How Hot is the Coaching Seats in the Mountain West Conference?

The Mountain West Conference will enter the 2011 season without two of their powerhouse football programs, Brigham Young University and the University of Utah, as they head for proverbial greener pastures.
The Boise State Broncos will take the place of one of those teams and is expected to battle TCU for the top spot in the conference.


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 Another battle which will take place this season is who will lose their job first? While the coaches at the top of the conference are relatively safe, the bottom half of the conference could be hoping for at least a mediocre season in order for them to have another year to work on what has or has not been working.

National Football Authority takes a look at who is safe and who could be handed the pink slip when the 2011 college football season comes to an end.

Air Force - Troy Calhoun
Coaching Record: Overall - (34-18) Bowls - (2-2)
After winning five of their first six games, the only loss coming against the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman, it looked like Falcons' head coach Troy Calhoun had his team on the right track. A track which could take them to the top of the Mountain West Conference.

Unfortunately, Air Force would drop their next three games against San Diego State, TCU, and Utah before winning three straight against Army, New Mexico, and UNLV to close out the 2010 regular season schedule.

A 14-7 win over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the Independence Bowl ended Air Force's season on a high note with a 9-4 overall record. Their best record since Calhoun's first season as head coach in 2007.

It's not easy being the coach who replaced Fisher DeBerry. Those are big shoes to fill.

Hot Seat Status: Cool (there will never be another Fisher DeBerry)

Boise State - Chris Petersen
Coaching Record: Overall - (61-5) Bowls - (3-2)
I don't think I need to say much about the head coach at Boise State University, but I will anyway.

Since Petersen came on the scene in 2006, replacing departed head coach Dan Hawkins, the Broncos have been a mid-major powerhouse. How many coaches do you know who can put up 61 wins in five seasons including two unbeaten and two one-loss seasons?

He is one of the more sought after coaches in college football, just ask Stanford who thought they were going to be the one team who was going to be able to pry him away from Boise, Idaho.

Surprisingly, Petersen decided to remain with Boise State and could be looking at an even more lucrative job somewhere down the line.

Hot Seat Status: Ice Cold (colder than Alaska in winter-cold)


Colorado State - Steve Fairchild
Coaching Record: Overall - (13-24) Bowls - (1-0)
Steve Fairchild, before being named the head coach at Colorado State, was known as the starting quarterback for the Rams in 1980.

After Sonny Lubick was fired by the school in a controversial decision, Fairchild came back to his alma mater to take over the head coaching duties.

Unfortunately for Fairchild, things have not exactly gone any better for him in three seasons at the helm than Lubick's final two years.

While the Rams would win land a bowl bid in the first season under Fairchild, a 40-35 win over Fresno State, they have finished their last two seasons with a 6-18 record.

Hot Seat Status: Warm (and getting warmer)


New Mexico - Mike Locksley
Coaching Record: Overall - (2-22) Bowls - (N/A)
Mike Locksley has to be wondering how much worse this could possibly go for his coaching tenure at New Mexico.

Since taking over for Rocky Long, who left New Mexico after leading the team to five bowl games in his final seven seasons, the New Mexico Lobos have been the whipping post for just about every college football team they faced.

After two seasons, Locksley is staring at back-to-back 1-11 seasons and a possibility the school is running short on patience. Whether it is a recruiting problem or scheduling teams too tough for them to be playing, something has to change-soon.

The Lobos do not have quite the schedule they faced in 2010 so maybe things will not be as painful this time around.

Coaching Hot Seat: Boiling


San Diego State - Rocky Long
Coaching Record: Overall - (65-69) Bowls - (1-4)
The San Diego State Aztecs seemed to be on the right track and under the leadership of a head coach who believed in this team and it showed.

Quarterback Ryan Lindley and true freshman running back Ronnie Hillman put their stamp on the Aztecs football team, showing the Mountain West Conference they were going to be a player from here on out.

Then, just as fast as the good news continued to roll in, head coach Brady Hoke departed San Diego to return to his alma mater and took the head coaching gig for the Michigan Wolverines. Just like that, the Aztecs were left without their head man and needed answers in a hurry.

Rocky Long took the position, coming from the University of New Mexico, leaving one Mountain West team to another. He comes in with a team already built for success and will only need to keep that rolling. Time will tell if he is the right man for the job.

Coaching Hot Seat: Cold (at least for now)


TCU - Gary Patterson
Coaching Record: Overall - (98-28) Bowls - (6-4)
When you talk about TCU head coach Gary Patterson you talk about success and you talk about greatness. Next to Boise State head coach Chris Petersen, Patterson is one of those coaches who just about every other Division-I team would love to have.

Say what you want about the players who have come through the TCU program during Patterson's tenure, the head coach has become a recruiting tool in himself. High school players who are trying to decide where to go only have to look as far as who is coaching the team and the success that coach has had to make their decision so much easier.

Since the team made the transition from Conference USA to the Mountain West, they have had just one season with less than 10 wins (2007). Take that one season away and Patterson's teams have finished with a combined record of 58-6 over the last six seasons including five wins in six bowl appearances.

Coaching Hot Seat: Freezing Cold (top of Mt. Everest-cold)


UNLV - Bobby Hauck
Coaching Record: Overall - (88-28, 2-11 at UNLV) Bowls - (NA)
Bobby Hauck did not exactly get off to the kind of start he would have hoped for in his first season as the head coach at UNLV. The team finished with a disappointing 2-11 record, the only two wins coming against New Mexico and Wyoming who had a combined 4-20 record last season.

Hauck's success at Montana (80-17) did not translate to a Division-I program but there is no doubt they will give him at least three to four years to try to turn this team into a contender year in and year out.

While he has a long way to go, Hauck will be up to the challenge.

Coaching Hot Seat: Cool


Wyoming - Dave Christensen
Coaching Record: Overall - (10-15) Bowls - (1-0)
Dave Christensen ended his first year as a head coach with a surprising 35-28 win in the 2009 New Mexico Bowl against Fresno State. Though it meant finishing with a 7-6 record, a bowl win was completely unexpected.

One might thing, with that kind of momentum, the Cowboys might carry it into the 2010 season. Unfortunately it didn't quite go down that way.

The 2010 squad finishing with a disappointing 3-7 record including just one win in conference.

One bad season does not spell doom for Christensen as he heads into his third year at the helm but another losing record might turn up the heat just a little bit more.

Coaching Hot Seat: Lukewarm (wow it's getting warm in here)


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TCU Takes Aim at Boise State in Their Final Year in the Mountain West Conference

The TCU Horned Frogs and the Boise State Broncos will finally battle in a game that does not have a BCS logo on the field. Both schools will play one season as conference foes in the Mountain West Conference before TCU ships off to the Big East for the 2012 season.

Three years ago, these two teams would meet in San Diego for the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl in a game that did not really mean all that much to either team. Not to say either team wanted to prove a point, it just was not the kind of bowl either of these teams were hoping for at the end of the season.



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Mid-way through the first half the Broncos had held TCU scoreless before Aaron Brown scored on a 16-yard touchdown run to pull the Horned Frogs to within six, 13-7, at the half.

It seemed to be the momentum TCU needed. Their defense stepped up and held Boise State to just three points in the second half and pulled out a 17-16 win.

Just over a year later, these two teams would face each other again. This time it would pit the two mid-major teams against each other in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl. It was the first time in BCS history that a mid-major team, Boise State, would get an at large bid to play in a BCS bowl game.

Just like in the Poinsettia Bowl, Boise State jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead but would give up a late touchdown to TCU quarterback Andy Dalton with under a minute left in the first half. This game was shaping up to go exactly the same way as the Poinsettia Bowl had gone.

By the end of the third quarter TCU had tied the game, 10-10, and looked to be on their way to beating Boise State in a bowl game for the second straight year.

The Broncos were not about to let that happen. After a Doug Martin touchdown to give the Broncos a 17-10 lead, their defense would do the rest shutting TCU down for the remainder of the game and allowing Boise State to walk away with their second Fiesta Bowl victory, 17-10.

After two bowl games and a combined 60 points between these two teams, you would have to think that a conference showdown between TCU and Boise State would be one to watch. The Broncos can play the underdog all they want but it's TCU who wants to play spoiler in more ways than one.

After the departure of the Utah Utes to the PAC-12 and BYU going independent, TCU was the only big time team left in the Mountain West Conference. Rumors began to spread that the Horned Frogs were looking for greener pastures of their own.

Some thought the WAC and Mountain West would join forces once again to create one big conference in order to chase an automatic BCS berth. Others believed the MWC was wooing such schools as Houston, SMU, and others to try and keep the Horned Frogs from jumping ship.

After bringing on Boise State and following that up with Fresno State, Nevada, and Hawaii, all from the Western Athletic Conference, it looked like the MWC was going to get their wish and would be able to keep TCU close to home.

However, the Big East came calling with their automatic BCS bid and TCU could not resist the temptation of playing in a BCS bowl game year in and year out. It would benefit the program, and the school itself, in a lot of ways. It was more than enough to convince them to sign on the dotted line, allowing them to look forward to things to come.

So, in 2011, TCU and Boise State will battle as conference foes for the first and last time. A rivalry, though a small one, has begun between these two teams and this game may hold implications for not only further showdowns but also with bragging rights.

As the Horned Frogs finish up their final season as members of the Mountain West Conference, they can end their time by stealing victories and the conference championship trophy. Taking it with them to their new conference, thumbing their nose the whole way.

Their conference has already stolen from them, taking their home game against Boise State and handing it to the Broncos instead. The phrase "don't poke an angry dog with a stick," is exactly what the athletic directors from around the conference did by taking the home game away from the veteran and handing it to the rookie.

TCU wants to be the one to laugh last and laugh the longest. They would like nothing more than to throw a blowout on the Broncos and yelling out "how do you like us now" while boarding the team bus.

This could be an epic battle between these two super power mid-major programs and two already legendary coaches, Chris Petersen and Gary Patterson.

Boise State might get the most national attention, both good and bad, but TCU has waited a long time for their chance in the spotlight.

After their battle on November 12th, someone might end up writing a book titled, "The Silence of the Broncos."


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Chris Petersen, Not Jim Harbaugh Should Be Michigan's Top Candidate

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Boise State is one of the most hated programs in Division 1-A college football. No matter which state you travel to or how many fans you talk to there isn’t one person who doesn’t know, or despise, Boise State.

It’s not the winning they hate and it’s not even the blue turf, though some might have that high on their list, it’s the lack of a strong schedule year in and year out.

You can talk about their Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma and you can even talk about their win over Oregon to kick off the 2009 season. But there are as many people who credit the Broncos with those wins as discredit them as overrated.

We can sit here and debate Boise State until we’re blue in the face, no pun intended, but there is one man with ties to Boise State that gets a lot of respect outside the city of Boise and the Western Athletic Conference.

Boise State’s head coach, Chris Petersen.

That name seems to come up with just about every coaching vacancy that seems to open each and every year in college football no matter where it is.

When the Florida job came open after Urban Meyer decided to step down Petersen’s name immediately hit the rumor mill. Some, myself included, were almost sure he was the number one candidate and shoe-in for the job.

That’s why we were all shocked when the Florida athletic director introduced long time Texas Longhorns defensive coordinator Will Muschamp as their new head coach.

Now, with the Florida job filled as well as the University of Miami, there’s one job that everyone is looking at and one that most believe is already filled. The University of Michigan.

Ever since head coach Rich Rodriguez made the move from West Virginia to Ann Arbor his time was already ticking away. The Wolverine fans weren’t fond of him right from the start and it didn’t take long for them to voice their opposition. The same opposition that has been heard the loudest this season.

With another disappointing season under their belt, it would almost seem like a lock that Rodriguez is about to lose his job. He even went so far as to say he would not lobby the athletic department to be able to stay.

That in itself is the biggest white flag of surrender that Rodriguez has ever sent up the flag pole. It seems like he knows his time has come to an end and he isn’t going to keep the inevitable from happening.

If the rumors are true and he is headed out the door there’s one man that most believe will be his successor, current Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh. In fact, he’s the man that seems to be the growing favorite among Wolverine fans.

But before we hand him the scepter and the keys to the Michigan kingdom, there are those of us that not only believe Harbaugh won’t be the head coach of the Wolverines but I’ll even go as far as to say he’s not the best man for the job.

Say what you want about him being an alumni of the university and a guy that has done a great job with the Stanford football program, but has he really shown the ability to handle the kind of pressure the Michigan job would come with? Stanford isn’t exactly Michigan.

Harbaugh is a coach that is capable of doing big things at the next level of college football but when we’re talking about someone that can take this team back to where it used to be, there’s only one name that needs to be mentioned.

Petersen is not your prototypical rah-rah, fire you up, kind of guy. He’s not the kind of guy that’s going to jump up and down when a big play is made.

He is an under-control, methodical, thinking two and three plays ahead kind of coach. The Wolverines don’t need to be fired up, they need to win. Now.

Before you make the argument that a coach coming from a mid-major program won’t have the same success in big-time college football, need I remind you Urban Meyer spent two seasons as the head coach of the Utah Utes before he won two national championships with the Florida Gators.

Petersen not only brings a proven track record of winning but he brings a name that most top recruits, and their families, will already be familiar with.

Where most football programs would worry about a brand new coach bringing in the right players, one would almost have to wonder if he would have to do any recruiting at all. Would the players come to him?

I have no problem with Jim Harbaugh. In fact, I’m a huge fan of his and I enjoy the kind of spirit and energy he brings to the Stanford sidelines.

But, if I’m the Michigan Wolverines and I’m looking for a guy that can take me back to the top of the Big Ten and back to a shot at the BCS National Championship, there’s only one name they need to write down.

Chris Petersen.

The Utah Utes Will Regret Waking Up Boise State

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If there's one thing Utah should have avoided it was the apparent pushing and shoving matches both teams got into during their welcome reception for the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl.

Towards the end of the reception, some of the players exchanged words and shoves and the players along with both teams had to be separated at the Hard Rock Cafe.

Utah, you're going to regret that you opened your mouth at all.

The Boise State Broncos are perhaps one of the most dangerous mid-major teams who, after a disappointing loss to a good Nevada team, might have still been doing the "feel sorry for us" attitude and hanging their heads wishing they had played that game differently. Doing that would have landed them in a BCS bowl game.

But leave it to Utah defensive end Christian Cox to wake up what was a sleeping giant. Not only did he fire his shot across the bow, but he guaranteed a win over Boise State while the team was being honored at halftime of a basketball game against Pepperdine.

According to an article on Yahoo Sports, Cox told the Utah fans, “I promise a victory against Boise State in Las Vegas. You better be there.”

Let me take you back three years when Wyoming was on this end of the guarantee then getting that used against them in a 50-0 beat down at the hands of Utah

After that game, Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham wasn't shy about taking his own shot at Wyoming's guarantee. “You open your mouth, it’s not like it just goes by the wayside. That’s not how it works. You open your mouth, you’re accountable. You are accountable for what you say and what you do. You can’t just say things and then just sweep them away.”

I will give Cox a small pass on his momentary lapse in judgement because when you're in front of the home fans and they're cheering and whistling, you get caught up in the moment. This kind of stuff happens.

Unfortunately for Utah, Boise State isn't going to think like me and isn't going to let Cox or the rest of their team off the hook for a stupid comment.

Heck, I would give him a complete pass but when teams make guarantees I usually perk right up. Only problem in this case is Utah has looked completely pathetic since they were embarrassed by TCU, 47-7, on November 6th.

To add insult to injury, the Utes will be without starting quarterback Jordan Wynn who's out after undergoing shoulder surgery and their passing defense has apparently taken the rest of the season off. Though they've been good against the run, they gave up over 500 yards passing to San Diego State and lost to a less than poor Notre Dame team just one week after losing at home to the Horned Frogs.

With all that being known, Utah should be the last team making guarantees against anyone. Perhaps Cox didn't realize just how bad they looked down the stretch and maybe he thought they were playing Wyoming again.

Whatever his excuse was, he is going to regret opening his mouth.

Broncos' head coach Chris Petersen is not the kind of guy to run up the score but after this kind of shot and seeing as it's the last game of the season, I wouldn't put it past him to put a couple more trick plays in the bag and conveniently forget the score late in the game when he punches another one in.

And oh by the way they have a quarterback, Kellen Moore, who stood on the same Heisman trophy stage with Stanford's Andrew Luck and Auburn's Cam Newton who ended up winning the award. He's kinda good.

Not only that, but they have a defense who can make anyone look like a division two or a high school team on any given day.

If Utah gives up more than 500 yards through the air against San Diego State and quarterback Ryan Lindley, just imagine what Moore will be able to do with wide receivers like Austin Pettis.

There's no question this is not the bowl game Boise State wanted. There's no question that they still feel like they deserve to be in a BCS game. But where they are is where they are and they need to make the most of it.

There might have been a letdown in store, but not when a shot has already been called and the sleeping giant has been awoken after a nap that didn't last very long.

You know how you feel when you're woken up after not getting a lot of sleep? Yeah, that's what Boise is feeling like right now. They're angry, they're bitter and they have a huge chip on their shoulder.

This might be a blowout of epic proportions. Maybe Christian Cox should have thought about what he said before he said it.

Too late.

Chris Petersen, Bob Stoops, Will Muschamp, Florida Gators and an I'm Sorry

Ok Boise State fans, I know you want to hear it so here you go. I'm sorry. The sources I had never saw this coming and neither did anyone else. I'm not making excuses, I was wrong and that's the end of it. It happens in this business unfortunately, it comes with the territory.

That being said, a big congratulations goes out to now former Texas Longhorns' offensive coordinator, Will Muschamp who officially was named the new head coach at the University of Florida.

It is a great hire for the Gators and a guy that finally deserves his own shot. We all thought he was the heir apparent to the Texas program but it seems Muschamp was growing tired of waiting and this was the perfect opportunity for him to spread his wings and take this once in a lifetime opportunity.

As for Boise State, they are breathing easier tonight as their head coach Chris Petersen will remain in Boise as their head coach.

I know this is going to sound like a "he's backtracking" but I said this to several people earlier today.

Growing up in Fresno and watching the Fresno State and Boise State rivalry, I have a tremendous amount of respect for Chris Petersen and the job he's done at Boise State. My Bulldogs, and head coach Pat Hill, could only dream of the things he's been able to accomplish there.

A part of me was hoping that loyalty won the day and that he would remain with the Broncos. It seems that has come true.

Petersen's name will come up again and it might surface with the University of Miami. There's been at least a few tweets suggesting that the Hurricanes might be going hard after him. I'm not going to say a word about that either way because I don't know a thing about that job opening. I will give my opinion and say I hope he doesn't end up there.

Florida is one thing, Miami is quite another.

Lastly, Bob Stoops was never the guy that Florida was going to land. I believed that even though there were rumors that the Gators were in negotiations with him earlier today.

He has a cush job at the University of Oklahoma and taking the gig at Florida was nothing more than a lateral move for him. I couldn't see him leaving Oklahoma and it turns out he isn't.

All in all, it's been a weird few days but when the dust settled the right guy was hired at Florida and I wish him nothing but the best. I really do hope he succeeds there because I know how much the Texas fans loved him and wished he were the guy to take over.

Again, to the Boise State fans, I was wrong and I'm happy to admit that. I know you want to call my credibility into question and that's fine. It's understandable coming from a fan base that doesn't want to lose their coach.

I hope that you can still talk sports with me and give me your opinion. I don't mind a good ole fashion debate from time to time.

Florida Gators In Talks With Bob Stoops?

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Update: 1:14pm CST - A source out of Boise told me that he'd be shocked to see Stoops take the Florida job and still believes Petersen to be the number one guy for the job.

Update: 12:25pm CST - I talked to Lisa Horne of Fox Sports on this news and she told me, "Stoops is always mentioned in any high-powered coaching job (ie, Notre Dame) and it never pans out. I also think Florida goes after a coach who has a winning record in bowls but isn't necessarily in a BCS conference. Like a Patterson, Petersen, Calhoun or Niumatalolo."

Update: 12:00pm CST - Talked to another source out of Houston that tells me it's Stoops' job if he wants it. But if not, Kevin Sumlin from Houston could become a factor.

Update: 11:57am CST - The source that has been on this story since Thursday night is not sold on the report from ESPN Insider and doesn't believe that Stoops would accept the job. He did admit that they could be wrong and stranger thing have happened, but they're not ready to accept that Stoops is the man.

Update: 11:50am CST - With Stoops coming in as the Florida head coach, it looks like Jacksonville University head coach Kerwin Bell will come in as the offensive coordinator.

Update: 11:46am CST - I talked to a source this morning who tole me "it will be Stoops." The terms of the deal aren't yet available but I'm told that Stoops should be the next head coach at the University of Florida.

So Boise State fans can breathe easy. For now.

According to rumors that have surfaced this morning, something I didn't expect to happen apparently could very well be happening.

The Florida Gators apparently are in talks with Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops to become their next head coach.

There's nothing official behind this yet and I'm still trying to find out from sources if they can confirm this, but it's already hit the rumor sheets that the two sides are in negotiations.

As of last night, a lot of people expected the Gators to name Boise State head coach Chris Petersen as their man by sometime next week but that was assuming Stoops turned the job down. Apparently, it seems that's not going to happen.

When it's confirmed, we'll break it down and I'll give my take on the hire.

Chris Petersen To Be Named Head Coach at Florida By Next Week?

Update: 11:03pm CST - I know I haven't posted any new updates but there really isn't anything new to report. However, knowing that Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore is going to be a Heisman finalist, Chris Petersen is going to give his quarterback center stage and not take away the spotlight from a player who deserves it at this point in his career.

There was, however, an interesting thought thrown out on Boise radio earlier this afternoon. Though Moore told Dan Patrick earlier today that he was coming back for his senior year, if Petersen were to leave Boise State, would Moore change his mind and head to the NFL? It's a thought to ponder...

More updates as I receive them tomorrow.

Update 5:14pm CST - Bianchi went on to say that he expects Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops to turn the Florida job down. He says Florida will go with a proven head coach and threw out the names Stoops and Petersen. If Stoops does turn them down, than Petersen is the guy that will more than likely land the job.

Update: 5:02pm CST - Terry Ford of KIDO Radio in Boise talked to Mike Bianchi with the Orlando Sentinel this afternoon who said Mullen would be a last option if the Gators get turned down by guys like Chris Petersen, Bob Stoops, and others.

Update: 3:08pm CST - According to ESPN Insider, the job is Chris Petersen's to have but only IF a former offer is turned down by Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops.

Update: 2:50pm CDT - Hearing buzz out of Boise that Chris Petersen is expected to be named the head coach at the University of Florida by Wednesday.

Update: 2:02pm CST - Contrary to Thirdage.com, a source I spoke to said the fourth person that is either scheduled to have an interview or has already had one is UConn head coach Randy Edsall.

Update: 1:58pm CST - Brady Ackerman of WGGG in Ocala, FL was on Barnhart & Durham of 790 The Zone in Atlanta this morning and confirmed there are four candidates who have either interviewed or had interviews scheduled with Florida.

Update: 1:40pm CST - I had talked earlier about a fourth name that could possibly be interviewed by the University of Florida. According to a site called ThirdAge.com, Arkansas Razorbacks' head coach Bobby Petrino is the favorite to land the job.

Update: 10:53am CST - Just heard that Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore was on the Dan Patrick Show this morning and announced he would be back for his senior season. That definitely has to make Chris Petersen think twice about leaving. Or does it?

Update: 10:47am CST - Interesting article from Mike Bianchi from the Orlando Sentinel. The headling? "Dan Mullen is not the man for Florida Gators coaching job"


I know a lot of college football fans, especially those of you in Gator country, are wanting updates on Chris Petersen and the hiring process at the University of Florida.

So, I'll keep this thread open and update it throughout the day as I receive information. I'm not going to say that Petersen is the shoe-in for the job because I don't know that yet. However, I'll give you what I do know and you can draw your own conclusions or speculate however much you feel necessary.

I talked to a source out of Atlanta this morning and received some good details on what we knew last night.

From what he tells me, he has a reliable source that confirmed Petersen did in fact interview for the job but there were interviews that either are or will take place. Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin and Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen were mentioned there was a fourth interview that could take place but he didn't have the name readily available.

Also, something being reported by a radio show out of Atlanta (Wes Durham and Tony Barnhart), if Florida was to hire Kevin Sumlin, he would apparently bring with him Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen.

While Petersen's name has been linked to Florida, this source gave me even juicier information. Chris Petersen is apparently Penn State's number one guy and they're hoping he stays at Boise State for one more year so they can go after him after the 2011 season.

Again, I'll keep updating this thread with any new information I receive.

Chris Petersen: Florida Gator Fans See Him As Number One Choice

Chris Petersen seems to be the guy that Florida Gator fans want.

How do I know that? Well, to answer that question I'll have to give a shoutout to one of the better college football fan forums in the country,  Gator Country. There's a few threads up at this moment talking about the Boise State head coach as the number on guy on Florida's radar.

The reason I like this forum as much as I do is because there aren't fans throwing wild rumors and speculation out about who the next coach is going to be. However, they do make it clear how much they would love to have Petersen as their next head coach.

I don't blame them one bit.

Since I posted the rumor of Petersen headed to Florida late last night, there's been nothing new on that front. Gator Country was also all over the fact that you could attempt to track the tail number of each of the three University of Florida planes to see where they had been. Apparently that trick is used by more than just sportswriters and bloggers like myself.

Let's think this out for a moment.

There's been a lot of talk about Dan Mullen from Mississippi State, but as fast as his name comes up it seems to either be shot down or discredited. There are some that make a great point to say that Florida can have anyone they want.  This job vacancy is perhaps the biggest job in the country and one that just about any coach in Division 1 football would kill to have.

I talked a source in Boise last night and as we exchanged thoughts about why this makes too much sense for Petersen, the more we came to the same conclusion. Petersen would be silly not to take this opportunity if in fact the Gators want him as their number one choice.

Instead of writing out each thought that was put out there by both myself and this source, I'll just number them and you can put think through them as we did when we were talking about it.

1) Boise State is headed to the Mountain West who, after losing TCU, Utah, and BYU, is nothing more than the old WAC. Not really a step up and has to be frustrating to not only the school but Petersen himself.

2) All coaches want a shot at the biggest prize in college football. For Petersen, staying at Boise State only makes him a complete long shot.

3) The Florida gig would pay him more than he's making at Boise State.

4) It's the biggest job offer he's ever going to get

5) Even though he's at a mid-major school, he's built himself a solid name around the country

6) He's already proven to be a solid recruiter and his name alone, along with being at Florida, would bring some solid recruits coming to him. He wouldn't have to sell them on much.

7) This is just me assuming, but I have to believe Florida went to Boise to meet with Petersen to talk to him about the job before he came to interview. If he really is the number one candidate, this isn't a meeting they would have over the phone.

8) If Petersen wasn't the least bit interested and was more than ok staying at Boise State, he wouldn't have interviewed for the job. If in fact that part of this story is true and Petersen did in fact interview for the job.

So with all those thoughts being out there, is this already a foregone conclusion? Maybe. Maybe not. We don't know any facts at this point other than an Orlando Sentinel writer telling a Jacksonville radio host that Petersen was interviewing for the job.

I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions because until we know any facts about this story, all we really have is assumptions and speculation.

Although, I will say that I can't imagine the Gators picking a better guy than Chris Petersen and I can't imagine him turning the job down if in fact they offer it to him.

Chris Petersen: Could the Boise State Head Coach Be Headed to Florida?

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There's no question that Boise State head coach Chris Petersen is a guy who's name will come up in just about every coaching vacancy in the country.

Florida is no exception.

When Urban Meyer resigned a few days ago, the rumor mill began to churn with just about every big name from TCU's Gary Patterson to South Carolina's Steve Spurrier taking over his old job. But what about Petersen?

This is a head coach who has done amazing things at Boise State and has carried their football team to BCS bowls and unbeaten, dominant seasons. He's done enough to make his team one of the most hated, or loved, football teams in the country.

Earlier this evening, I received a call from a source in Boise who told me Petersen had interviewed for the head coaching position with the Gators. Petersen is in Lake Buena Vista, Florida about 40 minutes outside Orlando, for the Home Depot College Football Awards dinner with his quarterback Kellen Moore.

I haven't been able to confirm anything but I did come across a podcast on KIDO 630 AM in Boise. Radio host Terry Ford did an interview with David Lamm of 1010XL in Jacksonville, FL earlier today. Before Ford could say anything about Petersen or the open job at Florida Lamm said, "Mike Bianchi, who's a columnist for the Orlando Sentinel, comes up to me and says did you hear that the Gators are interviewing Chris Petersen today in Orlando?"

I know the leading name that a lot of people have talked about is Dan Mullen from Mississippi State and there's even an article on Bleacher Report talking about a rumor that Mullen has accepted the job at Florida. But, as the article makes very clear, it's nothing but a rumor.

While we all have our opinions on Mullen and every other candidate that is going to be named to this gig, let's focus on Petersen and see if we can connect the dots.

The source I talked to a few hours ago had attempted to contact the Boise State Sports Information Director earlier this afternoon for a comment but had yet to get a response. Normally, if a school wants to deny a report and do so emphatically, like Nebraska athletic director Tom Osbourne did when rumors surfaced Miami was looking at Bo Pelini, they would do so quickly.

That denial hasn't come.

There's also a little trick that sports writers have used in the past to track the whereabouts of a certain school's athletic director or athletic department.

If you've neve visited a site called FlightAware.com, you can put in a tail number of an aircraft and track where it's been and where it's scheduled to go next.

As for the University of Florida has three different aircrafts, two of the flight aware's are turned off and the third shows no status after 12/3/2010.

While that might not mean much to the normal every day reader, it's fishy to the writers who have been doing this for a long time. It was actually a tip given to me by a nationally known writer when I spoke to them earlier tonight.

I know there are a lot of college football fans, especially in the south, who question Petersen's ability to coach in the Southeastern Conference. But let's not forget, that same thing was said about Urban Meyer when he was hired by Florida from the University of Utah after just two seasons with the Utes.

While I'm in no way saying Petersen is Florida's lead guy, I think it's the right time and the absolute right job for him to take if he were in any way interested.

This story will play out over the coming days but I wonder just how long Florida is going to wait before they announce their next head coach.

Will it be Dan Mullen from Mississippi State or will it be Chris Petersen from Boise State?

Let the speculation begin.