Boise State's Chris Petersen: 7 Reasons He Is the Best Coach in College Football

By now the world of college football knows the name Chris Petersen.  He has been at the helm of the Boise State Broncos football program since 2006.  In that time, Coach Pete, as he is known around Boise, has amassed a gaudy 63-5 record after taking over for Dan Hawkins, who chose to leave Boise State for the head coaching job at the University of Colorado.

Since putting on the headset at BSU, Petersen has lead his squads to undefeated seasons in 2006 and 2009, both capped by amazing Fiesta Bowl victories.  The victory over Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl is considered by many as one of the greatest college football games ever played.

Petersen has skippered his teams to four WAC Championships, a 38-2 overall WAC record and at least 10 wins every season since 2006.  His teams have finished in the top 25 four out of the five years, and his winning percentage is tops in the sport over that same time period.  Add to that the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award as the national coach of the year twice (2006 and 2009) as well as the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award in 2010, and I would say you have the makings of a legend.

My personal opinion is that Chris Petersen is the greatest coach in college football today.  And what is it that makes him so successful?  What is it that makes him great?

Well, I can come up with at least seven reasons.

Reason No. 1: Focus

Chris Petersen has an amazing ability many of us wish we had.  He is able to focus his attention where it needs to be focused, no matter what might be going on all around him.  Not only that, but he knows how to keep others focused as well.  Coach Pete does not allow himself, his staff or his players to look beyond the next challenge. 

A great example of this came just last week.  In light of the NCAA placing Boise State on three years' probation and the loss of nine scholarships and practices, Petersen released a statement through the university that said, “Like [BSU President Bob] Kustra, I was surprised by the findings. I am also disappointed. However, it will not have an impact on our on-field efforts. At this time we are completely focused on winning Friday’s game at Toledo.”

No matter what is going on—conference realignment, BCS Polls, suspensions, probation, talking heads or even accolades or compliments—Coach Petersen doesn't allow himself or anyone around him to lose focus on the task at hand. 

Boise State 40, Toledo 15. 

Reason No. 2: Recruiting

Some say recruiting is an art, others say it's a science.  I think Petersen combines the two. 

Coach Pete has certain criteria when looking for a young man to be part of his program.  He calls this criteria "our kind of guy."  There is a certain type of person that fits Petersen's system—his assistant coaches all know it, and so do the players.  "Our kind of guy" is a way to judge a recruit to see if he fits that system. 

First, not only must the recruit be a great athlete, but he must also be a person of good character.  Petersen puts a lot of emphasis on this area.  He wants the type of young man who is confident, yet teachable; passionate, yet humble.

Second criterion for an OKG: He must be committed to his education and representing the university and the program with his best efforts in the class room.   

Next, he must have a purpose for playing the game.  That purpose could be the love of the game.  It could be deep rooted passion for victory.  It might even be a chip on the shoulder of a young man who has been overlooked and undervalued by others. Whatever the case, there must be a reason, a purpose, a cause.

Lastly, each recruit must translate that personal cause and purpose into the team environment.  At Boise State, they are part of a "blue collar" family that places the good of the team over individual accolades and recognition. 

Reason No. 3: Motivation

Petersen is a master motivator, and it really shouldn't come as any surprise.

Something some of you might not realize about Coach Petersen is that he has a B.A. In psychology and a Masters in education from UC Davis, which tells me this man might know a thing or two about how to teach and motivate a group of young men.

He approaches each game—and probably every practice—as a cerebral lesson plan finely crafted for his class of blue collar intellectuals. 

Reason No. 4: Momentum

Carpe diem is an often over used Latin aphorism, and it simply means "seize the day."  Well, Coach Pete has done this and then some.

Petersen has used this amazing, once in a lifetime opportunity to take himself, his assistant coaches, his players, the university, the fans, the city of Boise, the state of Idaho and all others who have hopped on board to new heights.  Petersen is a smart man, as mentioned previously, and it seems to me that he has had the foresight to use the energy, popularity and inspiration of the Boise State football program to accomplish some amazing things. 

Under his relatively short history, Petersen has elevated the head coaching job at Boise State to the level of many other major universities.  He has pushed for and received a salary increase that is on par with many other major programs.  Not only that, but he used his clout to do the same thing for his assistant coaches. 

Petersen was also instrumental in pushing for facility improvements, which have included an impressive addition to Bronco Stadium in the form of the Stueckle Sky Center, and future plans are moving ahead to expand Bronco Stadium to more than 50,000 seats. 

Reason No. 5: Trust, Respect

When asked about what he thought when Petersen replaced Dan Hawkins, then-sophmore running back Ian Johnson, most famous for scoring on Statue Left against Oklahoma and then proposing to his cheerleader girlfriend, said the following:

"

We trusted him and knew he was going to take care of us. We knew he was a great person. He was going to recruit people just like himself. We waited for him to get everybody here and he got in the perfect people.

"

This pretty much sums up how most people who know Chris Petersen think of him.  He is very well respected and trusted around Boise and the university, and he continues to earn that reputation on a daily basis. 

Reason No. 6: Contentment

At first glance, you might think contentment on the part of a college football coach would be a bad thing.  After all, if a person is content, doesn't that mean that he/she might stop striving to improve or succeed at a higher level?  Well, yes.  

However, that is not the kind of contentment I am referring to.  

Petersen is content with his situation, but that does not mean he is complacent.  In a world that is dominated by the coaching carousel, Petersen has chosen to sit tight.  It's not like he hasn't had offers, Stanford being the latest.  However, year after year, rumor after rumor, Petersen still walks the sidelines of Bronco Stadium. 

So, the question remains: Why?

When asked about leaving Boise for a "better job," Peterson laughed and said, "What people don't realize is that Boise is the better job."  

He went on to talk about what a great place Boise is,and that people who know about it realize what a special place it is. 

There may come a day when Petersen leaves Boise State, but I don't see that day coming anytime soon. 

Reason No. 7: He's an OKG Himself

That OKG ("our kind of guy") philosophy is really only a reflection of the coach himself. 

Petersen is a man of character and integrity.  He works hard and has a passion for what he does.  He inspires and encourages everyone around him.

I think this is probably rooted in the fact that Petersen is a classic underdog. He was once an undersized college quarterback at UC Davis, and you can't tell me that hasn't helped him with his toolbox of motivation.  He knows first hand what many of his overlooked and underestimated players are feeling and thinking.  

He has a knack for recruiting guys with that same kind of twinkle we see in his own eyes, and I truly believe that this is the biggest key to his success.  He finds guys that are just like him, and he uses the lessons of life and football he has learned to make them better.  He motivates them at their deepest level because he knows what makes them tick. 

Petersen is smart, hard working, underestimated, calm, methodical, humble, efficient,
ethical, passionate and amazing. 

Now, compare that same list of attributes to current Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore. 

You see what I mean? 

I just hope when Petersen does decide to retire from football, leaving Boise State after a long successful career, that Moore will be ready for his first head coaching job.