Idaho’s three-year starter at center, Mike Marboe, had a smile on his face when asked about the guy he had to line up across from during Wednesday’s practice. 
That would be Quayshawne Buckley, Idaho’s leading sack man from 2013, in his first practice in full pads for the Vandals this spring — after learning from the NCAA that he had one year of eligibility remaining. It was originally believed he exhausted his college eligibility last season.
“It’s good to have him back,” Marboe said. “He’s a great player, he pushes everybody, makes you play a little better.”
As it turns out, Buckley didn’t see the field at all in 2010. After learning that, Idaho coach Paul Petrino sent in the necessary paperwork to the NCAA to get him cleared to return in 2014.
“It was just a deal, where, I wasn’t here when he was first here and come to find out that he had a year that he didn’t participate,” Petrino said. “Everybody thought he was a senior last year and he really had one more year left.”
The impact is substantial for the Vandals, who already boast a talented defensive line. With Buckley, Idaho now returns 19.5 sacks last season between just him, Maxx Forde, Quinton Bradley and Marc Millan. This in addition to the signing of defensive tackle Alfonso Hampton, who ESPN ranks as a top 10 junior college player nationally, means Idaho could have one of the best defensive fronts in the Sun Belt in 2014.
“He was our best inside guy last year, it makes us that much better, it’s great to have him back out here,” Petrino said.
Buckley wasn’t the only new guy with the defense on Wednesday afternoon.
There was also Ashley Ambrose, who was announced last Monday as the Vandals’ secondary coach. Ambrose had actually participated in the first week of Idaho’s spring practices, but was only a consultant. He is now officially a part of the staff.
Ambrose said he received a call from Petrino just weeks ago to gauge his interest of taking the job. He jumped on the opportunity, because of his desire to get back into coaching.
“The good thing about it is that I was excited,” Ambrose said. “I knew of Paul (Petrino), we were in Atlanta around the same time. I knew his brother (Bobby Petrino). It was actually a good thing, I was excited to get the call from Paul.”
He replaces Mike Mickens, who left the program in Februrary to take an assistant coaching job at Bowling Green. Ambrose now takes on the challenge of assisting Idaho in rebuilding a fractured Idaho secondary, which was Idaho’s weakest link on the defensive side of the ball.
Ambrose comes to Idaho after brief coaching stints at Colorado and more recently California. He also played 13 seasons in the NFL as a defensive back.
“Sometimes guys they buy into it, because of my experience and my background, they’ll buy into what I’m saying and teaching them the things I’ve learned,” Ambrose said. “They’ve all been great, I really believe we have a talented team. I think we’ll do well in the Sun Belt. It’s just us believing in it, our technique and believing in the stuff we’re supposed to do.”
Sean Kramer can be reached at [email protected]