Coach Chris Petersen ready to become Boise State's $2 million man

Boise State sent football coach Chris Petersen out on the recruiting trail Wednesday with a powerful message for prospects.

Petersen has agreed to a new five-year, $12 million contract, the school announced shortly after the State Board of Education approved the initial raise. The details will be worked out over the next month and the contract submitted to the State Board for approval at its Feb. 15-16 meeting.

Contract talks began about two months ago and the school asked the State Board to give preliminary approval at a special meeting for recruiting purposes. Recruiting re-opened Wednesday after a 16-day dead period.

Petersen?s name has been linked in the media to several openings this year, including the still-vacant post at Penn State.

President Bob Kustra didn?t speak at Wednesday?s meeting but did talk to the board members during an executive session last Friday.

?President Kustra had stated that when Mr. Petersen is going out to meet with families and potential recruits he wanted to make sure that they knew that Mr. Petersen has the full support of the university,? said Matt Freeman, the deputy director and chief fiscal officer for the board.

The contract will be the fourth since Petersen became the Broncos? head coach in 2006. His current deal also was tweaked twice in 2011.

At $2 million, Petersen would be the highest-paid coach at a public school outside the automatic-qualifying conferences in 2012, based on last year?s salary survey by USA Today. He also would be the third-highest-paid coach in the Big East, the conference the Broncos join in 2013.

Petersen is 73-6 in six seasons with four Top 10 finishes, four conference titles, two Fiesta Bowl championships and three national coach of the year awards. The Broncos have won seven more games during his tenure than any other program in the country, according to ESPN.

Kustra told the board that the new contract was a proactive step by the university and not at the coach?s request, Freeman said.

?Chris is a national role model for football coaches across the nation and it is my fondest hope that he will provide that leadership from Boise State for years to come,? Kustra said Wednesday in a written statement.

Added Petersen, in the same release: ?I feel honored and blessed that I will continue to lead this football team. I appreciate the support of the administration and Bronco Nation, and I?m excited about the continued growth of this program.?

Petersen?s new deal calls for a $2 million base compensation package in 2012. He will receive a $200,000 raise in each of the next four years, topping out at $2.8 million in 2016.

His buyout increases to $750,000, a $100,000 bump.

Under his current contract, Petersen was set to receive $1.625 million in 2012 with $100,000 raises to $2.025 million in 2016.

Over those five years, his new contract is worth $2.875 million more.

The new contract also will include incentives that haven?t been released yet.

ASSISTANTS GET RAISES, TOO

Boise State?s assistant coaches receive 7.5 percent raises for 2012 by contract for winning 10 games this past season.

That will put the pool at $2.1 million, with coordinators Pete Kwiatkowski and Brent Pease making $306,891.

NEW ERA BEGINS

Incoming Boise State Athletic Director Mark Coyle officially begins his job Thursday. Coyle was hired Dec. 1. He is the former deputy director of athletics at the University of Kentucky.

NATE POTTER TO COMBINE

Boise State three-time all-conference left tackle Nate Potter (Timberline High) has been invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, according to his dad, Tim Potter.

Potter joins quarterback Kellen Moore and safety George Iloka as confirmed invitees. The combine is Feb. 22-28 in Indianapolis.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IdahostatesmancomBreakingNews/~3/JpNOuUS5VHk/2-million-man.html

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