Andersen returns to Utah State
He had guided Aggies during 2009-12 seasons
LOGAN, Utah — Former Utah State coach Gary Andersen has returned to the Aggies and his old job.
Andersen previously was Utah State’s coach from 2009 to 2012. He replaces Matt Wells, who had taken over the Aggies after Andersen’s first stint with the team. Wells was named head coach at Texas Tech last month.
Aggies co-defensive coordinator Frank Maile will remain 10-2 Utah State’s interim head coach for its New Mexico Bowl game Saturday against North Texas (9-3) at Dreamstyle Stadium.
Andersen left the Aggies to take the head coaching job at Wisconsin, then coached at Oregon State for two-plus seasons before unexpectedly stepping down amid the 2017 season. He served as an assistant at Utah under coach Kyle Whittingham last season.
Andersen had a 26-24 record over the course of his first four-year stint with the Aggies and he is 56-61 overall as a head coach.
Wells, a former University of New Mexico assistant, had requested to be on the Aggies’ sideline “as an alumnus” for Saturday, and
USU athletic director John Hartwell said yes.
But that apparently has gotten second thought. Jaden Johnson, radio voice of USU women’s hoops, tweeted Monday that wherever Wells will be on Saturday, it won’t be on the Aggies sideline.
Wells is taking with him several coaches to Texas Tech who will be coaching the Aggies on Saturday. He initially announced offensive coordinator David Yost and defensive coordinator Keith Patterson are going with him.
Now outside receivers coach Jovon Bouknight, defensive backs coach Julius Brown, offensive line coach Steve Farmer, running backs coach DeAndre Smith, tight ends/inside receivers coach Luke Wells (Matt’s brother) and strength and conditioning coach Dave Scholz also are bound for Lubbock.
All remain listed as USU assistant coaches, which means they are pulling double duty. Yost in fact still will run the offense for Saturday’s game.
North Texas also has had its own questions about keeping its coach, but Seth Littrell announced last week he would stay with the Mean Green after being targeted by Kansas State. KSU instead hired North Dakota State’s Chris Klieman.
“I still feel like this is a special place. I think we’re doing special things and we haven’t accomplished everything that we need to,” Littrell said Tuesday from Denton.