Report: Utah assistant Andersen to be named Utah State head coach

Dec 4, 2008 - 12:14 AM LOGAN, Utah (Ticker) -- Utah defensive coordinator Gary Andersen is on the verge of being named head coach at nearby Utah State, according to a report multiple reports on Wednesday.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported that he has been offered the job and has accepted, and there will be an official announcement at a press conference on Thursday.

Andersen is finishing up his 11th year at Utah, where he also serves as the assistant head coach and defensive line coach. His stock has risen this year as the undefeated Utes - ranked No. 6 in the BCS standings - have put together one of the fastest and most destructive defensive units in the Mountain West Conference.

Utah (12-0) is ranked 18th in the nation in total defense, yielding just 295.9 yards per game. The team is also second in the conference in the category behind only TCU, which is No. 2 in the country. The Utes, who placed five defenders on the all-MWC team this season, also recorded a league-best 17 interceptions.

According to a report on Wednesday in The Deseret Morning News, Andersen met with Utah State officials for six hours on Tuesday, where he was informed that the school would provide a bigger budget for recruiting efforts and would increase salaries for assistant coaches.

Andersen would take over a program that has not registered a winning season since 1996, during which the Aggies went 6-5 and finished atop the Big West Conference. They have just 15 wins over the last six seasons.

Former head coach Brent Guy was fired on November 17 at the conclusion of a 3-9 campaign. Guy was 9-28 in four seasons at the helm.

Andersen has spent 11 of the last 12 years at Utah in a variety of different roles. He has been in charge of the defense and served as head coach Kyle Whittingham's assistant since 2005. He left the school for one year to take over as the head coach at Southern Utah, where he went 4-7 in his first and only season.

He was lured back in 2004 by then-Ute head coach Urban Meyer and helped lead Utah to an undefeated season and a Fiesta Bowl title.