Family First: Aaron Bohl’s Whirlwind Return to Wyoming Fall Camp
- Jeff Bugher
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
LARAMIE, Wyo. - Wyoming’s third-year defensive coordinator Aaron Bohl was preparing for the start of fall camp on Monday, August 3rd, when football suddenly became secondary.
Bohl’s son, Blake, broke his femur on Monday evening, one week after he had surgery to remove his tonsils. Bohl and his wife, Anna, found themselves in an emergency room before being sent to Denver for further treatment.
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Blake was being a rambunctious two-year-old, jumping on pillows when he landed at just the right angle, causing his femur to split in half.
“He’s getting better,” Bohl said. “It’s going to be a couple-week deal, and it’ll be about a month, month and a half. He’s in the process of that, but he’s feeling better now.”
Wyoming coaches were scheduled to report Tuesday, with the Cowboys holding their first practice Wednesday.
Bohl found himself in a race between caring for his family, which is #1, and eventually finding his way back to Laramie.
“We went to the ER. They sent us to Denver, my wife and I went down, and she was a trooper. We didn’t get any sleep. They kept us overnight.”
“Luckily, they did a really good job with the treatment and everything,” Bohl said.
One of Bohl’s first calls was to Wyoming head coach Jay Sawvel.
What stood out to Bohl wasn't a question about football, meetings or when his defensive coordinator could return to Laramie. Instead, Sawvel wanted to know how the Bohl family was doing.
“Something I really appreciate about Coach [Sawvel] is I called him, and I told him what happened,” Bohl said. “He asked first off how Blake was doing, then how my wife was doing, then how I was doing. Then he asked what the timeline was with the doctors and getting out of the hospital before we started talking about anything about when I got back to work, which I really appreciated.”
Coaching in college football isn’t for the weak; it’s a demanding schedule, and so much time is sacrificed. Add on the duties of being the defensive coordinator and fall camp starting the next day.
Sawvel, however, didn't put that pressure on Bohl.
“He was never worried about me missing anything,” Bohl said.
As it turned out, Bohl wouldn't miss Wyoming's first practice.
After Blake was released, Bohl and his family returned to Laramie on Tuesday afternoon. Before heading to the football facility, though, he first made sure his son was comfortable at home.
“I got back up basically just in time for a meeting,” Bohl said. “I rolled into town, got my son set up at home with his chair and everything. We had a lot of really good friends help us.
“Then, I went to work and [I’ve] been working like crazy since.”
Bohl made it back for meetings Tuesday afternoon before Wyoming opened practice Wednesday.
There wasn't much opportunity to decompress after what had happened.
One moment Bohl was a father alongside his wife Anna, in a hospital dealing with their son's broken femur. The next, he was back inside Wyoming's football facility preparing his defense for the 2026 season.
“It was the best and worst timing,” Bohl said. “It was the best timing because it was the only time I could still go be with my family before practice. Also, the worst is that once we got back, I had to go right to work.”
The start of camp has meant long days for Bohl, while Blake continues recovering at home. Aaron and Anna have settled into a routine to balance their son's recovery with the demands of football season.
“My wife and I kind of got a routine where we take turns on when we give him his medicine,” Bohl said. “Usually he’s already asleep by the time I get back.”
Blake has a long road to recovery. Fortunately, he didn’t require surgery, but surgery could be necessary in the future depending on how the follow-up appointments go. For now, he’s in a brace and cannot put weight on his leg.
It was a hectic beginning to a season that carries additional responsibility for Bohl.
Before Bohl could worry about linebackers, cornerbacks, defensive fronts or installing another piece of the playbook, he had to be a father.
Bohl brought it up again during his interview with PokesNews.com. He was so impressed with how supportive head coach Jay Sawvel was throughout everything.
“Coach is great about that,” Bohl said.
Overtime
Aaron is the son of retired University of Wyoming head football coach Craig Bohl, the longest continuously tenured head coach in Wyoming history. Craig was recently inducted into the University of North Dakota State University Athletics Hall of Fame.
About the Author:
Jeff Bugher is a third-generation Wyomingite living in Casper. He is a sportswriter and Wyoming Cowboys/Cowgirls enthusiast who is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA ) and the National Sports Media Association (NSMA). Jeff's work has been cited by Sports Illustrated, one of the world's leading sports publications.
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