Getty Images
TCU has hired Andy Avalos as its defensive coordinator. Avalos’ hiring comes a month after he was fired as Boise State coach amid his third season despite a 22-14 overall record with the program. The Broncos went on to win the Mountain West championship weeks after his departure.
Avalos, 42, previously served as defensive coordinator at Oregon from 2019-20, where he helped the Ducks capture back-to-back Pac-12 championships under former coach Mario Cristobal. He also had a previous stint at Boise State from 2012-18 in which he held a variety of assistant roles for the Broncos, including linebackers coach and defensive coordinator. Prior to his coaching career, Avalos attended Boise State and played linebacker for the Broncos from 2001-04.
TCU’s addition of Avalos comes a day after the Horned Frogs parted ways with Joe Gillespie after two seasons. TCU ended the 2023 season, their second season under coach Sonny Dykes, a disappointing 5-7 after orchestrating an improbable run to the College Football Playoff National Championship in 2022. The Frogs surrendered a season-high 69 points in their season finale, a loss at Oklahoma.
TCU turns to Avalos to inject spark on defense
TCU struggled to field consistency in all phases of the game this past season. The Frogs’ defense, with its 3-3-5 scheme under Gillespie, was no exception. There were already question marks after the defensive showings in last year’s College Football Playoff — TCU allowed 110 points combined to Michigan and Georgia — and concerns weren’t quieted when Colorado passed for more than 500 yards against TCU…
..
