First Down Kentucky: Chris Peterson's Impact on Bush Hamdan

Long before he was a rising star in the coaching business, Bush Hamdan was a quarterback looking for a chance to play on Saturdays. He found a home playing for Chris Peterson at Boise State.

Hamdan was not a prolific recruit. He did not know what he was going to do once his college football career ended, but he loved playing for Peterson.

“It’s been one of those relationships for me that’s like a second father. When you play for a man like that, and you’re young, 18 or 19, and you’re not necessarily sure am I going to be a coach or not? But you’re like, ‘I want to be like that guy,'” Hamdan said during his introductory press conference.

“In some ways, I owe a lot to him for my professional career, not because of any direction he took me, but just because I wanted to be like him in a lot of ways. I valued his relationship and his work and him as a father. That’s always going to be somebody for me that’s extremely important.”

An Important Lesson Hamdan Learned from the Bench

Hamdan was a backup QB when Peterson led Boise State to a stunning upset of Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. Two years later he was poised to become the Broncos’ starting quarterback. The senior fell short. Peterson described it as one of the most difficult decisions of his career, but Hamdan took the news in stride and became a leader on the team, a lesson he still values today.

“I just think you got to be real. You got to be authentic. You gotta be genuine. If it’s a player that’s doing everything the right way and deserves his opportunity, I think you got to be willing to tell him that,” he said.

“Certainly for me at that time, my commitment to Boise State taught me a lot. Looking back, it was a decision that was a big foundation for me in my life, and really choosing to be about the team more than just myself. And that’s one of those decisions that I do value and I’m glad I made it.”

After starting his career in the lower ranks, Peterson hired Hamdan at Washington in 2014. Hamdan was a part of a team that went to the CFB Playoffs and eventually worked his way into becoming Peterson’s offensive coordinator for his final two seasons as the Huskies’ head coach.

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From Strength Coach to Head Coach

There was a surprising late move in the college football coaching carousel. Shawn Elliot, who emplyed former Frederick Douglass head coach and UK assistant Brian Landis, left his post as the Georgia State head coach to return to South Carolina. Elliot previously spent seven seasons in Columbia, which included a six-game stint as the interim head coach following Steve Spurrier’s abrupt retirement.

Elliot’s move is not that noteworthy for this audience. Yes, it’s odd for someone who had five winning seasons and four bowl wins to leave a head coaching position to become a tight ends coach elsewhere, but this gives him a chance to reunite with his family in Columbia. What’s unusual is who Georgia State is tasking to lead the program in his absence.

Head strength coach Mike Sirignano has been promoted to interim head coach. That’s right, a strength coach will be the head coach for an entire season while the school looks for a permanent replacement. This is unprecedented. Georgia State will be a fascinating program to watch in action in 2024.

Former Kentucky QC to coach Sprint Football

Louie Matsakis spent seven years on Mark Stoops’ staff as a quality control analyst. He was Kentucky’s de facto special teams coach, helping Max Duffy win the Ray Guy Award in 2019. Replaced by full-time assistant Jay Boulware following the 2022 season, Matsakis is trying a different form of football in his next gig.

Matsakis will be the head coach next fall for Caldwell University, who fields a Sprint Football team. If you’re not familiar with Sprint Football, it’s 11-on-11 football, but with a 178-pound weight limit. Popularized in the Northeast, Bellarmine University recently created a Sprint Football program. Last fall the Knights’ season was ended in the postseason by Caldwell.

“Louie will be a great head coach,” Mark Stoops said in a statement. “He was instrumental in the development of our players during his time on my staff at Kentucky, specifically with special teams. The players loved him and with his knowledge of the game, Caldwell will be in good hands.”