Famous Boise State University Alumni

Boise State University (BSU) is a public research university located in Boise, Idaho, United States. Established as a junior college in 1932, it became Idaho's third state university in 1974. Boise State offers a wide array of programs, including more than 100 graduate programs and awards associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. The university is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Its 285-acre campus is situated near downtown Boise, on the south bank of the Boise River. With over 170 buildings, the campus sits at an elevation of 2,700 feet (825 m) above sea level. The university library is named for grocery pioneer Joe Albertson. Boise State University is 824th in the world, 305th in North America, and 284th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence.

Many prominent individuals have passed through the halls of Boise State University, making significant contributions to various fields. This article highlights some of the most notable alumni who have left their mark on the world.

Athletics

Boise State's athletic teams, known as the Broncos, have a rich tradition of success. Several alumni have achieved prominence in professional sports, particularly in American football.

Kellen Moore

Kellen Christopher Moore is an American professional football coach and former quarterback. He played college football for the Boise State Broncos, setting the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) record for quarterback wins. Moore spent the majority of his professional career from 2012 to 2017 as a backup, seeing playing time with the Dallas Cowboys in 2015. After retiring as a player, Moore began a coaching career and became the Eagles' offensive coordinator in 2024. On February 7, 2025, he was announced the new head coach of the New Orleans Saints. Moore studied at Boise State University from 2007 to 2012.

Jay Ajayi

Jay Ajayi is an English-born former professional American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons with the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Boise State University and was selected by the Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft. Ajayi spent three seasons with the Dolphins, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2016, before being traded to Philadelphia during the 2017 season. As a member of the Eagles, Ajayi was a member of the team that won the franchise's first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl LII. He struggled with injuries afterwards, leading to his 2022 retirement.

Leighton Vander Esch

Leighton Vander Esch is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Boise State Broncos and was selected by the Cowboys in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft. He spent six seasons with the team, earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in his rookie season before neck injuries prematurely ended his playing career.

Bryan Harsin

Bryan Dale Harsin is an American college football coach. He is the offensive coordinator at California. He was the head coach at Auburn Tigers from 2021-2022. Prior to coaching at Auburn, he coached the Boise State University Broncos from the 2014 season through the 2020 season where he posted a 69-19 overall record. He began his head coaching career at Arkansas State University for the 2013 season. Harsin was the co-offensive coordinator at the University of Texas for two seasons. Before leaving for Texas in 2011, Harsin was an assistant at Boise State for 10 seasons, the last five as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Demarcus Lawrence

DeMarcus Lawrence is an American professional football defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Cowboys in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played college football for the Butler Community College Grizzlies and Boise State Broncos.

Doug Martin

Douglas Martin is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football for the Boise State Broncos and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft.

Shea McClellin

Shea Keegan McClellin is an American former professional football player who was an outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Boise State Broncos. He was selected by the Chicago Bears with the 19th overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft.

Read also: Preserve Your Boise State Diploma

Coby Karl

Coby Joseph Karl is an American former professional basketball player who is an assistant coach of the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is the son of NBA head coach George Karl.

Mike Sanford Jr

Michael Gunnar William Sanford is an American football coach and former quarterback. He is the former interim head coach for the Colorado Buffaloes. He played college football at Boise State from 2000 to 2004. He then served as the head coach of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (2017-2018).

Kamalei Correa

Kamalei Correa is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Boise State Broncos. He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft.

Justinian Jessup

Justinian Jessup is an American professional basketball player for ratiopharm Ulm of the Basketball Bundesliga. He played college basketball for the Boise State Broncos and was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the 51st overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft.

Tanoka Beard

Tanoka Dwight Beard is an American former professional basketball player and coach. During his career, he was able to play both the power forward and center positions. He earned an All-EuroLeague Second Team selection in 2005, while leading the competition in rebounds, with an average of 10.6 per game. He won various European national domestic league championships and national domestic cup titles, in three different European countries.

Read also: Affording Boise State

Emma Bates

Emma Bates is an American long-distance runner, who competes in the marathon. Her achievements include winning the USA Marathon Championships in 2018, placing second in the 2021 Chicago Marathon, and finishing fifth in the 2023 Boston Marathon. Bates also represented the United States in the marathon at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, where she set a personal best of 2:23.18 and finished seventh. Her highest position on the World Athletics Rankings was No. 14 in the marathon in July 2022.

Trent Johnson

Trent Aubrey Johnson is a former American college basketball coach. Johnson had previously been the head coach at Cal State University Northridge, Texas Christian University, Louisiana State University, Stanford University, and University of Nevada.

Ryan Dinwiddie

Ryan Lee Dinwiddie is an American professional football coach and former player who is the head coach of the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played as a quarterback in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders. He is a three-time Grey Cup champion after winning with the Calgary Stampeders as an assistant coach in 2018 and with the Argonauts as the head coach in 2022 and 2024.

Donte Deayon

Donte Deayon is an American former professional football cornerback. He played college football at Boise State, and was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2016 before signing with the Los Angeles Rams in 2018.

James Webb III

James Leroy Webb III is an American professional basketball player for the Liaoning Flying Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for North Idaho College and Boise State University. He played in the NBA in 2017-18.

Daryn Colledge

Daryn Wayne Colledge is an American former professional football player who was an offensive guard for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Boise State Broncos. Colledge was selected in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers and won Super Bowl XLV with them over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He then played for the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins.

John Hightower

John Hightower IV is an American professional football wide receiver for the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Boise State and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft.

Bart Hull

Bart Hull is a former running back in the Canadian Football League. He is the son of famed Canadian hockey legend Bobby Hull, nephew of Dennis Hull and younger brother of Brett Hull. Hull had a prolific high school athletic career at Vancouver College High School in Vancouver, B.C. before attending Boise State on an athletic scholarship.

Wesley Moodie

Wesley Moodie is a former professional tennis player from South Africa who won the 2005 Wimbledon Men's Doubles.

Abu Kigab

Abu Haef Kigab is a Sudanese-Canadian professional basketball player for the PS Karlsruhe Lions of the German second-tier league ProA. He played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks and for the Boise State Broncos of the Mountain West Conference. He was a key player on a Canada team that won the gold medal at the FIBA U19 World Cup in 2017.

Derrick Alston Jr

Derrick Samuel Alston Jr. is an American professional basketball player for Bàsquet Manresa of the Liga ACB and Champions League. He played college basketball for the Boise State Broncos.

Avery Williams

Avery Williams is an American professional football running back and return specialist for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Boise State.

Politics and Government

Boise State University has produced several notable figures in the realm of politics and government, both at the state and national levels.

Elizabeth Barchas Prelogar

Elizabeth Barchas Prelogar is an American lawyer who served as solicitor general of the United States from 2021 to 2025. Senate on August 11, 2021. She studied at Boise State University in 1993-1994.

Ralph Torres

Ralph Deleon Guerrero Torres is a Northern Marianan politician, who served as the ninth governor of the Northern Mariana Islands, from December 29, 2015, to January 9, 2023. He is a Republican from Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The third longest-serving governor in CNMI history, Torres took office upon the death of Governor Eloy Inos on December 29, 2015, before being reelected as governor in his own right in 2018. He previously served as the tenth lieutenant governor, having been elected to that post in 2014. He enrolled in Boise State University 1997-2001 graduated with Bachelor of Science in political science.

Lauren McLean

Lauren Stein McLean is an American politician and entrepreneur currently serving as the mayor of Boise, Idaho. McLean was elected in the 2019 mayoral election, defeating incumbent mayor Dave Bieter. She assumed office on January 7, 2020.

Bill Sali

William Thomas Sali is an American lawyer and politician who served as a congressman from Idaho. A Republican, he served a single term in the United States House of Representatives, representing Idaho's 1st congressional district from 2007 to 2009. Sali previously served in the Idaho Legislature as a member of the House. In 1981 graduated with Bachelor in Business Administration.

David J. Ryder

David J. Ryder is an American government official. He was the Director of the United States Mint from 1992 to 1993, and returned to the position from 2018 to 2021.

Arts and Entertainment

Boise State University alumni have also made their mark in the arts and entertainment industry.

Youth Lagoon

Trevor Powers is an American musician from Boise, Idaho. Powers was initially active as Youth Lagoon from 2010 to 2016, after which he announced that he was retiring from the project. He returned to music with a self-titled project in May 2018. In 2022, he took Youth Lagoon out of retirement with the announcement of a new album Heaven Is a Junkyard. Powers' music has been described as electronic and experimental with elements of pop.

Bill LaBounty

Bill LaBounty is an American musician. He was initially a singer-songwriter in the soft rock genre. As a solo artist, LaBounty recorded six studio albums, including four on Curb/Warner Bros. Records. His first charting single, "This Night Won't Last Forever", was covered in 1979 by Michael Johnson, whose rendition was a top 20 pop hit that year, and eventually also covered by the country group Sawyer Brown in the late 1990s.

Business

Boise State University alumni have also achieved success in the business world, demonstrating their entrepreneurial spirit and leadership skills.

Denise Dunlap

Denise Dunlap graduated in 1998 from Boise State with a bachelor of business administration in management with an entrepreneurial option. She has a record of successfully building and operating companies in a variety of industries, including several years at Boise State as the Director of the TECenter. Denise co-founded Loon Creek Capital Group in 2010 and has grown the company to provide consulting and administrative services to hundreds of angel investors across the country. In 2019, Denise co-founded Sage Growth Capital, a fund that makes revenue-based investments in a wide variety of companies that need growth capital but are not a fit for traditional bank or equity financing. Denise volunteers a lot of time to coaching entrepreneurs and judging pitch and business competitions at Boise State and within the community.

CJ Martin

CJ Martin is a 1994 COBE graduate (BBA economics), and subsequently earned an MBA from the University of Notre Dame. CJ currently serves as vice president, Global Commercial Excellence, for Medidata, a Dassault Systèmes company. Professionally, CJ spent 15 years with IBM, including roles in Singapore and Tokyo. CJ is a member of the COBE Advisory Council.

Bruce Buffington

Bruce is a founding partner at the Boise-based wealth management firm of Buffington Mohr McNeal. Bruce graduated from Boise State University College of Business and Economics in 1981 in finance. In addition to his business studies, Bruce was active in the honors program and received distinguished honors recognition at graduation. Bruce and his wife LeAnn are active in the Boise State community. In addition to their financial support on the academic and athletic sides of the University, Bruce serves on the Honors College Advisory Board while LeAnn serves on the Boise State Alumni Association board. Bruce is a current trustee for the Boise City Arts & History Foundation. His prior volunteer experience includes serving as president of Hillcrest Country Club, president of the Boise Contemporary Theater Board, chairing the Boise City Arts Commission and serving as a board member for Ballet Idaho, Boise Nationals Soccer Club and the Morrison Center.

Darren Kyle

Darren Kyle received his Bachelor of Business Administration in accountancy from Boise State University in 1992 and his license as certified public accountant in 1993. Darren owns and operators 11 McDonald’s Restaurants located in South Central Idaho. Darren believes strongly in the opportunities provided by a solid accounting education, and in 2012, he established the Darren J.

Debbie Flandro

Debbie Flandro retired in 2005 from Hewlett-Packard, following a 29 year career serving in various roles including finance, production and supply chain management. She graduated from Boise State University with a BBA in accountancy and a MBA. Debbie is the current chairman of the Gaming Board for Northern Quest Resort and Casino in Spokane, Washington.

Rick Navarro

Rick Navarro attended Boise State University, graduating in 1975 with a BBA degree in accounting. Rick graduated from the Executive Financial Management Program at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He is serving on the Department of Accountancy advisory board and the Boise State Foundation board.

Brenda Sanford

Brenda Sanford is currently the chief administrative officer of D.L. Evans Bank. She began her banking career at Citizens National Bank in Boise, Idaho. In 1986, she moved to Burley joined D.L. Evans Bank. She has been an executive officer for D.L. Evans Bank for 24 years.

Mark Heil

Mark Heil is the VP for Finance and Administration and CFO for Boise State University. As head of the Division for Finance and Administration, Mark oversees University Financial Services, including accounting and financial reporting, treasury, tax, and regulatory compliance. Mark is a graduate of Boise State University with a BBA degree and majors in accounting and computer information systems.

Lisa Grow

Lisa Grow is Senior VP of Power beginning Oct. 2009. Prior to this position, Grow was named VP of Delivery Engineering and Operations in 2005. She is on the College of Engineering Advisory Boards at Boise State University and University of Idaho.

Jim Crawford

Jim Crawford is a 1972 COBE graduate in accounting. Jim started his career as a staff accountant for J. R. Simplot Company in 1972 and became a licensed CPA in 1974. In the spring of 2000, Jim joined Wilbur-Ellis Company in San Francisco as VP and CFO.

Mike Mers

Mike Mers is a 1992 graduate of the Boise State University College of Business and Economics. In 2002, Mike founded Aspen Capital Management, a Boise based investment management firm. Prior to founding Aspen Capital Management, he was a partner with the private equity firm BRM Capital.

Charles Hallett

Charles Hallett is the owner of Strader Hallett & Co., P.S. He’s a council member to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

Kurt Stadlbauer

Kurt Stadlbauer is a tax manager for JR Simplot Co. He received his BBA from University of Alaska, Anchorage in 1981. He went on to obtain his Master of Science in accountancy, Taxation from Boise State University in 1998. Kurt was able to fulfill a long term personal goal by obtaining is MSA, Taxation. Kurt spent 18 years in public accounting with the Internal Revenue Service prior to joining J. R. Simplot Co.

Marj Spindler

Marj Spindler is the Treasury Director for Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Vermont - Montpelier, Vermont. In 2003, Marj was president of the Idaho Association of Financial Professionals. Marj believes Boise State University provided her with the decision-making tools required for financial management in large, multi-national corporations.

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