The 1976 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University in the 1976 NCAA Division II football season.

Led by first-year head coach Jim Criner, the Broncos were 5–5–1 overall and 2–4 in conference.

Boise State entered the season as three-time defending Big Sky champions, but under a new head coach.

After leading the Broncos for eight seasons, 61-year-old Tony Knap moved south to Nevada-Las Vegas in late January to replace Ron Meyer, who went to SMU in Dallas.

[1][2] Hired two weeks later in mid-February, Criner was previously the linebackers coach at UCLA under head coach Dick Vermeil; the Bruins were Pac-8 champions in 1975 and won the Rose Bowl,[3][4][5] a 23–10 upset of undefeated and top-ranked Ohio State.