BSU to Sign 'Polished' Quarterback Recruit
Mike Coughlin threw 25 TDs in final prep season

Reprinted from 
The Idaho Statesman | Edition Date: 01-30-2006
 Boise State will add a blue-chip quarterback prospect to its football program Wednesday, even if Cody Hawkins follows his dad to Colorado.

Mike Coughlin of San Diego committed to the Broncos last summer and plans to sign a letter of intent Wednesday, the first day that high school seniors can sign with college teams.

2005 Marauder QB  Mike Coughlin, signs Letter of Intent for Boise State
with Gary Blevins, Jeff Olivero,  Mike Bakewell, and Jeff Tsaro

Mike and teammate, Garrett Blevins, were recently named Scholar-Leader-Athletes by the 
Walter J. Zable/San Diego Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.

Coughlin was named third-team all-state in California. He tossed 25 touchdown passes and just three interceptions as a senior while completing 61 percent of his passes in Mira Mesa Senior High's college-style offense.

Coughlin is 6-foot-5, 215 pounds.

"He might be the best player in the state," Mira Mesa offensive coordinator Chris Thompson said. "Certainly people are going to be very, very pleasantly surprised with Mike and what he'll do at Boise."

Coughlin attended the Broncos' high school camp last summer and gave them an early commitment. He already had interest from Arizona, Colorado and UTEP, and Thompson says several big schools — including a couple Pacific-10 Conference schools — made inquiries about him when BSU coach Dan Hawkins took the Colorado job.

Coughlin, however, was loyal to new BSU coach Chris Petersen — the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Hawkins who has a long-standing relationship with the Mira Mesa coaches.

"He was the one that I was closest to," Coughlin said of Petersen, "so (Hawkins leaving) didn't really change my decision at all."

Coughlin was drawn to BSU by the coaches, the offense and the community, he said.

He will join a crowded quarterback picture, which includes senior Jared Zabransky, junior Taylor Tharp, sophomore Bush Hamdan and redshirt freshman Nick Lomax. Cody Hawkins, who is reconsidering his commitment to BSU, may join the team at the end of the 2006 season.

"It's good competition," Coughlin said of the quarterback depth. "That will definitely make me better."

So will the coaching, Thompson said.

"We think we've done some good things with Mike to this point," said Thompson, who has coached at Mira Mesa for 18 years. "He's worked real hard to get where he's at. Still, he's got a lot of upside to him, which Chris and (offensive coordinator) Bryan (Harsin) will get out of him."

Thompson says Coughlin possesses an "easy demeanor" and "the whole arsenal of throws."

He benefits from a Mira Mesa offense structured around college-type passing — out routes, comebacks, posts and other challenging throws. He also was allowed to change plays at the line of scrimmage.

"He's a pretty polished kid," Thompson said. "A lot of the stuff Chris does at Boise , we do in some form or fashion. We'll do 100 of those things, and they'll do 10,000, but he's been exposed to the concepts."