Jim Criner Jim Criner ( born March 30 , 1940 ) is a former American football player and coach . He served as the head football coach at Boise State University from 1976 to 1982 and at Iowa State University from 1983 to 1986 , compiling a career college football record of 76 – 46 – 3 . Criner was also the head coach of the NFL Europe ' s Scottish Claymores from 1995 to 2000 , and the short - lived XFL ' s Las Vegas Outlaws in 2001 . Criner ' s 1980 Boise State team won the NCAA Division I - AA Football Championship and his Scottish Claymores squad won World Bowl IV in 1996 . Criner was later a scout for the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL under head coach Dick Vermeil , whom he assisted at UCLA in the mid - 1970s . Early life and playing career . Criner was born in Lurton , Arkansas , and was a four - sport athlete at Coachella Valley High School in Thermal , California . He attended Palo Verde Junior College where he was a JC All - American at linebacker . He transferred to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where he was an All - American at linebacker , and played fullback as well . Coaching career . High school football and college assistant coaching . He began his career as an assistant to Jim Hanifan at Charter Oak High School ( 1963 ) , and then head coach at Claremont High School ( 1964 ) and then at Clovis High School . He became a college assistant coach in 1967 at Utah , serving two seasons as the offensive line coach . In 1969 , he became the defensive coordinator at Cal State Hayward . In 1970 he was the secondary coach at California for two seasons , and in 1972 moved to BYU for a season . In 1973 he became the offensive line coach at UCLA under Pepper Rodgers and continued under Dick Vermeil in 1974 ; he moved to linebackers coach in 1975 , when UCLA won the Pac - 8 title and upset top - ranked Ohio State , 23 – 10 , in the Rose Bowl . In 2008 , Criner accepted the position of head football coach at Marist High School in Eugene , Oregon . Boise State . Following UCLA ' s Rose Bowl victory over Ohio State in January 1976 , Criner was hired as the head coach at Boise State , replacing Tony Knap , who had departed for UNLV . At the time , Boise State was a strong Division II program in the Big Sky Conference , and had won three consecutive conference titles . The Broncos won the conference title again in 1977 , and the conference moved up to the newly - formed Division I - AA in 1978 . The Broncos went undefeated in conference in 1979 , but were ineligible for the Big Sky title or the I - AA playoffs ; they had been placed on probation for " coaching irregularities " incurred during the 1978 season . Off of probation in 1980 , Boise State won the Big Sky title with a 6 – 1 conference record , and advanced to the four - team I - AA playoffs , defeating Grambling , 14 – 9 , in the first round in Boise and defending champion Eastern Kentucky , 31 – 29 , in Sacramento for the NCAA Division I - AA Football Championship . Boise State again went 6 – 1 in conference in 1981 , and tied for first with Idaho State in the Big Sky . Both co - champions were invited to the expanded eight - team I - AA playoffs . The Broncos defeated Jackson State on the road , but were defeated at home in the semifinals by Eastern Kentucky . Idaho State won the 1981 national title , defeating Eastern Kentucky the following week . In Criner ' s seven seasons at Boise State , the Broncos were 34 – 12 ( . 739 ) in conference , and 59 – 21 – 1 ( . 735 ) overall . Iowa State . Following the 1982 season , Criner became the 27th head coach of the Iowa State Cyclones of the Big Eight Conference . He held that position for four seasons , from 1983 until 1986 . His career coaching record at Iowa State was 9 – 17 – 2 ( . 357 ) in conference and 17 – 25 – 2 ( . 409 ) overall , ranking him 14th at ISU in total wins and 19th in winning percentage . He was fired from this position in 1986 , when the school announced the organization had made 34 allegations of wrongdoing in the football program . Allegations included coaches giving players cash as well as giving recruits rides and meals . Amiens Spartans , France . 2012 1st Division Champion with the Amiens Spartans , France Personal life . Criner has three brothers and two sisters . All three of his brothers have or have had prominent sports careers . His son , Mark , is currently the defensive coordinator for the Idaho Vandals .