Boise State Football Coach Petersen Agrees to 5-Year Contract Extension

Boise State University football coach Chris Petersen is in line for a 21 percent pay rise to $2 million in 2012 after agreeing in principle to a five-year contract extension.

The agreement, if approved by the state’s education board next month, will run through Jan. 31, 2017. After this year, Petersen’s pay will rise by $200,000 annually. Petersen’s old contract called for him to be paid $1.65 million this year.

At .924 with a 73-6 record at Boise State, the 47-year-old Petersen has the best winning percentage among active coaches in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Broncos went undefeated under Petersen in 2006 and 2009 and beat Arizona State 56-24 in the Maaco Bowl Dec. 22 after finishing No. 7 in the final BCS poll.

Petersen joined Boise State as offensive coordinator in 2001 and became head coach in December 2006.

Petersen, who was also quarterbacks coach for the Broncos before his promotion, was also an assistant at Oregon, Portland State and Pittsburgh since 1992.

To contact the reporter on this story: Curtis Eichelberger in Washington at ceichelberge@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Sillup at msillup@bloomberg.net