Three years ago, the Idaho football program was a mess.
“There was no academic accountability in that football program,” said Idaho Athletic Director Rob Spear. “It was a disaster.”
It was a situation Idaho head coach Paul Petrino was hired to fix in December 2012. In his first head coaching job, he received a program with academic sanctions, one-win seasons and no conference affiliation.
“From the outside looking in, you don’t realize all the problems you do have to solve,” Petrino said. “We had to fix all the problems academically first. That was the groundwork for getting everything else fixed eventually.”
In 1990, a new law required higher education institutions receiving Title IV funding to disclose graduation rates broken down by gender, race, ethnicity and other factors. This data included student athlete success and graduation rates broken up by sport. The National Collegiate Athletic Association found low graduation rates among student athletes in the United States — only 51 percent of football players entering college between 1993 and 1996 graduated in six years.
The NCAA launched the Academic Progress Rate in 2004 to better gauge academic progress, requiring a minimum four-year average of 925, raised to 930 in 2011. The NCAA also releases single-year and rolling two-year averages. Failure to meet the standard results in consequences like reduced practice time, fewer scholarships and postseason ineligibility. Each sport, for each gender, receives a separate score.
The Idaho football team received a reduction of eight scholarships as a disciplinary measure in the 2006-07 season because the team’s APR hit 904.
Former head coach Robb Akey was hired for the 2007 season. In 2008-09, two scholarships were earned back when Idaho reached 908, and five more scholarships were added in 2009-2010 with an APR of 923. The Vandals won the Humanitarian Bowl in 2009 — Akey’s only winning season. Spear said Idaho’s single-year average in 2009-2010 was a 971.
In 2010-2011, the score dropped to 921, then plummeted to 881 in 2011-2012. Akey was fired the day after a 70-28 blowout against Louisiana Tech. Idaho allowed 839 yards in the loss. Offensive coordinator Jason Gesser finished the season as interim head coach.
The Vandals were ineligible for postseason competition during the 2014-2015 season because the four-year APR average from 2009-2012 was 903. This was the last score including Akey’s time as coach. The team also lost four hours of practice time a week.
Since Petrino’s appointment, Idaho’s APR has moved steadily upward. The Vandals accomplished a single-year score of 957 in 2013-2014 — up from just 838 in 2012-2013. Idaho earned a four-year rolling average of 904 in 2014-2015.
Spear said the program dismissed several students, impacting the retention piece early on.
“It was just the process of making sure they knew that the No. 1 thing was that they all graduate,” Petrino said. “And if they don’t take care of their business academically, they’re not going to have a chance to get on the field.”
Spear said growing the athletic department academics staff to three full-time people and two graduate assistants helped increase the level of support for student athletes.
Susan Steele, the director of academic services, was hired at the same time as Petrino. The two worked together to set up study hall hours and ensure accountability across the department.
“I think as much as anything, making the players accountable,” Petrino said. “It’s the ability to confront and demand. You have to confront the players and demand them to do things right. Demand them to go to class, demand them to be in study hall.”
Student athletes must meet a minimum GPA of 2.6. Any lower and they are considered “in-services,” Steele said.
New student athletes, transfer students and freshmen, and those below the minimum GPA are automatically enrolled in study hours.
“They have anywhere from four to six hours — or more if their grade-point is lower than that,” she said. “The lower the grade-point, the more hours are required per week. They’re studying here in the Dome with a supervisor so they can watch them and help them. They also meet with one of the academic coordinators once a week, word goes to the coaches.”
Meetings with academic coordinators happen on Sundays, Petrino said, as part of the “academic playbook.” Student athletes create a schedule of all their required work in every class for the week with an academic coordinator. The next day, Monday, the student athlete meets with their coach to go over the plan.
Sometimes, Petrino requires players above a 2.6 GPA to stay in-services.
“There’s a few guys that get above a 2.6, but I make them be in it,” he said. “I think they need the help, being organized and staying structured.”
Steele said she directs students to resources across campus when they struggle, like meeting with professors, peers and study groups, to encourage them to become independent learners.
The Kibbie Dome has one-on-one and drop-in tutoring hours to help students feel comfortable asking for help and gain academic confidence.
“Our goal is not to keep the students in the Kibbie Dome all the time,” Steele said. “Once they get used to it, they realize they can do this and be responsible for their education.”
Spear said there is a direct correlation between performance on and off the field.
“It’s no more evident than what was happening — poor academic performance, poor performance on the field,” he said.
Idaho earned a 61-50 win over Colorado State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Dec. 22 — the program’s third-ever bowl appearance, and third bowl game win.
“I think the biggest thing is if you can get them in class and then help organize them, then they have a great chance to be successful,” Petrino said.