Rice to be a Bronco

Good evening. Back with more on Leon Rice’s decision to take the head coaching job at Boise State.

Rice interviewed for the job earlier this week and I figured he was definitely in the mix when he didn’t return phone messages over the last three days! This was one of the more hush-hush searches I can remember with BSU and the primary candidates declining to discuss the opening publicly.

My unedited article below touches on some of the challenges Rice will face at BSU, but there’s additional background information from the Idaho Statesman here, here, here and here.

The Broncos have seven seniors and three starters returning, so Rice (pictured with head coach Mark Few) won’t be starting from scratch. BSU was 15-17 last season.

By Jim Meehan

jimm@spokesman.com; (208) 765-7131

Gonzaga associate head coach Leon Rice has accepted an offer to become the head coach at Boise State, multiple sources confirmed.

Rice joined Gonzaga’s basketball staff shortly after Mark Few was promoted from assistant coach to head coach in 1999. Rice was promoted to associate head coach in 2007.

Rice was offered the BSU job Wednesday night and accepted the position Thursday afternoon, sources said. He will replace Greg Graham, who was fired after compiling a 142-112 record in eight years. The Broncos were 15-17 last season and averaged just 3,061 fans per home game at 12,380-seat Taco Bell Arena.

Under Graham, BSU advanced to the postseason three times: one NCAA Tournament, one NIT and one CBI. Graham’s annual salary was $362,500.

Rice was one of at least three candidates to interview at Boise State. The others were Portland head coach Eric Reveno and former Montana coach Larry Krystkowiak.

Rice is the second assistant coach from Few’s staff to land a head coaching position. Bill Grier took over as head coach at San Diego three years ago. Rice turned down an offer to become the University of Idaho’s head coach in 2006.

Rice was generally considered the favorite to be the next head coach at Gonzaga if Few were to move on to another job. With Rice accepting the BSU job, it could be an indication that Few, who is reportedly high on Oregon’s list of candidates, plans on staying at Gonzaga.

Rice was apparently en route to Boise with his family for an official press conference that could come as early as today. Rice didn’t return phone messages Wednesday or Thursday.

Rice entered the coaching profession in 1987 as an assistant for the Pasco High boys’ team. He was on Don Monson’s staff at Oregon from 1988-92. After three seasons assisting at Northern Colorado, Rice became an assistant at Yakima Valley College in 1995. He was YVC’s co-head coach with Dean Nicholson in 1998 and was the head coach in 1999, leading Yakima Valley to a school-record 31 wins.