inreligion or wherever you're at,
but as a head coach, I care andlove about your son, regardless
(11:11):
what he believes.
I'm here to develop him as ayoung man.
So when he's done, it is timeat Boise State.
He is ready for life.
He's ready to be a betterhusband.
He's ready to be a betterfather.
He's ready to be a betterprofessional.
That's all I care about andthat is the point in vision that
I go about everything.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
I love it and I'm
going to tell a really quick
story because I think it's forme.
I've always been comfortabletalking about my faith because
it is foundational to who I amand I think that once you
believe, it is who you are andyou attribute so much of your
life, and I think it allows youto live with gratitude, I think
it allows you to look up.
I think it allows, I mean, thiskind of living arrows out
(11:49):
instead of arrows in.
I think it's so healthy to havethat belief and that foundation
and the blessings that comefrom it.
Agreed.
So, because I want to get to apoint, it might take me a minute
here.
So when I was a kid, I grew upin a very great family with
great examples, but also veryfaithful, taught about Christ
(12:10):
early on from two religions.
My one side was Catholic, theother side was Mormon yeah, but
both very, very much believersin Jesus and taught it in their
own way, but very important tome.
And then, when I was about, Iwas like I was 12 years old, me
and my uncle were he's 11.
And back then, if you thinkabout this, we were working on
(12:31):
our hiking merit badge and wegot dropped off at one side of a
mountain range and then ourparents were picking us up five
days later on the other side.
Let's go, let's go.
I think about that now.
I mean we like had a map we havephones.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
You might get
arrested now.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Oh yeah we don't have
phones.
So anyways, it's a quick storybut I'm going to tell it because
it was like for me as a youngman.
It was so impressionable uponme and I'd always been taught to
pray and you know Jesus isthere for you, you know higher
power.
The whole hike one night and itis a torrential downpour to
where we're sitting in our tentlittle tent two-man tent me and
(13:07):
my uncle, josh, who's a yearyounger than me, and we're like
in a river and we're crying,we're like scared, and we're
sitting in there and I rememberdistinctly kneeling with him and
praying and saying God, help us, we are in trouble, we are in
the middle of nowhere and it waslightning and thunder and rain.
(13:27):
And it's this great storybecause we see headlights coming
up the canyon and I'm like Iwonder who that is.
And then it got closer.
It was my mom in this old whitevan, my grandpa's white van.
I have no idea two wheel drivevan.
How she got up to us, but werun and hop in the van and she
had hot chocolate for us and mysister was with her and I had a
handicapped sister who was acouple years younger than me and
(13:49):
she was in there and anyway, weare so thankful.
We play Uno, she has hotchocolate for us and we sit
there and I just it was sowonderful.
But we knelt down and prayedthe second time.
Yeah, and it was this deepprayer of gratitude, just like
thank you for one.
(14:11):
How she found us?
Yeah, middle of the night.
It's my mom.
My dad was working, so she hadto do it alone.
Third thing happens the nightstarts, the night we go to sleep
and all of a sudden there'ssomeone knocking on our window
and my mom is like stop, don'tmove.
She's like don't move.
There are really bad guys outthere.
And there were these two guys,drunk, drunk, drunk, and they
(14:34):
were saying horrible things, howthey were going to break into
the car.
They could see my sister and itwas like vile, horrible, what
they were going to do to us,kind of stuff.
Yeah, okay, and it's me and mymom and she's like what are we
going to do?
and she's like we're going tosay a prayer yeah so we say this
, we say this third prayer, andI and she and she says it and as
(14:57):
a so remember, I'm a 12 yearold boy here, yeah, scared to
death, thinking hey, they'regoing to break in and what
they're saying they're going todo is horrible.
Yeah, we're in trouble, we'reup this canyon, we're in the
middle of nowhere, and Ilistened to my mom say a prayer.
Okay, so I'm still thinking howdo we get out of here?
We lay there for a minute andthen she whispers to me hey, you
need to yell as loud as you canGet the hell out of here in a
(15:19):
man's voice.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Smart move.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
And I'm like how's
that going to work if we get
stuck?
How's that going to work?
Right?
So we're whispering back andforth.
Well, um, my uncle and mysister never woke up, we just
sat there holding hands and shejust, you know, just kept saying
you know, god, please help us,we need help.
And another set of lights startcoming, probably within about a
half hour, and I'm like be good, this could be bad.
Yeah, and um, it was a policecar.
(15:48):
Wow, in the middle of the ochremountains, out in the middle of
expense, nowhere wow so itgives me goosebumps I hop, I hop
up.
I've got my tidy whiteys on ittoday, right and I go I go
running full board of that copcar.
As soon as I could get close, Ihop in and I'm just these guys
are bad, they're doing all thisstuff.
(16:09):
And he's like, hey, go sit backover there, I'll take care of
here, rest the guys, okay.
And then he comes over and heI'll never forget for me because
this was the whole point of thestory.
There's a big barrel chestedsheriff county sheriff yeah and
he comes and he knocks on thewindow and we roll down the
(16:29):
window and we're like thank youso much.
And he is balling.
He is Wow, he is balling.
And it caught us by surprisebecause he's just this tough,
big, barrel-chested cop and he'slike I've been on this route
for years and I've never been upthis canyon.
He's like something told me tocome fix you guys tonight.
(16:52):
So I'm telling you this wholestory because it was awesome.
We ended up taking him somebanana bread.
Later we became friends withthis guy, but the next Sunday in
church, by chance and I'm not agood singer, but my uncle is we
had to sing in church.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
And we sang a song
that is I am not afraid of the
gospel of Christ, for it is thepower of God.
I'll go tell the world, it'strue.
I'll preach with all my heart,mind and strength, and when I
have a chance to share it, Iwill testify of the Christ.
Amen and strength.
And when I have a chance toshare it, I will testify of the
Christ.
And I remember those words andI remember being overwhelmed
with emotion, thinking it isreal.
(17:31):
Yeah, no question, it is real.
And any time in my life I canshare this.
And I don't know how it works.
I don't know how the connectionwith the divine happens in our
life, and I'm not gonna beashamed of it.
I mean, it's in Romans, rightthere, right.
That's right, and so I think,for people of faith that have
(17:53):
had experiences that arepowerful, that have changed
their life, there is nothingwrong with sharing that,
especially with young men.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
But it also doesn't
mean we can't be tolerant of
other religions, that's right.
I think, you know, being aMormon, I mean we get.
I mean there's Sunday schoolclasses teaching how to be
anti-Mormon.
That being a Mormon, I mean weget.
I mean there's Sunday schoolclasses teaching how to be
anti-Mormon.
There's stuff all over.
Oh, no question, there's stuff,but I just, I agree, tommy.
I think we come together and Ithink in a world where, like as
(18:21):
secularism takes over, yeah,what's happening is everyone's
telling everyone there isn't aGod.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
That's right and you
don't need religion and all this
stuff.
And I think, just like anything, tommy, it's.
You see, this in culture is ifsomeone doesn't believe what you
believe either, religion,politics, that means they're
wrong.
Yes, and you're right and yougot.
It's your job to get them tofeel the way you do.
No, yeah, no, that's how theybelieve.
That's what they feel when,whatever how they're raised or
(18:49):
what they believe or theirexperience, that's theirs.
We're called to love them andthat's what I'm called to do and
how to sacrifice for everybodyyou meet Well.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
I love it Every time
you're interviewed.
When you bring it up, I getchills.
I'm so proud.
I think I've looked at what'shappened to some of your players
and how they give thanks andgrace and gratitude to God.
I think you're just a wonderfulexample and I'm proud of you
for doing it.
I know it's probably not easy,but it is probably easy.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Yeah, it's who I am
and that's where I just believe
in being authentic, you know,because you can only fake the
funk for so long.
Whoever you are like I can't besomebody else, they can't be me
.
This is how I'm wired, how I'mbuilt, how I was raised, and
you're always trying to findways to grow and improve.
But I think you've got to betrue to who you are and if
(19:39):
you're not, people are going tosee that.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
People are going to
see you, trying to not be you.
Tell me about your day, becauseI know you're centered and I
know with your.
I can't even imagine Like I Ican't even imagine Like I'd love
to spend two hours with you andsay what is the daily routine,
what's the weekly routine like?
But how important is thoseearly hours for you, that
faith-based prayer start yourday.
I mean, talk to us a little bitabout what sets the foundation
(20:04):
for Coach Danielson.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Yeah, the morning's
critical for me.
I'm an early riser, you knowit's especially.
We're a morning operation as afootball program, so we practice
in the morning, we havemeetings in the morning and so
everything we do is in themorning.
So by the time I get to theoffice it's on, usually right
and players are getting ready.
We're getting ready forpractice.
So the time I have in themorning at my home, from the
(20:25):
breakfast I eat to my time inthe Word, I get in the Word
every morning.
I try to make sure I don't.
I gotta.
By the time I leave the officeand I'm driving to work.
I have to be ready and I tellthat to our staff and our
players.
I don't have the, I don't havean opportunity to get in the
office and be like hey guys, Ineed an hour, I need to get my
coffee in me, I need to make,and that's kind of how.
(20:53):
So my morning routine is thesame every single day, from when
I wake up, what I eat in themorning, how I do it it's the
same every single day.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
But what you just
said the mindset thing, because
if you start in the word, itsets you on a path of gratitude
right out the door.
Yep, it's almost impossible tothink about yourself.
Yep, and that's what I loveabout it, right?
You leave kind of all right,I'm centered and I'm ready to go
.
Yep, because there's already somany other forces on us all the
(21:19):
time to look back in.
If you start wrong, you'regoing to probably end wrong.
100%, right, 100%.
I love that.
I love that.
There's a lot to learn there.
That's great.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
And I believe, as a
leader, it's our job.
Like as the head coach, it'snot all right.
Everybody look at me.
I'm there to serve our staffand serve our players in
everything I do, but I can't dothat if I'm not in the right
mental space to be able to serveour coaches everything they
need.
I'm there for them our playerseverything they need.
I got to be in the right mentalspace to be able to do that.
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Hey, can we talk
about this year a little bit?
What an incredible year, huh.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Oh man, we're so
grateful, so grateful.
Thank you, jesus man.
It's been an awesome year.
I'm so proud of our players,our staff.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
So proud of them.
It just was one.
I mean, it was so amazing.
Tell us a little bit about it.
I'm looking at our time becauseI knew this was going to happen
, but tell us a little bit aboutJenty and what that guy has
meant to the program as anindividual, and then just how he
kept stepping up this year.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
Well, tim, I think,
just like anything is, you know,
january last year, there's, allyou know, high expectations.
We had a really good teamcoming back.
You know, ashton Jenty's comingback, ahmed Asai, and there's
multiple other players that haveall these expectations.
All these, well, what's goingto happen?
They should be this, theyshould be this, and the media is
talking about.
What I'm so proud of our team,our coaches and our players is
(22:44):
they just went to work.
They weren't worried about whatsomeone's tweeting about them.
They just went to work and byno means were we perfect.
You know, you got to always.
We're always trying to findways to be better this season
and grow, but I'm so proud ofthem just going to work.
And January, we're on the bluein the snow, working.
Well, I wonder, you know, Itruly believe if you can focus
(23:05):
on your process and the guysthat put their head down to work
and don't continue to look atthe outcomes.
They focus on the process, youachieve everything you want, and
our team did that, and they didthat because of the player-led
leadership we had, ashton Gentrybeing one of those.
I mean, a guy that had all theoutside noise, had every
opportunity to take his foot offthe gas and be like, oh, maybe
I shouldn't do this, becausewhat if I can get hurt?
(23:27):
Or what if I know he came towork every single day from
January to season to?
I mean, he'd get 36 carries onSaturday in front of the nation,
and he's the one practicing ashard as anybody on Tuesday.
In practice, that's when youhave, when your best players are
your hardest workers.
You always have a shot.
You always have a shot.
(23:47):
I run so hard and he trainslike that.
Yeah, and that's what I likethat, he has to.
And that's what I tell everybodywants to be Ashton, gentry,
right?
Heisman, nfl, all this but areyou really willing to do what it
takes to be there?
And that's, I think, everything.
Right.
No different for life.
Everybody maybe wants to be theowner or the boss or the CEO,
(24:09):
but do you really want to do upat up till 1am working on
spreadsheets, right, do youreally want to do that?
And the action and that's whyit's such a good model for us
and our team is hey, you want tobe him.
You want all these outcomesthat you want.
Well, you know how hard heworked.
You know how hard he worked inthe training room.
You know how hard he worked inthe practice field.
So it's so good to be able topoint to that, even going into
this 25 season, to be like, hey,I'm excited to see the rest of
(24:31):
the guys step up, becausethere's a huge leadership void
that I'm excited to see otherguys step into.
But it's so awesome to be ableto point to some of these guys
that were here and what they didfor our program.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Hey, back to him a
couple questions.
I, I know for me because he washe, he just he would hit that
line and just it was so.
As the coach, yeah, did youever get worried?
Because as the fan man, I'mlike oh, oh, there's no question
.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
There's a couple
shots.
I'm like, is he good?
Is he good?
I mean, there'd be 11 guystrying to, you know, oh, my
goodness, I mean, and you gointo every game, tommy, knowing
their sole purpose is to stoptwo, that's it.
That's it.
And just how he works, how hepractices.
And it was so cool to even seeour offensive line, our tight
(25:15):
ends, our receivers, becauseyou're kind of seeing, obviously
you don't want anything to bebigger than the team, nothing
bigger than the team, and allthe things about the Heisman and
rushing record.
Our guys embraced that.
That's how close they were, howmuch they loved each other to
where they wanted that.
That was them doing it together.
And so even how our offensiveline trained, how our tight ends
(25:35):
receivers, how they trainedtogether to get that done, how
Maddox Madsen was able to stepup and create a lot of matchup
nightmares in the past game toopen it up a little bit more, it
was just so cool to see themwork together.
But long winded answer to yourquestion, tommy.
I mean, there were some, therewere some tackles.
I was like, oh, is he good?
He just popped right up Maybecome out and get a little tape
of the sideline, he's back.
I mean never, never missed apractice, never missed a game.
(25:57):
I mean just a relentlesscompetitor.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
What are the thoughts
on the NFL?
I read every day.
I'm a junkie, so the article Iread yesterday had him, like, at
number five, but it's going tobe pretty high.
I don't know where it's goingto end up being, but isn't it
cool.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
It's so cool.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
Like, think of, think
of the legacy.
Yeah, I mean, that's the.
I mean it's a big word, it is.
But you have a player like thatcomes in, conducts himself the
way, and then every interview,every interaction, every,
everything he ever did was 10out of 10 and then his effort,
but then you leave this legacyat this place.
You probably can't quantifywhat a guy like that means to a
(26:34):
program.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
No, tommy, you can't.
I mean and I agree with you,I've used that word with him
before the legacy is leaving,and Ashton uses that.
I mean when he finishessophomore year, offensive player
of the year.
Everybody's trying to get himto leave Boise State and he
doesn't.
His words are I want to leave alegacy and seeing him it's easy
to say that, but then seeing himgo out and put the work in to
(26:55):
do that and not just in theyards or the touchdowns and how
he impacted every player in thatbuilding, how he impacted me,
every coach.
He impacted me every single day.
That's the legacy he's leavingbecause there's going to be
players this season, players 10years from now, that are going
to be different because of them.
Watching Ashton Genting and Ihope that you'll start to see
(27:16):
some culture shifts even incollege football There'll be
players that you know.
Maybe I can leave anotherschool to make maybe a little
more money, but I'm going tostay because I'm going to stay
and impact this place.
I'm going to leave a legacy atmy school that you can't put a
price tag on that.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Well, I got my money
on you, man, because it's
someone that's got to matter atsome point.
And I just saw an interviewwith Steve Alford, like a few
days ago, where he kind of wentoff on kind of the culture and,
listen, we can talk about NI onall other stuff, but at the end
of the day I mean, it's theperfect football analogy with a
guy like you.
But they're moving thegoalposts like almost monthly on
(27:52):
you guys.
Right, you look at theregulations, if you want to call
them that, the way thingschange, where it's headed,
legislation that might be coming, the way the dollars are spent.
I mean you're just literallylike living day by day saying
what are the rules today?
Right, no question, tough thingto do and in the middle of it,
keep a program going, that'sright.
But I love what you've saidtoday and I'm just going to make
(28:13):
you say that.
But if you stay focused on thething, that's all you really can
do.
But in that chaos, spence.
I think that's why people willbe attracted to you in this
program.
Yeah, agreed, because otherthings have got to matter at
some point and enough people aregoing to get burned doing the
chase.
The money thing, that's right.
It still matters.
It does Right.
(28:34):
Money still matters.
And the way NIL goes we as acommunity and as a state, and
everyone that loves this program, alumni got to step up, right,
because that's what you'recompeting against.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
Yeah, we, you know,
build different is something I
talk about with our team.
Right, and this is kind of like.
You know how I define our teamis by.
This team is built different,but we define that as building
champions on and off the fieldby doing common things in an
uncommon way, and and that cango a lot of different ways.
But I believe practice is acommon thing.
(29:04):
Right, meetings are a commonthing.
Recruiting is common thing.
What I mean by that iseverybody's doing it.
We're going to do it in anuncommon way.
Recruiting is a common thing.
What I mean by that iseverybody's doing it.
We're going to do it in anuncommon way.
And just like anything, you canchase currency or you can chase
value, and I want our guysfocused on value.
Yes, money is a part of that,absolutely.
It is no different for coaches,no different for players.
Now, and I'm actively workingto raise to where we can pay our
(29:26):
guys more money.
They deserve it, they've earnedthat.
But there's a lot more to itthan just money.
There's a value aspect thatthey know.
If I stay at Boise State, yes,there's going to be money there,
but I'm going to be changed,I'm going to be pulled and
stretched so high that when Ileave Boise State, I'm ready for
the NFL, I'm ready for theprofessional life, I'm ready to
be the best version of myself asa 22-year-old and be a world
(29:49):
changer in a world thatdesperately needs that right now
.
And that's what.
That's what we're going tofocus.
We're doubling down ondevelopment.
Where maybe other people aregoing more transactional, we're
we're focused on transformation.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
That's unbelievable,
yeah, Unbelievable.
Do you want to talk a littlebit about the team?
Yeah, Because I know I meanyou're, you're the transfer
portal, like those two wordsthat got it.
I know for fans, like scareeveryone right.
But opens back up at some pointhere, right, doesn't it open
back up in April?
April, yep, middle of April, itopens back up.
(30:24):
So so you know, I know for forathletics right now.
Now that's the thing is it'sjust this thing where people
come and go, but you do what youdo and you crank along, but but
right now you've got, you'vegot your core back, you've got
incredible talent back.
What are you looking forward tonext year in this?
Speaker 2 (30:42):
group.
Yeah, we got a great groupcoming back to me and that's and
it's a it's a group that's beenhere.
Yeah, it's a group that knowswhat we're about, that knows how
we need to continue to learnand grow, and no different like
anything.
I mean as a team.
We watched the Penn State gametogether, right, we watched it,
we got to learn from that, and Iwant to make sure it's not 10
years till we get back to thatgame.
Right, and that's just lookingat an outcome, but focusing on
(31:05):
the habits to get there, insteadof hey guys, they're throwing
out that we need to winchampionships Absolutely.
Instead of hey guys, they'rethrowing out that we need to win
championships Absolutely.
But to me, I'm process, like,how do we focus on that as a
team?
Because we've got a great groupcoming back.
We've got a great group ofleaders coming back.
We've got a great group of guysthat a lot of people don't know
their name yet.
They're going to, though,because, even though no one
(31:27):
knows their name, they aboutthis team.
We've had three spring ballpractices today.
This is spring break for us.
Next week we're going to comeback and have practice four and
our guys have gone to work rightand, just like anything,
they're competing at a very highlevel.
With that comes failure.
And then, from failure, how doI learn and grow from this to
improve?
And I told our team my job isto make every person in this
(31:47):
building uncomfortable everysingle day.
So you grow and thrive from it.
Even our best players and I'mon our guys, our best players, I
tell them always are our bestplayers.
Heavy is the crown, it's notwell.
You're our best players inSeptember.
No, you're our best players inMarch too, like you have to be.
That doesn't mean you'reperfect.
You're going to fail, butyou've got to learn and grow
from it.
And seeing guys step up intoleadership roles and who they
(32:11):
are, it's been awesome.
We got a great group comingback.
I mean even seeing you knowmaddox, madson, step up into
even be more of a leader and whohe is.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
He had a heck of a
year awesome season, awesome
season and seeing his numbersand oh yeah, I mean just it was
incredible you know, seeing himstep up.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
We got a great group
on the offensive line coming
back cage casey, mason, rolph,Roger Carrion.
We've got a couple others.
We've got a really good groupof running backs that are
getting rolling.
You know, Sire Gaines got hurt.
He's going to be back.
We've got a great transferMalik, Sherrod, Breezy, Dubar,
Dylan.
You know, Matt Louder, I think,is going to be one of the best
tight ends in the country comingback.
So even offensively, we'vegroup of guys.
(32:47):
Latrell Capels is back.
So we still got some pieces thatneed to step up, right when
there are guys that graduate oryou lose guys.
Guys got to step up.
But that's what you love aboutthis game is guys maybe haven't
proven it yet on the field, butthey've been working and they're
excited for their name to becalled.
They'll be ready when theiropportunity comes.
Defensively, we got some reallygood pieces coming back Jaden,
(33:09):
Virgin Morgan I think is goingto be one of the best edge
rushers in the country.
Braxton Feeley is one of ourbest D tackles we've had.
We've got a good group oflinebackers coming back and
Marco and Andrew Ty Benefield isone of our better safeties
we've had in a long time.
Amara McCoy is one of ourlockdown core.
So you got and I'm probably evenmissing guys, but it's now.
They're going from where theywere in 24, learn, grow.
(33:29):
There's some good, there's somebad that we got to learn and
grow from, and now it's our jobto get to work in the process,
have our best spring ball whichleads into the best summer, and
so we're at a good place, Justlike anything.
We got to double down on ourculture.
We got to double down on ourprocess to make sure nothing
pulls at us.
Transfer portal window comes upin April.
We're going to walk that path,same like we always do Our
players and our, our players,our coaches.
(33:51):
I zoom with our parents once amonth, with all our player
parents, because I want them toknow this is what we're doing.
Yes, Maybe you hear that yourson can leave for more money,
but they're like no, I know, Iknow that my son's going to be
taken care of there financially,but more importantly, he's
going to be growing to be thebest version of himself there.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
There've been reading
a few things that some spring
games are getting canceled justbecause of the portal and the
whole.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
Thing.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
What's your take or
plan on that?
Speaker 2 (34:18):
Yeah, I've researched
it a lot, tommy, but I believe
in it.
It's such a special moment inour community I mean Bronco
Nation, in my opinion, second tonone.
You see how we travel sevengames, seven setups.
That's a huge part of the valueof playing at Boise State, and
so I want our players, I wantour players, to be able to sign
autographs after the spring game.
I want them to be around thefans and I also want our team,
(34:42):
the first time they're playingin front of fans is not game one
and have a little bit ofanxiety, a little bit of stress
in April, so we can kind oflearn and grow from hey, this
guy, we struggled a little bitwhen the fans were out there, we
were doing good when no one waswatching, and now the second
you get some fans in there,we're struggling a little bit.
Because you can learn and growfrom that.
I'm not going to pivot.
(35:02):
I believe in our pride.
That's the same thing.
We're going to continue to dothat better.
But it's a big deal for me, forthe community, for our players,
and that connection matters tome.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
I love that Talk
about Bronco Nation.
I mean down at the playoff, theFiesta Bowl this year, oh
awesome.
I mean just being in that crowd.
Oh, tommy, I mean you're thereand you're looking around and
just the pride.
I mean it's not just we travel,well, you're going up against
Penn State, which is one of thehistoric.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
Back when I had like
we were eating Top Ramen and
finding nickels in seats becausewe drove an old Nissan Sentra.
I was in medical school and mywife had a job where she would
do halftimes at bowl games and Iwas her assistant.
I would carry her clipboard,love it and one of my favorite
stories was, she would do theOutback Bowl and one year Joe
Paterno in Penn State was in theOutback Bowl.
(35:57):
I'm trying to remember who theywere playing, but I was the guy
on the field that held theropes that had to get the teams
off.
Yeah, yeah, and Joe Paterno,that's one of my favorite
stories.
But he got.
It was raining hard one timeand he tried to stop the
halftime so that the high schoolband kids didn't ruin the field
at halftime.
Yeah, yeah, and he stood there.
Anyway, it was this greatinteraction.
But they traveled Like you.
(36:18):
Look at that stadium.
Oh yeah, chuck, I mean, you'regoing up against a school, a
legacy school, that travelsthousands and thousands of
people and has forever and hastradition thick, and we are
kicking their trash.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
No question, no
question.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
You go down there
because I'm thinking this is
going to be a big deal.
Oh, and a couple years ago Igraduated from medical school at
the University of Utah, so Iwent when they played them in
the Rose Bowl yeah, that's right, and we traveled better than
Utah did to that Rose Bowl.
I looked around.
I was so proud of Bronco NationTommy so proud.
It was so loud.
(36:53):
Brad Little, we went together,yeah, yeah, and he was down on
the field and he came back upand I'm like, how was the field?
And he's Like I couldn't hearanything.
He's like I couldn't hearanything.
It's so loud down there.
It just made me so happy.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Oh Tom, when we took
the field for the Fiesta Bowl it
felt like a home game, yeah,you know, and there's just so
much pride and I talked to mywife like that, in a positive
way.
That's a burden I carry, likethe product we put on the field,
the development for these kidsfor life, the product we put.
It matters that we do our bestfor Bronco Nation, like I think
(37:26):
about that.
I mean I was so I put off myChristmas shopping all the way
till December 23rd and I go toShields on December 23rd because
we finished with practice.
We had Christmas Eve andChristmas off and so I go there.
I got a shopping cart and I'mgoing to work on my kids.
My wife and I ran into at least10 people in Shields, almost
(37:47):
choked me up right now and saidCoach, I want you to know we're
not doing a lot of Christmaspresents here because our
Christmas presents go to thefestival to support you, to
support our team that's Bronco.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Nation.
Speaker 2 (37:57):
It is Blue collar all
in and I love Bronco Nation.
We're going to continue to doour best for them every single
day.
I believe you go out in theblue for a home game.
There's not a better place toplay in the country.
We've played almost everywhere.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
There's not a better
place to play in the country and
the passion and love for theteam.
It's just incredible.
Well, your connection withBronco Nation is incredible too.
It matters to me, tommy, let meask you this.
I want to talk about JD.
Your connection with BroncoNation is incredible too.
Oh, it matters to me.
Tommy, let me ask you this.
I wasn't going to ask it Well,and I want to talk about JD a
little bit, but what?
Well, let me talk about JD andthen get to the next question.
(38:30):
Incredible award he just gotthis week Earned.
Yeah, earned Yep Incredible.
So Athletic Director of theYear, it's this big national
thing, that guy.
I talked to him yesterday.
I said, man, people followpeople.
He's incredible, incredible andhe's just incredible.
(38:51):
But then let me get to thequestion what can Bronco Nation
anyone that's listening to thistoday, knowing where we are as a
program, where we are as auniversity what would you ask
Bronco Nation to do for the team?
Yeah, I mean, you kind of wentthrough what you're doing for
Bronco Nation and how this thingkeeps growing, but are there
things you would ask?
Speaker 2 (39:09):
Yeah, tommy, I
appreciate you asking that.
First off, with Jeremiah, Iwant everybody to know and you
know this, but what they maybesee on social media, that's him
all the time right, like he'snot all right.
He's going to put out thepositivity what's next?
Like that's who he is.
And even for me as a head coach, the amount of support I have
from him.
It doesn't mean it's always yes, yes, yes, but if there's
(39:30):
something we need, he's like I'mgoing to go out and work to
help you.
He's a teammate, he's acompanion in this journey and he
is an absolute worker.
I respect his hustle, I respecthis ground.
He's hitting me at late nightbecause he's thinking about
things we talked about how wecan be better, how we can
improve, how we can support allour students better.
I mean, I have so much respectfor him, and not just how he
(39:51):
works, but also who he has as aman, like a man of character, a
man of faith.
His focus is on developingthese kids and pushing Boise
State athletics to new heights,and you can just see what we've
done in the time he's been hereand and he's had multiple job
opportunities to leave, but hewants to be here, he wants to be
part of this team, he wants tobe part of this family, and so I
(40:11):
just I mean, the respect I havefor him is through the roof.
And so right now, as anathletics department, as a
football team, college footballis changing, athletics are
changing, and right now we justneed everybody's a fan base
that's second to none.
They live in an area that Ithink is the best area to live
(40:46):
in the world, but there is a gapfinancially that we just need
to close Doesn't mean we'regoing to close it right away,
but we just need everybody'shelp to work to close it
together, because that's ourheart.
This is Idaho's team, this isthe blue.
This is something that I wantBronco Nation to continue to be
proud of, and we just needeverybody's help to make sure we
can ensure that in the future.
And that might be $10 a monthfrom somebody, that might mean
(41:08):
$1,000 a year from somebody, butit all matters, because I want
everybody to connect to theirteam.
That's the big push where we'reat, and there's obviously a lot
of things going on, but youkeep the right people, we keep
the Jeremiah Dickies, we keepthe players because they're
going to stay here, not justbecause of a of a dollar sign.
They're going to stay herebecause of the culture.
They're going to stay herebecause of all the things we've
been talking about well, andwhat.
Speaker 1 (41:30):
What when you have a
team that married mirrors, the
heritage of a place yep, I mean,you've got that blue collar I
mean the heritage of idaho andwhat it stands for and the
people that are here.
Our people are our treasure,they just are.
And you look at the legacy ofthe companies and the families
and they want to stay here.
(41:50):
They want to protect this place.
Now it's been discovered, whichis going to have some goods and
bads.
A lot of goods, though.
There's a lot of wonderfulpeople moving here that are
saying I want to be part of thisculture, and part of this
culture is the blue, and I'vebeen very pleased and surprised
that people that are coming inare saying, hey, this is the
show in town, how do I getinvolved?
So, between new people cominghere, the businesses that are
(42:11):
here, the legacy companies,everyone kind of getting on
board to try to help BroncoNation and make this thing
succeed.
And you know what People followpeople.
People are going to followJeremiah, they're going to
follow you.
They're going to follow Leon.
I love Leon.
Yep, oh, he's awesome, he is.
I'm still so pissed.
Speaker 2 (42:32):
I was joking with
some people that, like I didn't
know a lot of you know selectionshow and what first in versus,
you know first out met.
But I've been in the weeds onit.
I mean, and Leon's awesome.
I mean you talk about a guythat I've gotten to know really
well over the past year.
Who he is as a leader, who heis as a coach.
I mean he's a 10 out of 10.
Speaker 1 (42:50):
He is so a little
story.
I went to North Carolina'sbasketball camp when I was in
high school Okay, come on.
And it was back in the day whenDean Smith was there.
Oh, when Dean Smith was there,dean Smith taught the thing I
mean I had like one.
It was a week long thing.
So I am like I love the TarHeels.
Yeah, that's so cool.
And when I listened to Bubba-on that interview.
I am not a Tar Heel fan anymore.
(43:11):
I'm so mad.
I'm like you can't tell meyou're the chairman of this damn
committee.
Well, and then last night theyblew out.
Speaker 2 (43:18):
San Diego State, so
it didn't help my position.
This morning I saw the hittingscore.
I was like oof.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
I'm still upset,
spencer.
That went by way too fast.
I know how much time it meansto you and how valuable it is.
It means the world for uscoming on and hopefully we get
this out to Bronco Nation.
I'm just so proud of you andwhat you mean to this university
, this state, to the kids thatyou coach.
(43:43):
We would do anything for youand we're just thank you.
Thanks for all you do and foryour example.
What a tremendous example.
I wish I had a kid I could sendand play for you.
Speaker 2 (43:55):
I wish I had anything
we could do to be a part of you
.
Maybe my grandkids?
Well, we're in, we'rerecruiting them young.
Speaker 1 (44:01):
No.
Speaker 2 (44:01):
Tommy, I appreciate
it.
I've been looking forward tothis.
I love your heart.
I love the impact you have onthis state as well.
Thank you for giving me theopportunity to come.
Keep up the good work.
Speaker 1 (44:09):
Appreciate you Thanks
, everybody.