Utah State football adds seven to staff

The Utah State football team continues to overhaul its coaching staff after a flurry of changes this offseason.

Wednesday USU announced the hiring of Julius Brown as the team’s new cornerbacks coach.

Tuesday the Aggies announced the hiring of Steve Farmer as the offensive line coach and the promotion of Jovon Bouknight to co-offensive coordinator along with Luke Wells. Wells will now coach the quarterbacks instead of the tight ends.

Utah State is still without a running back coach and director of player personnel. In all, USU has announced seven additions or promotions to its 15-member staff since Jan. 14. Last year, the coaching staff had 22 members.

Brown played at Boise State before working on the team as a graduate assistant from 2006-2008. In 2009 he became the director of player personnel. Brown left that position in 2012 to be cornerbacks coach at Troy before moving to Arkansas State for the same position and recruiting coordinator in 2013. Brown then moved back to Boise as the secondary coach and recruiting coordinator for two seasons before accepting the job at Utah State.

“We are excited to add Julius to the Aggie football family,” said Aggie head coach Matt Wells. “He brings a lot of experience to our staff and team as both a secondary coach and former defensive back, and also has a reputation as an outstanding recruiter. He possesses key knowledge of the Mountain West that will aid us moving forward in our quest to win a conference championship.”

During Brown’s other coaching experiences, he has been a part of five conference championships and nine bowl games.

“I am thrilled to get the opportunity to work with Utah State football, Coach Wells and his staff,” Brown said. “Utah State has a tradition of developing and producing NFL talent in the secondary and on the defensive side of the ball, and my goal will be to continue that trend moving forward as we strive to win the Mountain West Championship.”

Steve Farmer Photo credit: Emerald Harris/ULM Photo Services

Farmer brings 17 years of coaching experience – including nine as an offensive coordinator – to the USU staff. He spent the past five seasons as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Louisiana-Monroe.

“Steve has an extensive background in playing and coaching the offensive line, as well as success as an offensive coordinator,” Matt Wells said. “He fits very well into our scheme and has had experience in spread offenses and coordinating the run game.”

Farmer played center for Northeastern Oklahoma A&M junior college before transferring to Illinois State for his final two seasons. He was named first-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference as a center following his senior season.

In addition to his role as offensive coordinator, Farmer spent the past four seasons as the offensive line coach and he has coached the line for 12 of the past 15 years.

“I am excited to have the opportunity to be a part of Utah State football and coach in the Mountain West,” Farmer said. “I am impressed with the success the football program has had under Coach (Matt) Wells and I am very grateful to be a part of Aggie Nation.”

Bouknight has been a member of the USU coaching staff for the past eight seasons, working with the wide receivers for the past six. He will continue to work with the receivers while joining Luke Wells as co-offensive coordinator.

Jovon Bouknight Photo credit: Utah State Football

“We are excited to announce Jovon and Luke as our co-offensive coordinators,” Matt Wells said. “They both have extensive experience in our offense and have been successful position coaches during their time at Utah State.”

Luke Wells Photo credit: Utah State Football

Luke Wells, who has worked as the tight ends coach the past three seasons in addition to his responsibilities as co-offensive coordinator, will now work as the quarterbacks coach.

Utah State announced other changes to the staff in January.

Frank Maile and Kendrick Shaver were announced as co-defensive coordinators, while David Kotulski was announced as the team’s linebackers coach.

Maile, who graduated from USU in 2007, spent the past two seasons as the defensive line coach at Vanderbilt. He was on the USU coaching staff from 2009-13, the first two years as a graduate assistant and the last two as defensive line coach, before his time in Tennessee.

Frank Maile Photo credit: Utah State Football

“Frank did a tremendous job at Vanderbilt helping to improve that defense and I have great confidence that he will continue to do special things here with our Aggie defense moving forward,” Wells said.

Shaver has been the cornerbacks coach at USU since 2011. He will move to safeties coach along with his promotion to co-defensive coordinator.

Kendrick Shaver Photo credit: Utah State Football

“I’m excited to also announce the position of co-defensive coordinator to Kendrick Shaver,” Matt Wells said. “It’s a reflection of his tremendous work in the secondary with our defensive backs, his knowledge of our system and his loyalty to this program.”

Kotulski’s hiring is also a homecoming of sorts as he spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach at USU in 2003 and 2004.

David Kotulski Photo credit: Utah State Football

Most recently, Kotulski spent the 2014 season as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Vanderbilt with Maile. Prior to that, Kotulski was the linebackers coach at Stanford. The Cardinal appeared in consecutive Rose Bowls in his two seasons as a coach there.

“I’m excited to come back to Cache Valley and be part of all the positive things that have been accomplished with this great program in the recent past,” Kotulski said.

The Aggies will begin spring practices in March. The opening game of the 2016 season will be in Logan against Weber State on Sept. 1.

— thomas.sorenson@aggiemail.usu.edu

Twitter: @tomcat340

— kalen.s.taylor@gmail.com

Twitte: @kalen_taylor