BOISE - The new head of the Boise State athletic department is no stranger to the school. Curt Apsey served as the school's senior associate athletic director for 16 years before leaving for Carroll College in Montana last fall.
At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Boise State president Bob Kustra made it official, announcing Apsey as the replacement for Mark Coyle, who left last week for a job at Syracuse University.
During his opening remarks at the Stueckle Sky Center, Kustra noted the Apsey's fundraising chops, saying, "we're in the house that Curt built."
Kustra said he knew there was interest in Coyle from several schools and began preparing a replacement plan weeks ago. That's when Apsey entered the picture.
Kustra called Apsey on Friday, offering him the job the same day that Coyle handed in his resignation.
By all indications, he was the first - and last - choice for the job.
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The 53-year-old knows what it takes to be athletic director at Boise State - He filled in for four months before Coyle's hire in December 2011.
"I couldn't be more excited to be home," Apsey said. "Looking at the high level of performance across all sports on the field and in the classroom, it is clear that Boise State Athletics has never had a more promising future.
"I missed Boise State and I missed Boise," he added. "But for sure, without question, we missed the people the most."
Apsey's contract is a five-year deal worth $331,500 per year. It begins effective Aug. 1 and was unanimously approved Tuesday by the State Board of Education.
