With Chico out, Guy looks to be the man
Utah State’s head football coach will be announced at 9:30 a.m. Friday during a press conference in Champ Room and Arizona offensive coordinator Mike “Chico” Canales won’t be present.
A former front runner for the position, Canales withdrew his name from the running Wednesday and Arizona State defensive coordinator, Brent Guy is expected to accept the offer Canales turned down.
As one of the top three candidates for the position, Canales said in an interview that his career at the University of Arizona and his loyalty to the team were his reasons for staying with the Wildcats.
“I don’t want to feel like I let these guys down,” Canales said about the possibility of leaving the team he has coached for the last season. “Career[wise], I thought it was the right move to be successful.”
Asked Thursday about Guy’s interviews with USU Director of Athletics Randy Spetman, Mark Brand, Arizona State University assistant athletics director, said he would not comment on the decision until it was made.
“I cannot comment on [the interviews]. It is between Brent Guy and [Randy Spetman],” Brand said.
Guy, who is in his fourth season at Arizona State, is a former linebacker coach for Utah State, from 1992-94. In 1993 while Guy coached at USU, he helped guide the Aggies into the Big West Conference.
In 2000, while at Arizona State, Guy’s defense led the Big West Conference in total defense (367.5 yards per game).
The Salt Lake Tribune reported Thursday that had accepted the position. However, as of Thursday, USU Athletic Media Relations Director Mike Strauss said Spetman has not been releasing any information regarding his interviews with the candidates.
“The [USU] athletic director is not releasing any information about the people he has talked to,” Strauss said.
Turning down the offer, Canales said his history and fondness for USU made the decision difficult.
“In my mind, I’m an Aggie. I’ll always be an Aggie,” he said. “I grew up from a young man to a man there.”
Canales, a former Utah State quarterback, said it was not the right time to coach at USU, but did not disregard the possibility of coaching Aggie football in the future.
Among other recruits considered for the position were Kent Baer, defensive coordinator for Notre Dame, and Paul Rhoads, Pitt defensive coordinator.
Neither Baer of Rhoads have returned phone calls for comment. However, Doug Walker, associate sports information director at Notre Dame, said at this point in the decision it was a personal matter for Baer.
“Baer is conducting this on his own,” Walker said, and could not comment any further on the decision.
Baer, a native of Logan, is in his third season at Notre Dame. Baer’s past coaching experiences include a stint at Utah State as the outside linbacker coach for six season from 1977-82 before becoming the defensive coordinator and secondary coach for three years, from 1983-85.
-kcashton@cc.usu.edu