Deseret News | USU football: Former Aggie center stage in coaching drama

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USU football: Former Aggie center stage in coaching drama

No to canales | 7:30 a.m. Nov. 27, 2008

Please check with Arizona head coach Mike Stoopes - while the oc with the wildcats, arizona was a very poor offensive team. But of course, it will come down to who will take the job for the $$ that is offered.

Canales | 8:37 a.m. Nov. 27, 2008

Keep in mind all teams he has coached with have not had great or good seasons. Good guy but not head coach material. He has called all his coach friends to put in a good word. Don't think he can get the job done. Why hasn't be been offered a HC job before. Utah State could toss the dice, and give it a try. I don't think so, they need a ringer. They cannot afford to hire another non producer.

Whole situation | 8:39 a.m. Nov. 27, 2008

Make sure you consider the entire situation at Arizona. Stoops has a rep for being a coach killer. Only when they brought in Sonny Dykes as OC did Stoops back off not having such a heavy hand with the offense. There is more to the story than just stats. Motivating recruiting, and organization; Canales would make a great coach. Ask any of his players.

Comments continue below

AggieFan74 | 8:41 a.m. Nov. 27, 2008

This sounds like a nice guy but what's his winning percentage in Division I football as a head coach? What's his track record for recruiting impact players? The same things were said about Brent Guy four years ago! Few things are for certain but it's a fact that nice guys finish last and USU needs a "winner" as in a record of winning "football games" not being a real nice position coach!!!!! Yeah let's waste another 4 or 5 years as the WAC doormat. How did Weber get good over the same time period as Brent Guy was USU's head coach. Oh yeah, they hired a proven coach and proven recruiter!!!!!

Re: AggieFan74 | 9:03 a.m. Nov. 27, 2008

Listen to what he said RIGHT ON !!!!

Did you hear that AD.

next coach | 11:10 a.m. Nov. 27, 2008

doesnt matter who it is....

ringer | 12:33 p.m. Nov. 27, 2008

Utah State cannot get a ringer coach as mentioned above. We will need to roll the dice and Canalas is as good as anyone else. We need a coach that will end up being a ringer and will stay. Not a stepping stone

Re: next coach | 3:16 p.m. Nov. 27, 2008

Get lost! Go back to the BYU blog where you belong! This site is, I think, for "real" Aggie fans who actually care about the football program and have viable opinions about making a very critical and significant head football coach hire. I firmly believe that the Aggies can be a permanent fixture in the upper echelon of the WAC football standings if, and only if, the right coach is hired "now." If Scott Barnes makes a bad hire, the program is right back to where it was 4 years ago and, I hate to say it, but the University has to assess whether or not to remain in Division I. The time for an intellegent hire is "now." If USU does not have the money to make a competitive offer to quality coach then let's talk about moving to the Big Sky!

CASH VALLEY | 8:15 p.m. Nov. 27, 2008

Canales has contagious energy, enthusiasm, & drive. He is an offensive guru that would have the Aggies competitive in his first year. C'mon Barnes-- hire Chico as Head Coach, and tell him to bring his buddy Keith Uperesa from UNLV to be OC.

Logan Man | 10:45 p.m. Nov. 27, 2008

Utah State needs a recruiter and then good coaches.

Chico is the Man | 10:50 p.m. Nov. 27, 2008

I was privileged to know and associate myself with Chico when he was at Utah State. He was a dedicated athlete that put in many hours studying films and then going out and performing. He was not the most gifted quarterback but made up for it in effort.
Whether or not he gets the job, I know that his dedication is without reproach. There is also enthusiasm which he would bring to the program. How many coaches can Utah State say had any enthusiasm. Maybe Coach Weatherby, but the rest of them have been dead heads. Athletes need someone who can inspire them to be more than they are. Chico is the man.

Colo. Aggie | 7:19 a.m. Nov. 28, 2008

It has been good to see that USU has several excellent candidates to choose from. However, when you look at the field, you have to go with John L. Smith because of his experience and name recognition. He would bring a proven track record and instant credibility to the program. If JLS becomes the coach, I would like to see Mike Canales as the OC, or Kent Baer as the DC. This would be a promotion for both of these coaches from the positions they now hold at South Florida and San Jose State. It would also give the Aggies a coach in waiting for when John L. Smith retires. It would be very exciting to see some combination of these coaches who are vying for the head job to come together to form the new coaching staff.

starting over | 8:11 a.m. Nov. 28, 2008

all that was done was a waste

starting over again...

players will leave, recruits taht were coming now arent

who is recruting right now?

i see 0-12 next yr.

RE: Chico is the Man | 8:25 a.m. Nov. 28, 2008

What are you his brother or something, If you can't provide results you don't deserve to me a head coach I con't care how hard you work. In this game you win or you are out.

re: ringer | 8:28 a.m. Nov. 28, 2008

You got to be kidding!!! We are talking about a multimillion dollar program. I hope the leadership at Utah State does not share this mentality. That blog is a joke.

RE: Chico is the Man | 8:59 a.m. Nov. 28, 2008

I remeber a guy who had buckets of enthusiasm and commitment that was hired as an Aggie head coach. His name was Dave Arslynian. If I remember correctly, he lasted less than two years after he completely lost control of the team and posted back-to-back 1 or 2 win seasons. Enthusiasm is not enough!!!! As mentioned above, nice guys finish last!!!! I want a guy with a proven track record of winning Division I football games who can recruit impact players and I don't care where they come from. The "RA! RA! I love you guys" approach to player motivation seldom works with today's "big city bad-boy" players! A coach with that approach gets "conn'ed" in a heartbeat. The "you produce or lose your scholarship" approach is a winner. Fear is a tremendous and absolute motivator. Winning coaches "demand respect and performance." They don't "politely" ask for it!

Quarterback 8 | 9:48 a.m. Nov. 28, 2008

First of all, I have to say, if you think Dave Arslanian had buckets of enthusiasm, then you are going to love Coach Canales. Coach Canales has more enthusiasm and leadership in his pinky than Dave Arslanian had. I don't have enough words remaining to talk about Coach Canales' recruits, his connections to Utah and California (he's from Palm Springs), and his pedigree. If Utah State is really looking for someone to be the "Front Porch" of the University, then it is a no brainer in my opinion. He know's the formula that Utah, BYU, Weber State, and Snow College use to win here in State. He will hire great polynesian coaches, as well as take advantage of all the "meat and potatoes" (OL, DL, LB's, TE's) athletes here in Utah. Utah State would be lucky to have someone as qualified, charismatic, and competent as Mike Canales. The guy is flat out ready for this job...

slcAggie | 10:26 a.m. Nov. 28, 2008

I think he's a better choice than Walker, only b/c the type of athletes USU gets, we need a HC that will have an offensive gameplan to chuck the ball around, run the spread and score lots of points. BG's gameplan was focused on the defense and that just won't work with the undersized lineman USU. I'm all for the 56-42 type of games.

Re QB 8 | 10:32 a.m. Nov. 28, 2008

We are looking for someone who can develop a program and win games. Canales has done neither,
this is like beating a dead horse.

"Old Aggie" | 10:35 a.m. Nov. 28, 2008

Nice post Toph, You should know all about the enthusiasm and leadership. Living in So. Florida would be a little different that So. Cache. We would be 4 years ahead of where we were before they went too ASU for a coach.
Go Bulls

hahah! | 11:01 a.m. Nov. 28, 2008

Who cares who the coach is, USU will continue to get the worst recruits and the leftovers by BYU and Utah. Maybe even after Snow and Weber.

john L | 12:26 p.m. Nov. 28, 2008

all we heard for the last 6 months is John L was the new coach?

what happened???

new coach? | 2:09 p.m. Nov. 28, 2008

why r they interviewing? we all heard john L was a done deal months ago.

Facts | 2:36 p.m. Nov. 28, 2008

Get your facts straight. Arslanian won 7 games in two years. Guy has won 8 games in 4 years. Arslanian was told to go away from JC's and only recruit high school kids. And then they promptly fire him after two years.

This is a big hire. John L. Smith is an idiot to take the Wyoming job over USU. It would be a lot easier to win in Logan in the Wac then to win in Laramie in the MWC.

The way Utah TCU and BYU are going the best he could ever hope for is 4th place in the MWC. In the Wac after Boise it is wide open. It would be much easier for him to compete in the Wac at Utah State then the MWC at Wyo.

And if Boise is dumb enough to give away being ESPN's sweetheart playing five games a year on national TV to join the MWC and play on the mountain and at best hope for 2nd or 3rd place then the WAC is really wide open.

So go ahead and take the WYO job John L. where hitting yourself in a press conference is acceptable.

RE: Quarterback 8 | 7:02 p.m. Nov. 28, 2008

I am sure that Mike Canales (Chico) is great to have a beverage with and talk football. However, the facts are: 1) he has no track (win/loss) record as a head coach anywhere over his 22 plus years in football; 2) he averages 2 years at any one coaching gig; 3) after 4 offensive coordinator jobs he was asked to resign at Arizona where he mastermind an offense that consistantly ranked in the bottom 10 of Division I football and dead last in the PAC 10 in 2004; 4) he has been quoted as saying he declined the USU head coach job in 2004; and 5) after being hired as the offensive coordinator at USF, he has returned to the USF program in the much lesser role of receivers coach where the offense averages 12.2 passing yards per catch and 240 passing yards per game (as compared with USU at 12.5 passing yards per catch and 200 passing yards per game).

Chico might talk-the-talk but somebody convince me he can walk-the-walk. To me, it looks like Chico is just another USU head coach train wreck-but all us Aggie fans will enjoy his enthusiasm!!!!!

No! Here Are The Facts! | 11:46 a.m. Nov. 29, 2008

Let's take about the now:

Canales is part of an offensive staff that had their team ranked #2 in the Country last year and #10 this year. They will be going to another bowl game this season.

Do any of the other candidates have that type of recent success? And don't tell me what they did five years ago.

Let's talk about the now!

coach4aliving | 12:10 p.m. Dec. 1, 2008

Remember when Chuck Shelton left USU, Charlie Weatherbie was hired.No one knew who he was? But,he brought in Jim Zorn HC Redskins as OC,Gary Patterson,HC TCU as Safeties,DeWayne Walker DC,Corners, UCLA,Tommie Robinson,RB Miami,Dick Bumpus, DC TCU as the DC,Scott Runyan WR.Chico will be fine and he will hire good football coaches and people. When he does this,dont lEt him leave (Because he cannot get paid).

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