This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Having spent two seasons on Utah State's football staff, Matt Wells was promoted the day after his boss left the school.
Tim Duryea's hiring took 80 days, after his 14-year audition.
USU's impulsive, convenient choice of Wells has worked wonderfully. The school can only hope the same is true of the lengthy process that led to Duryea's being introduced Monday as Stew Morrill's successor.
Duryea earned this opportunity, and he's a popular choice among everyone in Logan who knows him personally. Yet this is not a headline-grabbing move by USU athletic director Scott Barnes. Some percentage of fans undoubtedly expected something bigger and bolder from the chair of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee.
Either the "thorough national search," as Barnes described it, endorsed Duryea's credentials in comparison to other interested coaches, or Duryea was a fallback choice. Or both.
No way could Duryea have ranked as Barnes' No. 1 target as of Jan. 9, when Morrill announced his retirement plans. But he's worthy of the job, and he made a very good impression Monday at the Wayne Estes Center. He emotionally thanked Morrill for "the ride of my life … an amazing experience" of working with him, while also promising to make "my own footprint" on the program.
Duryea cited plans for more ambitious scheduling, as he goes from being the guy holding the binder of offensive play-calls that he flashed to the players on the court to standing in front of the bench.
What's clear is that USU's surprising performance in the Mountain West this season made his promotion possible. When the Aggies lost at home to New Mexico the day after Morrill's announcement, the odds of Duryea being hired were slim at best. But the team responded well after that, winning nine of 12 games — even though the Aggies lost their last three games, including a quarterfinal contest with eventual champion Wyoming in the MW tournament.
In the process, by tying for fourth place in the 11-team league, the Aggies proved me wrong about their ability to compete with the existing level of recruiting by Morrill and his staff. That gives Duryea a good starting point, with an 11-7 conference record as the baseline.
Regardless of how USU replaced Morrill, this would be a big story. In the 17 years since USU hired Morrill, the state's three Football Bowl Subdivision schools have filled 17 high-profile vacancies (athletic director, football coach or men's basketball coach). The Aggies themselves introduced four football coaches and three athletic directors in that time.
The next two seasons appear promising for the Aggies, after they've gone 18-18 in two years of MW play. Duryea loves the school; that came across clearly Monday. Introducing his own ideas within the framework of his predecessor's program has worked for Wells. Who knows? Duryea might become another star in Logan.
Duryea's 14-year tenure as a USU assistant was far short of the 30 years that Bill Guthridge spent on the North Carolina staff before replacing Dean Smith and taking the Tar Heels to the 1998 Final Four, losing to Utah. Then again, Duryea waited almost twice as long as Dave Rose at BYU, before Rose replaced Steve Cleveland.
Like Rose, Duryea has junior college head coaching experience, and he understands the nuances of the program he's taking over. USU's returning talent will give him a good chance to succeed next season. Duryea won't require a break-in period. There's also no excuse if he doesn't win right away.
Twitter: @tribkurt —
Rare hire for USU
Prior to Tim Duryea's hiring, 17 high-profile athletic department vacancies at FBS schools in Utah had been filled since the last time Utah State hired a men's basketball coach. The list:
Utah • Three basketball coaches (Ray Giacoletti, Jim Boylen and Larry Krystkowiak); two football coaches (Urban Meyer and Kyle Whittingham).
BYU • Two athetic directors (Val Hale and Tom Holmoe); two football coaches (Gary Crowton and Bronco Mendenhall); one basketball coach (Dave Rose).
USU • Four football coaches (Mick Dennehy, Brent Guy, Gary Andersen and Matt Wells); three athletic directors (Rance Pugmire, Randy Spetman and Scott Barnes).