Broncos hire new O-line coach

When a program loses its offensive line coach after the best season in school history, what's the best-case scenario? Have that guy's predecessor come back. But it's interesting how this has all shaken out. With Sean Kugler going home to join the Buffalo Bills, Chris Strausser has returned to the Boise State staff after one year with Dan Hawkins at Colorado. But Strausser will be tight ends coach and "run game coordinator", while one of his former pupils, Scott Huff, moves over to O-line coach. So what's going on here? Well, Strausser and his family were firmly bonded with the city of Boise and wanted to get back. There you go.

Chris Petersen talked about Strausser's return yesterday on Idaho SportsTalk. Petersen called the re-hire a "slam-dunk, no-brainer", saying Strausser is the "one guy in this country besides Sean Kugler where we can hit the ground running and not miss a beat." Pete points to not only philosophy and style but chemistry, probably the most important word in the BSU football dictionary. As far as the move to tight ends goes, Petersen says Strausser wants to spread his wings with "probably the most complicated position" in the BSU offense after coaching O-lines for about 15 years.

Meanwhile, the fact that BSU held onto all of its highly-touted offensive line recruits Wednesday despite the sudden departure of Kugler just magnifies the big picture. The Bronco program is a total package right now, and recruits buy into that. And the sidebar to National Letter of Intent Day for BSU: here's a team that lost 22 seniors off an undefeated team, and it brings in just one junior college transfer (safety Garcia Day). The Broncos are in a cycle of recruiting classes that can perpetuate their amazing run, now entering its ninth year.