OUR VIEW: Any change in football is good

Whether or not the failures of the Utah State football team rest on the shoulders of its coach, Mick Dennehy, the time had come for change and Monday’s firing was the first step toward a better future.

Dennehy was put into a difficult situation at USU – coaching a losing team with no conference affiliation.

But difficult and impossible are two different stories and Dennehy was given a chance to succeed. Florida Head Coach Ron Zook was fired earlier this season after leading the Gators to a 20-13 record, while Dennehy has led USU to an 18-36 record during his tenure.

Next season, USU athletics will make the transition to the Western Athletic Conference and now is the time to start fresh.

The move to the WAC will bring in more money. While some may say this alone will improve recruiting, it would still have been difficult for a coach with a history of losing to recruit players.

A new coach might be the kick start the football program needs, a chance for players to get excited about playing again.

Facing lowered attendance over the past few years, a new coach might also be what fans need to start caring again.

Now the responsibility shifts to the administration and new Director of Athletics Randy Spetman to secure a coach who can lead Aggie football into the future.

Dennehy’s efforts at the university are appreciated and to his credit, he did what he could. But, as he said himself, “in the end, we didn’t win enough.”