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The thing that out-of-town writers and commentators have not learned - and apparently some locals forgot - about Chris Petersen is that he is genuine when he discusses staying in Boise.</p>
The Boise State football coach has been rumored for just about every vacant coaching position this off-season, and Friday he took the unusual step (for him) of declaring that he was not going to Mississippi State.</p>
The Pete-to-Starkville rumors got so out of hand - a Mississippi television station reported contract details and an Internet site called it a done deal - that one coaching friend called twice to make sure Petersen had not lost his mind and even Petersen's family concluded things had gone too far.</p>
"It gets to a certain level where it's ridiculous and it may affect our players and recruits and then you have to say something," Petersen said. "That's the only reason, because that's just people chasing their tail and not talking to the right people."</p>
The right people in this case is Petersen himself, who has stated all along that he has no real desire to leave Boise.</p>
I know it's hard for everyone - and I do mean everyone - to comprehend, especially at a school where the last three coaches have left before their sixth season for greener pastures and bigger paychecks.</p>
But Petersen, who is 35-3 in three seasons as the top Bronco, is interested in what is happening in Boise and with his program. That will determine - more than money, more than a BCS conference, more than anything else - if and when Petersen decides to leave.</p>
If the Boise State program stops progressing and stops investing in facilities and assistant coach salaries, then it might be time for Petersen to look elsewhere.</p>
Until that happens, he is fine in Boise.</p>
That's what he told Mississippi State athletic director Greg Byrne, a close friend, five days before the story broke that Pete was to become a Bulldog.</p>
"Hey, are you good at Boise?" Byrne asked.</p>
"You know I'm good at Boise," Petersen told him.</p>
"OK, will you say something to our writer?" Byrne asked Petersen, who told a writer in Mississippi that he was not interested in the position.</p>
Washington, too, contacted Petersen indirectly. Those talks went no further. Petersen said a couple other schools have called this season.</p>
"It never goes far enough to have any talks. I'm not at that spot where I'm going, 'OK, that's a place I'm interested in or I'm not good here,' " Petersen said. "It's one of those two things."</p>
Which means it's not about more money. Petersen is scheduled to make more than $1.1 million next season.</p>
"I just know that I make a lot of money here and I know that if that salary is doubled, that's not going to make me happier," Petersen said.</p>
Which means it's not all about being at a BCS conference school.</p>
"BCS means nothing to me. It means nothing to me. It really doesn't. Being in a place and a city that you like to be and like to live and your family's happy (mean something) and I think Boise's one of the most desirable places around," he said.</p>
Which means he isn't looking to move on just to move on or because he thinks he has accomplished everything he can at Boise State.</p>
"Is the administration good and are they helping us achieve all of our goals and do we have the resources to do those things and do you recruit great kids? If all those things are yes, then it's like, 'What do you need to look somewhere else for,' '' he said.</p>
It's that simple for him.</p>
It's the rest of us - those who have come to expect coaches to jump at the first chance for a big raise and a bigger conference - who make it much more complicated.</p> </div>
