BOISE, Idaho — There is something about the Treasure Valley that's pretty special. Young players come from all around the country to play for Boise State and many of them end up sticking around after their playing days.
There is also a long list of guys who are diving into coaching careers at the local prep ranks. To no surprise, they are finding plenty of success and enjoying the process of giving back to the community that supported them when they played on The Blue.
"Coach (Chris) Petersen used to say that Boise was the best kept secret of the West. In college, you didn't really think about it like that and you're just in this kind of small town and there's not a whole lot going on," Winston Venable said. "Then you get a little older and you realize, 'wow, what an amazing place to raise a family.' So, it was a no-brainer to kind of start my young adult life out here in Boise, Idaho."
After playing for Boise State, in the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, Venable joined the Broncos' coaching staff. Following his time assisting the program, Venable stuck around the Treasure Valley. This year, he dove into the high school ranks, coaching linebackers for Rocky Mountain.
"I love it man," Venable said. "Idaho football, high school wise, you don't know what you're getting into. You don't know what to expect and then you come out here and there's 150 guys in the program, the games are packed houses and the student sections are awesome. It's really fun to be apart of this level and really see the community and the program's that we have in the valley."
He is one of the latest additions to Scott Criner's loaded coaching staff, paying it forward to the next generation of Idaho athletes alongside former Broncos and current Grizzlies' assistants Quintin Mikell, Ryan Ikebe and Andre Banks.
"Maybe they were just little, little guys watching us play, but I think there's a respect thing there, where we've been in the shoes that maybe they're trying to go to and the knowledge we have about the game," Venable said. "They're soaking it up and absorbing it the best way they can, because they respect the journey we've already been on."
Kekoa Nawahine also rejoined the staff this offseason. Not only was he a three-time all-Mountain West honoree during his time in the blue and orange, but he also played for Rocky Mountain, helping lead the Grizz to the 2015 5A state championship.
"It's really cool. I love it," Nawahine said. "I mean, being able to come back out to where I played high school, to where I really developed a strong love for the game and hopefully be able to help kids that I'm coaching – the kids on team – develop those same things."
Knowing what it takes to play NCAA Division I football, Venable and Nawahine are helping guide some of the top local talent on their journey to one day play at the next level.
"You know, we can have conversations about what that looks like and that process looks like, and make sure that I can be a helping hand in their process as far as getting recruited and making sure that they had their best foot forward," Venable said.
Nawahine added the duties go beyond coaching and helping Grizzlies reach the next level, but also amplifying the recruitment of athletes in the Gem State.
"There's a lot of really good athletes, a lot of really smart football players here as well," Nawahine said. "So, it always means something to raise the level of the game in Idaho and to help put awareness on the map of the athletes that are here, because there's a lot of guys that can play the game really well."
Closer to Albertsons Stadium, another former Bronco has climbed to the top job for the Boise High School football program. Mike Altieri told KTVB, "I thought that if I could get involved in the community that I lived in, I could make a difference."
Altieri is in his fourth year as head coach for the Brave, leading his first class from freshman to senior year in 2023. Boise has put together a historic turnaround, starting the season 4-0 for the first time since the 1980s. The Brave last had a four-win season in 2016.
"I think it's all credit due to Mike Altieri. Ever since he's come here, the numbers, the culture – it's all changed," Boise senior wide receiver Cooper Smith said. "We have a few coaches that have played at the college level. Bringing their experience to us, teaching us all these things, I think it really makes it easy to play the game."
For guys like Altieri, it's no surprise former Boise State standouts are coming from all around the country and setting up lives in the Treasure Valley.
"For whatever reason, Boise State – being apart of Boise State and that brotherhood that Andy (Avalos) talks about – holds a lot of weight," Altieri said. "People appreciate that and this community really takes you in and really welcomes you, and sticking around here was never a question in my mind."
It's also no surprise they are giving back to the communities that supported them through their college years as student-athletes.
"The number of guys that have stuck around and got involved – and until you do come back and get involved – you really don't understand just how much of an impact you can have and how much of a difference you can make," Altieri said.
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