A recent article in the Idaho Statesman rips into Boise State Head Coach Greg Graham for his lack of motivation – both in the community and with his team. This is crazy – it would be one thing if his team was struggling – but they’re not! Currently the Broncos are 16-7 (6-4 WAC) and coming off of a 25-9 season last year. I really don’t understand why the coach is getting blasted here. Two points bother me.

1. The average attendance for games in Taco Bell Arena is 3,032 – why is this blamed on Graham? He does a poor job of motivating the community? That’s a ridiculous statement – if anything, it’s the schools job to handle the promotions etc. Also, it’s Boise, Idaho – not exactly a major metropolis.

2. Graham gets bashed for giving his team orange t-shirts with the letters NRG before the Fresno State game. This was used as a reminder for them to bring energy to the game. I think this is a great idea. Anyone who has ever coached know that there are times when gimmicks are needed. Even if it didn’t work (they lost 88-82 at Fresno), at least he tried.

This show how tough it is to coach at the DI level – there is a ton of pressure – and stories like this don’t make it easier. Graham is 124-89 in his 6-plus seasons at Boise State and deserves better than this.

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