Boise State football: Broncos promote Andy Avalos to defensive coordinator

While Boise State is still searching for their offensive coordinator, the Broncos waited well less than 24 hours after Marcel Yates left for defensive coordinator at Arizona to name his replacement in Andy Avalos.

BREAKING: Andy Avalos has been promote to defensive coordinator at #BoiseState.

— Jay Tust (@KTVBSportsGuy) January 18, 2016

Avalos is a Boise State alum -- as have been Yates and previous offensive coordinator Mike Sanford -- has spent the previous two seasons coaching the linebackers and prior to that two years coaching the defensive line position.

"I am thankful to Coach Harsin and Boise State for this opportunity," Avalos said. "It is an awesome challenge that I couldn't be more excited to be taking on. The Bronco Way has shaped me as a person, a player and a coach, and it is an unbelievable honor to now be able to share that same thing with our current and future players.

"Defensively, we will continue to build with the key players we return, and focus on developing our young guys. I can't wait to get in the meeting room and on the field with our players."

Head coach Bryan Harsin noted that promoting within the program is a way to help keep continuity.

"One of the trademarks of our program has been the ability to hire from within and have coaches who are  ready to take the next step, and who understand our culture and our commitment to winning both on the field and off," Harsin said. "We have one of those in Andy Avalos, who will be our new defensive coordinator."

This is a move that clearly states Avalos was a coach that Harsin felt could handle running a defense, and in his relatively short years coaching the defensive line and linebacker units have shined.

The Boise State defense has been at the top of the Mountain West ranking third in 2013, first in 2012 and first in 2011 in yards per game. Specifically, that linebacking group has been one of the best in the conference and considered as a unit one of the better one's in the country. Avalos was a big part in that defensive success working under Yates.

Avalos, played linebacker while at Boise State and was a four-year letterwinner for the Broncos, where he earned first-team All-Western Athletic Conference honors at outside linebacker in his junior and senior seasons. He is Boise State's fourth all-time leading tackler with 365, and led the team in tackles in each of his final three years.

"He is more than ready for this as a leader, teacher and motivator of young men," Harsin added. "He brings a passion and intensity for the game that will set the tone for us defensively."