The plan was never for defensive coordinator Andy Avalos to spend his entire coaching career at Oregon. The budding star has seen his stock rise over the past few seasons, and it was only a matter of time before schools with head coaching openings came calling.
That time is now. Auburn recently hired former Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin to fill its coaching vacancy, which now makes Avalos one of the top candidates to replace Harsin at Boise State, according to numerous outlets. This should come as a surprise to no one. Avalos both coached for and played at Boise, he has led elite defenses at multiple stops, and he’s a very enthusiastic recruiter. Avalos should be a coaching candidate for many programs, but specifically for the Broncos, considering his ties to the school.
Avalos could soon be on the move.
Although Mario Cristobal brushed aside the Avalos-to-Boise rumors, saying there was “nothing to report” in a recent interview, there’s no doubt that the Broncos are at least going to strongly consider making a push for Avalos, if they haven’t already. In fact, Dennis Dodd recently reported that Avalos is one of the top-two names to watch in the Boise State coaching search.
No one would fault Avalos if he does end up leaving the Ducks to coach his Alma Mater. But it would leave Oregon with the difficult task of replacing one of its coordinators for the second straight season.
This is the season of speculation, and of course, until further notice, Avalos is focused on slowing down Breece Hall and the talented Iowa State offense. But hypothetically speaking, if the Fiesta Bowl does end up being Avalos’s last game in green and yellow, who are some candidates to replace him? Can Cristobal and company find a good enough replacement to keep the defense from bottoming out, or would Avalos’s departure be a crippling blow to an Oregon defense that could benefit from continuity?
Joshua Whitted
Morgantown, West Virginia
Top Photo by Kevin Cline
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Joshua is an adopted Duck fanatic, originally hailing from southwestern Pennsylvania. His love for the University of Oregon began as a young child when he became mesmerized by the flashy uniforms and explosive offenses of the Chip Kelly era, and now, he follows the team religiously. His fondest memory of the team is seeing De’Anthony Thomas race past Wisconsin defenders back in the 2012 Rose Bowl. A true football enthusiast, Joshua loves studying the intricacies of the game, and he aspires to become a professional sports journalist. Joshua now resides in Morgantown, West Virginia where he works in customer service. When he’s not watching Oregon replays, Joshua loves reading, writing, and spending time with his family. Contact: whittedjd@gmail.com