A week and a half after Boise State running backs coach Keith Bhonapha left for the same job at Oregon State, the Broncos found his replacement.
BSU coach Andy Avalos poached Fresno State running backs coach James Montgomery to lead the Broncos’ tailbacks, where he’ll have at his disposal one of the best running back rooms in the Mountain West.
A year after helping Fresno State RB Jordan Mims run for over 1,300 yards, Montgomery will get to work with another 1,000-yard rusher in George Holani as well as two bright youngsters in sophomore Ashton Jeanty and freshman Breezy Dubar.
“James has a history of developing players and his knowledge of football goes well beyond the running backs position,” Avalos said in a statement. “His ability to connect with the players and be a difference maker in recruiting will be just as important.”
In addition to being Boise State’s running backs coach, Montgomery will also serve as the Broncos’ recruiting coordinator. He’ll make $195,000 in year one and $215,000 in year two.
A former four-star running back from Sacramento in the mid-2000s, Montgomery spent his early collegiate years at Cal before transferring to Washington State, where his career was anything but smooth. He played in just 13 games, his junior season derailed by a rare football injury that required a procedure the Seattle Times described as: “A foot-long sausage of muscle (being) removed from his leg.”
He got into coaching after his playing days ended. First at the prep level, then across the Big Sky Conference. He spent a year at Weber State, six years at Sacramento State and two years at Cal Poly before getting the Fresno State gig.
Cody vonAppen was Cal Poly’s secondary coach alongside Montgomery, raving about the man he calls “an elite developer.”
“When he took over the running back room here at Cal Poly, we were taking over a triple option program,” vonAppen said. “It wasn’t a pretty deal in terms of stats or all-conference guys like that, but probably just the most noticeable thing was these guys were untrained with the type of offense they were learning. Players were constantly in the facility, studying ball in coach Montgomery’s room.
“They just wanted to be around him,” he continued. “They respected him very much. Played very hard for him. He just demanded a very high standard.”
Just like he’ll do at Boise State, too, Montgomery served two years as Cal Poly’s recruiting coordinator, where he really focused on recruiting California.
“He’s got ties all over the state,” vonAppen said of Montgomery. “When he’s recruiting players, they just gravitate toward him. Players just seem to love coach Montgomery. … I think it’s just how he carries himself. He’s pretty black and white with his communication. He’s going to tell people how it is.”
vonAppen understands Montgomery’s new role more than most. He was a graduate assistant at Boise State under Bryan Harsin in 2019. He understands that the BSU program is all about culture, all about development.
And, knowing that, he thinks Montgomery will fit right in.
“You recruit coaches to be on your staff that can develop people at a high level,” vonAppen said. “And James Montgomery can do that.”
