New coaches look to make their impact
Along with traditional player turnover from graduations, this season will see new faces among the football coaching staff on the USU sidelines, as well as several current coaches taking different roles for the upcoming season.
Head coach Gary Andersen began announcing changes in December of last year, with the final announcements coming in February.
Andersen said changes like these are bound to happen on a team, and that it was time to make those changes.
“The boys need to be ready to adjust if needed,” he said.
Offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin was previously working with the quarterbacks. He has been moved and will now be working with the tight ends. In his place, Andersen hired former Aggie Matt Wells.
Wells graduated from Utah State in 1996. From his sophomore year on, he was the starting quarterback and was named to the all-Big West academic team three times. He was a part of the last Aggie team to win a bowl game, leading them to a 42-33 victory over Ball State in the Las Vegas Bowl of 1993.
Before returning to Utah State, Wells was at New Mexico, where he coached the wide receivers and kick off return unit last season. In 2009, he was the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator at Louisville. In 2007 and 2008, Wells was New Mexico’s wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.
Wells said he and his family are happy to be back in Logan.
“It’s exciting, we’re glad to be back here,” he said.
While it takes time to adjust to a new coaches, Wells said the players have reacted positively and that should result in a successful season.
In just two simple words, Wells mentioned one other change he’d like to see this year.
“Bowl game,” he said.
The offensive line is also adjusting to a new coach. Alex Gerke was the O-line coach for the last two seasons. Andersen has moved T.J. Woods from coaching the tight ends and tackles to the O-line.
“When you look at the O-Line, it’s definitely an adjustment,” Andersen said. “Fortunately Woods had already been here, so it was a familiar face.”
Senior offensive guard Funaki Asisi said he is already seeing positive changes among the line in working with Woods.
“As an O-Line, I feel like we fit better with Woods and he’s going to take us in a good direction,” he said.
Asisi said the biggest difference is the style of coaching each man had.
“Gerke was very aggressive, and that works for a lot of guys. But there are some who that’s a little much for them,” he said. “Woods sets high expectations, but isn’t as aggressive. We aren’t scared to just play our own game anymore.”
Following former USU defensive line coach Chad Kauha’aha’a’s acceptance of an offer to coach the D-line at the University of Utah, former defensive graduate assistant Frank Maile has been promoted to defensive line coach and Andersen has full confidence in him.
“It’s not easy to be the D-Line coach when the head coach is the offensive coordinator, and I know that,” he said.
Andersen has also brought in Kendrick Shaver as the new cornerback coach, replacing Corey Raymond. Shaver spent the last four years as the secondary coach at the University of Northern Colorado.
Bill Busch is another current coach with a new assignment. He had been working as defensive coordinator, a position Andersen has decided to take on as his own. Busch will remain as the safeties coach, but will now be the associate head coach and special teams coordinator.
“My number one job is to make sure I’m taking care of the kids,” Andersen said. “It’s a little bit of a sacrifice for me, but it’s an OK sacrifice because I enjoy it.”
Head coach and defensive coordinator are both big jobs, and can be tough for one man to handle. Andersen said it is all about finding the balance.
“The biggest thing is to structure things differently,” he said. “I go to bed earlier, wake up earlier so I can get to the office and wrap my mind around things from an administrative standpoint. It’s a balancing act, and I need to be a good delegator.”
Overall, the Aggies are accepting the changes and moving forward in preparation for the fall.
“Change is inevitable in this world,” Wells said. “If you don’t react to change in a positive way, you’re going to get behind, either as a coach or a player.”
– megan.allen@aggiemail.usu.edu