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Gary Andersen's surprising decision to become Oregon State's head coach and the expected announcement that Tulsa is set to hire Baylor offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery may quiet the rumors that Matt Wells could leave the Aggies for a coaching position elsewhere, but expect Wells' name to continue to be linked to future positions.
His success has made him an attractive candidate, USU athletic director Scott Barnes acknowledged Thursday, calling it a 'compliment' schools were interested in his coach.
"It comes with the territory," Barnes said. "But I know he is as excited as we are to finish the season strong and is incredibly excited to see what next year brings. He'll have his opportunities, I'm sure, but not just yet."
Barnes gave Wells a contract extension in April worth $800,000 annually with incentives. It was as much of an acknowledgement for what he did last year as it was an effort to lock him in with the Aggies, Barnes acknowledged.
"We thought Matt could do a good job, but he achieved in some ways that went beyond what we expected," Barnes said. "A lot of coaches are challenged by delegation but he showed a lot of leadership in his first year and got the job done."
As for the Aggies' former coach, Andersen, Barnes said he wasn't stunned to hear Andersen was leaving Wisconsin for Oregon State.
"He is a unique coach and it is all about fitting into the situation and that is a place where he fits well," Barnes said. "It's a blue collar opportunity where he has a chance to elevate a program that has been good but not necessarily great all the time."