USU's new football coach has something old, new

LOGAN — Not only was he a valued assistant coach, but he has head coaching experience at a smaller program. He's a longtime Utah resident, so he knows what Utah State can attract. He has a gift for recruiting local players, too.

Just checking: Did the Aggies hire Dave Arslanian again?

The long-suffering Aggies introduced the 26th football coach in their history on Thursday, handing the reins to former Utah defensive coordinator Gary Andersen. The move was met with general goodwill, especially at the press conference/pep rally at the Laub Athletics Complex.

Optimism was everywhere. When you're hiring coaches, that's the only way to go. They did it when Mick Dennehy was hired; Brent Guy and Arslanian, too. They probably did it when George P. Campbell took over in 1902, after which someone surely got up and said they had found the perfect fit.

Hiring day is no time for gloomy reflections.

"There's a major commitment here to not be just a good football program, but a great program," said Andersen.

Considering where it has been, "good" would be fantastic.

"I think I look pretty dang good in blue," added Andersen.

If this all sounds familiar, it should. Not just the hiring process, but the end result. The Aggies invested locally. They did so when they hired Arslanian in 1997, and when they elevated assistant coach — and Utah native — Chris Pella in 1982, too.

Arslanian was a head coach at Snow College and Weber State, but only coached two years at USU before getting dumped. Pella went 9-24 as the Aggies' head coach before being fired after the 1985 season.

So strong local ties and a layout of the land aren't necessarily the answer. You need that extra something (money?) that has been missing in Big Blue country for a millennium or so.

In that light, Andersen vowed to recruit Utah players, mixed with Polynesia, Texas and California talent. It's working at Utah, why not USU?

Although this isn't the first Utahn the Aggies have employed, it's not like local coaches have done worse than anyone else. USU has tried just about every avenue, hoping to return to the glory days of the 1960s and '70s. It has hired assistant coaches from big programs (Guy, Charlie Weatherbie) and head coaches from smaller programs (Chuck Shelton, John L. Smith, Dennehy, Arslanian). Pella came from within the ranks.