Colorado State looks like it will trim Air Force's lead, but Zane Lewis jumps the pass and goes 99 yards for a Falcons touchdown. (0:54)

Colorado State has hired former Boston College and Temple coach Steve Addazio as its new head coach, the school announced Wednesday.

"I would like to thank president Joyce McConnell and director of athletics Joe Parker for the opportunity to lead this football program," Addazio said in a statement. "Colorado State University is a world-class institution, and Fort Collins is an incredible city to live in and to be able to recruit to. Our program will be one built on toughness and passion, and we will work tirelessly to develop men of character to return championship-level football back to Colorado State."

Addazio, fired Dec. 1 after seven seasons at Boston College, replaces Mike Bobo at Colorado State. The school also considered Alabama analyst Butch Jones and Ohio State offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson for the job.

Sources said former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer assisted Colorado State with its search and had a role in selecting candidates. Meyer, a Colorado State assistant from 1990 to 1995, is close with Addazio and had Addazio on his staff at Florida from 2005 to 2010.

Addazio, 60, went 44-44 at Boston College and has a 57-55 overall record as an FBS head coach.

"Throughout his career, coach Addazio has been committed to the holistic development of student-athletes and of the programs he has led," Parker said in a statement. "He has focused on crafting cultures where his students thrive on the field and in the classroom. We look forward to coach Addazio leading our football team as we strive to be the preeminent program in the Mountain West."