57 Notable alumni of Boise State University
Updated: June 14, 2026 EliteDegrees
Boise State University is ranked #804 in the world and #226 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 57 notable alumni from Boise State University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with Boise State University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Alan Heathcock
1960-. (aged 66)
writer
Alan Heathcock is an American fiction writer. He is the author of the acclaimed short story collection VOLT (2011) and the dystopian novel 40 (2022).
2. Bryan Defares
1981-. (aged 45)
basketball player
Bryan Defares is a Dutch former basketball player. Defares was a member of the Dutch national basketball team from 2004 till 2012.
3. Larry Laverty
1959-. (aged 67)
television actor
film actor
Laurence Laverty is an American character actor. His film roles include playing Larry Davies in The Hamiltons (2006), as well as appearances in Dead Tone (2007) and in Gus Van Sant's Elephant (2003). Laverty made television guest appearances in Judging Amy, The Practice, Breaking Vegas, Nash Bridges, and MADtv. His performance on The Tonight Show led to a number of...
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4. Mark Sanchez
1987-. (aged 39)
basketball player
Mark Sanchez is a former American-Mexican professional basketball player.
5. Gregory Chaney
1981-. (aged 45)
politician
Gregory Dallas Chaney is an American attorney and politician. He was as a Republican member of the Idaho House of Representatives from 2014 to 2022, where he represented the 10B district.
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6. Renward Wells
1970-. (aged 56)
politician
sprinter
Renward Ricardo Wells is a Bahamian politician and retired sprinter who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bamboo Town from 2012 to 2021. In sprinting, he specialized in the 100 metres.
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7. Matt Bauscher
1985-. (aged 41)
basketball player
Matthew Don Bauscher is an American former professional basketball player. Bauscher played three years for the Boise State Broncos, from 2005 till 2008, during his college career. He was the team captain at Boise State while winning the regular season and tournament championship. He earned All Conference Defense and All Conference Tournament Team. Afterwards he played six seasons as a...
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8. Jason Ellis
1982-. (aged 44)
basketball player
Jason Ellis is a retired American professional basketball player. He played five seasons with Idaho Stampede of the NBA D-League, two seasons for GasTerra Flames and two seasons with Boncourt. He played college basketball for Boise State University.
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9. Taylor Tharp
1984-. (aged 42)
American football player
Taylor Tharp is an American former football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He signed with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent following the 2008 NFL draft. Tharp also played Arena football and in Italian Football League (IFL). He played college football at Boise State. He is known for designing the Statue of...
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10. Mark Criner
1966-. (aged 60)
American football coach
American football player
Mark Criner is an American football coach. He currently serves as the outside linebackers coach for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team. At the college football level, he served defensive coordinator for six seasons at the University of Idaho, and also held the same position at Middle Tennessee, Cincinnati, Portland State, the original XFL's Las Vegas Outlaws, and CSU...
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11. Derrick Marks
1993-. (aged 33)
basketball player
Derrick Marks is an American basketball player for Dinamo București of the Liga Națională. He played college basketball for the Boise State Broncos.
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12. Brandyn Thompson
1989-. (aged 37)
Canadian football player
American football player
Brandyn Thompson is an American college football coach and former cornerback. He is the former cornerbacks coach for California State University, Sacramento. He was selected by the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL draft and was also a member of the Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa Redblacks, and Edmonton Eskimos of the...
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13. Kenny Gasana
1984-. (aged 42)
basketball player
Kenneth Gasana is a Rwandan professional basketball player who currently plays for Bangui Sporting Club of the Road to BAL. Born in the United States, he represents the team of Rwanda internationally.
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14. Nick Cunningham
1985-. (aged 41)
bobsledder
athletics competitor
Nick Cunningham is an American bobsledder who has competed since 2008. Nick Cunningham is a Sergeant in the New York Army National Guard in the 1156 Engineering Company, Vertical, and his job is a Construction and Masonry Engineer. Cunningham graduated from Monterey Peninsula College in 2005 and Boise State University in 2008 with a degree in Communications. While at BSU...
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15. Adam Rita
1947-. (aged 79)
athlete
Adam Rita is a gridiron football coach & general manager, most notably in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He has served as the head coach of the Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa Rough Riders, and BC Lions and as general manager of the Lions and Argonauts. Since leaving the CFL in 2012, Rita has been coaching American football in Europe. Coaching the...
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16. Abu Kigab
1998-. (aged 28)
basketball player
Abu Haef Kigab is a Sudanese-Canadian professional basketball player. 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.
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17. Chad Zielinski
1964-. (aged 62)
Catholic priest
Catholic bishop
Chad William Zielinski is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who is the fifth bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm in Minnesota. He previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Fairbanks in Alaska from 2014 to 2022.
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18. David J. Ryder
1955-. (aged 71)
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.
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19. Bill Sali
1954-. (aged 72)
lawyer
politician
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.
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20. Sally Boynton Brown
Sally Boynton Brown is an American political strategist who served as the executive director of the Idaho Democratic Party from 2012 to 2017. She was also a candidate for the Democratic National Committee chairmanship election in 2017.
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21. Avery Williams
1998-. (aged 28)
American football player
Avery Williams is an American professional football running back and return specialist. He played college football for the Boise State Broncos.
22. Wesley Moodie
1979-. (aged 47)
tennis player
Wesley Moodie is a former professional tennis player from South Africa who won the 2005 Wimbledon Men's Doubles.
23. John Hightower
1996-. (aged 30)
American football player
John Hightower IV is an American professional football wide receiver. He played college football at Boise State and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft.
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24. Derrick Alston Jr
1997-. (aged 29)
basketball player
Derrick Samuel Alston Jr. is an American professional basketball player for Virtus Bologna of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the Boise State Broncos.
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25. Bart Hull
1969-. (aged 57)
ice hockey player
American football player
Canadian football player
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.
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26. Daryn Colledge
1982-. (aged 44)
American football player
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...
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27. Bill LaBounty
singer-songwriter
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...
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28. Trent Johnson
1956-. (aged 70)
basketball coach
basketball player
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.
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29. Donte Deayon
1994-. (aged 32)
American football player
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.
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30. Tanoka Beard
1971-. (aged 55)
basketball player
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...
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31. Emma Bates
1992-. (aged 34)
middle-distance runner
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 represented the United States in the marathon at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, where she set a personal best of 2:23.18 and...
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32. Ryan Dinwiddie
1980-. (aged 46)
Canadian football player
American football player
Ryan Lee Dinwiddie is an American professional football coach and former player who is the head coach and general manager of the Ottawa Redblacks 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...
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33. James Webb III
1993-. (aged 33)
basketball player
James Leroy Webb III is an American professional basketball player for Unicaja of the Spanish Liga ACB and the Champions League. He played college basketball for North Idaho College and Boise State University. He played in the NBA in 2017–18.
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34. Kamalei Correa
1995-. (aged 31)
American football player
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.
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35. Justinian Jessup
1998-. (aged 28)
basketball player
Justinian Jessup is an American professional basketball player for Bayern Munich of the German Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) and the EuroLeague. 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.
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36. Lauren McLean
1974-. (aged 52)
politician
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.
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37. Youth Lagoon
1989-. (aged 37)
singer-songwriter
singer
Trevor Powers, better known by his stage name Youth Lagoon, is an American musician from Boise, Idaho. Youth Lagoon's music has been described as "noir rock," often incorporating lyrical themes of rural noir, drug use, spirituality, family, and fantasy and includes elements of neo-psychedelia, pop, Americana, electronic and experimental music.
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38. Russ Fulcher
1963-. (aged 63)
politician
Russell Mark Fulcher is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Idaho's 1st congressional district since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he represented the 21st district in the Idaho Senate from 2005 to 2012 and the 22nd district from 2012 until 2014.
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39. Coby Karl
1983-. (aged 43)
basketball player
basketball coach
Coby Joseph Karl is an American former professional basketball player who is assistant to the head coach at Boise State men's basketball team. He is the son of NBA head coach George Karl.
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40. Ralph Torres
1979-. (aged 47)
legislator
lawyer
politician
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...
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41. Mike Sanford Jr
1982-. (aged 44)
American football player
Michael Gunnar William Sanford is an American football coach and former quarterback. He is the current head coach of Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado and was 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...
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42. Shea McClellin
1989-. (aged 37)
American football player
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.
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43. Orlando Jordan
1974-. (aged 52)
professional wrestler
Orlando Mason Jordan is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in WWE from 2001 to 2006 and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) from 2010 to 2011.
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44. Doug Martin
1989-2025 (aged 36)
American football player
Douglas Martin was an American professional football player who was a running back for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football for the Boise State Broncos and was selected by the Buccaneers in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft. A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Martin was named...
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45. Bryan Harsin
1976-. (aged 50)
American football player
Bryan Dale Harsin is an American college football coach who was most recently the offensive coordinator at California. He was the head coach for the Auburn Tigers from 2021 to 2022. Prior to Auburn, he was the head coach at his alma mater, Boise State from the 2014 season through the 2020 season where he posted a 69–19 overall record....
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46. Demarcus Lawrence
1992-. (aged 34)
American football player
DeMarcus Lawrence is an American professional football defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Butler Community College Grizzlies and Boise State Broncos. Lawrence was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft. He spent 11 seasons with the Cowboys before signing with the...
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47. Kellen Moore
1989-. (aged 37)
American football coach
American football player
Kellen Christopher Moore is an American professional football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Boise State Broncos, setting the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) record for quarterback wins. Moore spent most of his professional career from 2012 to 2017 as a...
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48. Jay Ajayi
1993-. (aged 33)
American football player
Jay Ajayi is an American former professional 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...
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49. Leighton Vander Esch
1997-. (aged 29)
American football player
gridiron football player
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...
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50. Michelle Willis
1986-. (aged 40)
singer
keyboardist
composer
Michelle Willis is a British-born, Canadian-raised singer/songwriter and keyboard player. She performs regularly as a solo artist and as a side musician with David Crosby and Becca Stevens. She has also worked with Iggy & The Stooges, Laura Mvula, Snarky Puppy, The Parachute Club, and the Zac Brown Band.
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51. Lori Easley
1967-. (aged 59)
teacher
beauty pageant contestant
Lori Otter is an American educator, author, and former beauty queen who served as first lady of Idaho from 2007 to 2019 as the wife of Governor Butch Otter. She was crowned Miss Idaho USA in 1991.
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52. Emmanuel Akot
1999-. (aged 27)
basketball player
Emmanuel Akot is a Canadian and South Sudanese professional basketball player of Leicester Riders of the Super League Basketball (SLB). He played college basketball for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, Arizona Wildcats and the Boise State Broncos.
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53. William Agee
1938-2017 (aged 79)
businessperson
chief executive officer
William McReynolds Agee was an American business executive. In 1976 at age 38, he was appointed president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Bendix Corporation. From 1988 to 1995, Agee was the chairman, president, and CEO of Morrison-Knudsen.
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54. RayJ Dennis
2001-. (aged 25)
basketball player
Raymond "RayJ" Patterson Dennis is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Boise State Broncos, the Toledo Rockets and the Baylor Bears.
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55. Calvin McCarty
1984-. (aged 42)
Canadian football player
American football player
Calvin McCarty is an American former professional football fullback who played in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played as a tailback until 2014, when he became the starting fullback for the Edmonton Eskimos. McCarty was known for being able to fill many roles at his position, with TSN sportscaster Chris Schultz noting in 2010 that he is a "multi-purpose...
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56. Dennis Eichhorn
1946-2015 (aged 69)
writer
Dennis P. Eichhorn was an American writer, best known for his adult-oriented autobiographical comic book series Real Stuff. His stories, often involving sex, drugs, and alcohol, have been compared to those of Jack Kerouac, Ken Kesey, and Charles Bukowski.
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57. Elizabeth Barchas Prelogar
1980-. (aged 46)
lawyer
beauty pageant contestant
Elizabeth Barchas Prelogar is an American lawyer who served as solicitor general of the United States from 2021 to 2025. Before that, she served as acting solicitor general from January 20, 2021, at the start of the Biden administration, until President Joe Biden sent her nomination to the U.S. Senate on August 11, 2021.
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