Utah State fired former head coach Blake Anderson less than two months before the 2024 season was about to begin. And since then, the year hasn’t gone how USU fans have hoped.
Nate Dreiling took over as the Aggies’ interim head coach, but they’ve started this season 2-7. They began the year with a 36-14 win over FCS Robert Morris, but they lost six straight games after that. They did beat Wyoming 27-25 in a Mountain West matchup.
Though USU likely won’t make any changes until the season is over, here are a few coaches the Aggies might consider to be their head coach for 2025.
Interim Utah State Head Coach Nate Dreiling
It’s possible Utah State ends up sticking with Dreiling beyond this season. While this year hasn’t been stellar, the program might want to see how Dreiling can lead the program under better circumstances with a full offseason to prepare.
Dreiling was going into his first year as the defensive coordinator for Utah State before he became the interim HC. He had spent the previous two seasons as New Mexico State’s defensive coordinator.
A former linebacker at Pittsburg State, Dreiling played professionally briefly for the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Kansas from 2015-16 before going back to Pittsburg State to coach safeties (2017) and be the team’s defensive coordinator (2018-19).
He was then a defensive analyst at Oregon in 2020 before being an inside linebackers coach and defensive run game coordinator at Southeast Missouri State in 2021.
If the Aggies decide to not start over with a brand new coaching staff, maybe they keep Dreiling as head coach.
UNLV Offensive Coordinator Brennan Marion
Marion is in just his second season as UNLV’s offensive coordinator. He’s done well with the Rebels and has familiarity with the Mountain West.
In 2023, UNLV was 44th in the FBS with 412.7 yards per game and 22nd with 34.4 points per contest. The Rebels have continued to be successful on offense this season, even after quarterback Matthew Sluka decided to sit out the rest of the year.
Before this, Marion was a passing game coordinator at Texas in 2022, a wide receivers coach at Pitt in 2021, a wide receivers coach at Hawaii in 2020, an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at William & Mary in 2019, an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Howard in 2017 and 2018, and a running backs coach at Oklahoma Baptist in 2016.
Marion’s name has been tied to a few head coaching vacancies the past couple years. His expertise and experience in the conference could benefit the Aggies.
Kansas State Assistant Head Coach Van Malone
Malone hasn’t been a head coach at the collegiate level yet, but he has a good amount of experience as a coordinator and positions coach at several FBS programs.
Malone, who is also a defensive passing game coordinator and a cornerbacks coach, has been at Kansas State since 2019. Last year, the Wildcats were 18th in passing efficiency defense (118.63) and were 10th in the country with 16 interceptions the season before. Several K-State defensive backs have earned All-Big 12 accolades during Malone’s tenure.
Previously, Malone was a defensive quality control coach at Mississippi State (2018) and a defensive coordinator at SMU (2015-17). He also worked with defensive backs at Oklahoma State (2012-14), Tulsa (2010-11), Texas A&M (2006-09), North Texas (2005), and Western Michigan (2004). He was a wide receivers coach at North Dakota State in 2003, so he has worked with both sides of the ball. He also coached special teams at Western Michigan and North Texas.
Malone has the experience needed to be a great candidate.
USC Defensive Coordinator D’Anton Lynn
Lynn has been a pretty good DC in the western part of the country at multiple schools.
Lynn has helped USC make massive strides in his first year there. Going into Week 10, the Trojans were ranked in the top 50 in the FBS in scoring defense (21.75 points per game allowed) after previously struggling on that side of the ball.
He’s widely regarded as a rising star in the coaching profession. He was previously the defensive coordinator at UCLA in 2023. The Bruins were top 10 in the country in total defense (301.5 yards per game allowed) and 14th in scoring defense (18.4 points per game allowed). UCLA allowed the second-fewest rushing yards per game in the nation with 80.8.
Previously, Lynn was a safeties coach with the Baltimore Ravens and worked with the Houston Texas’ secondaries before that. He was also an assistant for the Los Angeles Chargers when his father, Anthony Lynn, was the head coach there and focused primarily on linebackers. He’s also worked for the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets in the past decade.
Lynn would be a good coach for USU to consider.
Idaho Head Coach Jason Eck
Eck is one of the top head coaches in the FCS, and he has familiarity with the region.
Eck is in his third season as Idaho’s head coach. The Vandals went 7-4 during the regular season in 2022, earning a trip to the postseason for the first time since 2016, and were 9-4 last year as they reached the FCS quarterfinals.
Before that, he was the offensive coordinator at South Dakota State from 2019-21 and the team’s offensive line coach from 2016-19. Going back to 2000, he’s also been an assistant at Montana State, Minnesota State-Mankato, Western Illinois, Hampton, Ball State, Winona State, Colorado, and Wisconsin.
Eck has proven he can take a program to the next level and is the exact type of coach Utah State would want as the Aggies look to join the Pac-12 in a couple years.
San Jose State Wide Receivers Coach Kevin McGiven
McGiven has coached at Utah State before and is extremely familiar with the Mountain West.
McGiven was the offensive coordinator at San Jose State from 2018-23. Last season, the Spartans were top five in the Mountain West with 403.5 yards and 31.8 points per game. McGiven also mentored 2023 preseason Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, quarterback Chevan Cordeiro.
After Spartans head coach Ken Niumatalolo replaced Brent Brennan, who became the head coach at Arizona, McGiven became SJSU’s wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator. Through Week 10, SJSU wide receiver Nick Nash was first in the country with 80 catches, 995 yards, and 12 receiving touchdowns.
Before coaching at SJSU, McGiven was the offensive coordinator at Oregon State from 2016-17 and OSU’s quarterbacks coach in 2015. He was also the OC at Utah State from 2013-14 after leading offenses in the FCS at Montana State (2012), Weber State (2007-08), and Southern Utah (2005).
McGiven has yet to be a Division I head coach, but he should be one Utah State considers.
