Boise State football coaching legend Tony Knap dies at 96

BY CHADD CRIPE

One of the architects of the Boise State football program’s success died Saturday night.

Tony Knap led the Broncos through the transition from junior college to four-year school.

He posted a 71-19-1 record from 1968 to 1975, the Broncos’ first eight seasons of four-year football.

The Broncos won the Big Sky Conference title in each of his last three seasons, and Knap’s winning percentage (78.6) ranks third in school history. The Broncos reached the Division II semifinals in 1973.

Knap was inducted into the Boise State Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982.

Current coach Chris Petersen has met every former Broncos coach, dating to junior college legend Lyle Smith, except Knap, who had Alzheimer’s and lived in a retirement home in Pullman, Wash. He was 96.

“It seems like the guys that, at functions, I run into are the guys that played for Lyle and Tony Knap,” Petersen said. “… I know that they all loved that guy and thought that he was an awesome, awesome coach and person.”

Smith, who was 156-26-6 at Boise Junior College, stepped down as football coach and stayed on as athletic director when the Broncos began four-year play. He hired Knap, a former teammate on the Idaho football team.

Knap had gone 25-14-1 as the head coach at Utah State from 1963 to 1966. He spent the 1967 season coaching in the Canadian Football League, Smith said.

Knap’s Boise State stars included quarterback Jim McMillan, the only Bronco with a retired number, and record-setting wide receivers Don Hutt and Mike Holton.

“Tony had a great mind for offensive football,” Smith told the Idaho Statesman on Monday. “He opened up the game. He split the guys out all over the field. They threw the ball and made it interesting. It was a change from the old head-knocking days.”

Knap, who originally was from Milwaukee, began his career as an Idaho high school coach. He coached in California before taking an assistant job at Utah State.

After Boise State, he posted a 47-20-2 record from 1976 to 1981 at UNLV, where he also is remembered as one of the school’s greatest coaches. His career college record: 143-53-4.

Knap lived in Pullman with his wife, Mickey. They celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in April. He still had fond memories of his coaching career despite his disease.

Former Boise State player Ivan Rounds of Potlatch visited Knap at the retirement home every three or four weeks. He was a redshirt on Knap’s last Boise State team.

Knap frequently asked Rounds how Smith was doing. He also enjoyed talking about Potlatch, where Knap landed one of his first coaching jobs.

Rounds needed to remind Knap that he was from Potlatch every time he visited.

“He would light right up,” Rounds said. “He would remember the house he lived in, his neighbors. He would describe things that are still there.”

As a player, Rounds remembers Knap walking through the locker room and asking players about their family members by name.

“He was such a gentleman,” Rounds said. “… He took the time to ask about everybody, and I think he was genuinely interested.”

Read more: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/09/27/1817326/bsu-coaching-legend-knap-dies.html#ixzz1Z9diAxF2

Bronco history of every kind is just as important as Bronco present, it’s through the past that new and old can come together to forge ahead and continue the growth of Bronco Nation.

Some that write for news organization are just plumb lazy.

Tale Bob Lewis of Oklahoma’s news on 6

Should Boise State go to Big 12?

Now that the Big 12 is down to nine teams, the behind-closed-doors chatter to try and coax another team into the league will begin in earnest. I’ve heard a lot of suggestions over the past few weeks. Here are my thoughts on some of them:

BOISE STATE

Who better to compare the Broncos’ chances in the Big 12 than Tulsa head coach Bill Blankenship, who just played OSU, OU and Boise State in a 4-week span. I share his thoughts on the Broncos chances:

“Boise State, I believe, could play with (OU and OSU) any given day. I don’t think they are as talented as either of them. Boise State is a very good football team. They’re extremely well coached and they’re a very tough, disciplined football team”.

If Bill thinks they fit, they probably do. I understand that there is more that goes into this decision than just on-field performance. Boise is really small. I doubt they’d be invited.

Yep on such a large issue that’s about all he had to profer on the subject and to think the guy gets paid to not research and write such drival?

Should we all help educate Mr. Lewis about the happening around the blue turf, like the new Backetball ficilities or the new track that will allow the dig out of the old track to lower the blue field and increas seating while bring the fans closer to the action?

Or how about the growth of research facilities on campus. Here’s a link to the fool if you decide to give him some advise. bob lewis

Nevada football: Ault confident in playing both quarterbacks

n 2007, quarterback Colin Kaepernick, then a redshirt freshman, made his first career start for the Wolf Pack in a road game at Boise State.

Four years later, another Nevada redshirt freshman quarterback, Cody Fajardo, could do the same thing when the Wolf Pack plays the Broncos on Saturday.

But it appears nobody — not the fans, the media or even Fajardo himself — will know who’s starting at quarterback for Nevada until shortly before kickoff.

Wolf Pack coach Chris Ault said he needs more time to see how both Fajardo and Tyler Lantrip practice and won’t name a starter until Friday at the earliest. But Ault said both Fajardo and Lantrip will play against the Broncos.

“We’ll make that decision at the end of the week,” Ault said. “The starter is going to be the starter, and both guys are going to contribute based on how we feel they can manufacture our system in certain situations. Cody clearly closed the gap and is challenging and making a nice push for that position.”

Fajardo had a breakout performance in Nevada’s game last Saturday at Texas Tech. He completed 4-of-6 passes for 59 yards and one touchdown. He also had 10 carries for 139 yards and two touchdowns.

Lantrip, who started the first three games, also performed well against the Red Raiders, completing 11-of-18 passing for 191 yards and one touchdown.

“I was really pleased by both of them,” Ault said. “I thought they did an outstanding job of managing the offense. That’s the first and probably most important thing. I thought they both executed in terms of what we were trying to do with each one of them. They’ll both be a part of this offense. Both of them will play this Saturday. Regardless of what’s going to happen, they both have to be an integral part of this offense.”

Ault promised he would not use a traditional “two-quarterback system,” but said he expects both Fajardo and Lantrip to see playing time for the rest of the season. The veteran coach said he’d like to settle in on a starter, but also use the backup in certain situational plays to take advantage of their different strengths.

Even if Fajardo wins the starting job, Ault said the senior Lantrip would not be glued to the bench.

“Let me tell you this, so we’re all clear,” Ault said. “Whether Tyler Lantrip is the starter or not, Tyler Lantrip will play this year. We have invested in him. He has invested in us. He’s going to be a part of our offense all year long, whether that is as a starter, full-time starter, backup, it doesn’t matter. He’s not going away because I don’t want him going away. He has a lot of value.”

Both Fajardo and Lantrip said it would be difficult to find a rhythm if they are toggled into and out of the game, but neither complained about the situation.

“It’s nice to be out there and get in a groove and kind of settle down,” Lantrip said. “Going in and out, back and forth is tough. But at the same time, I just have to be focused on the things I have to do and make plays.”

Said Fajardo: “It’s a little tough, but if it’s what’s best for the team.”

Ault said he should be able to find a niche for both players given their different skill set.

Fajardo’s dual-threat ability is a perfect fit for the Wolf Pack’s read-option Pistol attack. And Ault called Lantrip “the whole package” because of his strong throwing arm, knowledge of the offense and passable running ability.

Ault switched between Fajardo and Lantrip throughout Nevada’s game against Texas Tech, with the Wolf Pack offense having its strongest game of the season.

Lantrip started against the Red Raiders before being relieved by Fajardo, who led three of the team’s four touchdowns drives. But the Wolf Pack closed with Lantrip on the final two series after Fajardo injured his left shoulder. While Fajardo was medically cleared to re-enter the game, Ault decided to stay with Lantrip, who led one touchdown drive and got the team in position for a pair of short field-goal attempts.

“We’ve got to utilize both of them,” Ault said. “These guys have paid their dues to the company, and I’m going to make sure that the company takes care of them to a degree. Not to the point where we’re going to lose football games, but to the point that they can be a part of this football team.”