Aggies, All The Way
At Utah State, the days of an athletic director from out of town appear to be over for the first time since the early 2000s.
For about the past three years, Utah State University tried going the East coast biggie big shot route, drafting, I mean, hiring Diana Sabau out of THE Ohio State University after an “extensive, thorough national search.” (Their words, not mine.)
This occurred after Urban Meyer resigns (read: fired) at Ohio State and shortly thereafter, someone in his bar not named his wife tries a few lap dances on him. Then, after his demotion to the Jacksonville Jaguars brings further shame to that community, and most importantly, THE LEAGUE, and Shelley Meyer the wife whoops his butt from that bar to Florida and back it all goes back to the Columbus, Ohio community where Sabau still works at the time.
Or does it? Urban was not long for THE LEAGUE, and neither was that assistant coach nor the strength and conditioning coach blurting out racist language. And yet Utah State administration saw something in Sabau that made them think, You know what? There is nooooooo chance we’ll have any of these problems in Logan. Let’s hire her!
Except that NONE, okay, one or two in the administration that drafted Sabau remains at Utah State. She used Logan as a stepping stone, taking a job at Maryland as a, heh, fundraiser. But wait … wasn’t she hired to rescue the Utah State athletic program? All she resurrected was a decrepit soccer stadium! And now she’s gone.
Who blames the current Aggie iteration (or, boosters) for wanting to turn toward someone who won’t escape?!? Utah State has now needed three football, two men’s basketball, two women’s basketball and two volleyball coaches in three years. What else did Sabau do in Logan? Oh, she helped oversee a federal investigation. Ever seen the movie “Rush Hour” when the FBI tells Det. Lee, played by Jackie Chan, that they’ll take it from here?
And so you may ask yourself: who rankles an entire student section in less than 24 hours? Sabau, that’s who. Has anyone ever heard of an athletic director making a fan base so angry that its student body PRESIDENT had to issue a statement?! And, for good reason; Sabau (2022-25) threatened to gerrymander a portion of student tickets into the hands of buttoned-up corporate shills! Imagine!!
The thing for which Utah State is known, or men’s basketball and not football — not since the 1960s, anyway — was in grave danger of having some of its legend stripped away by some lady watching more TED Talks than sporting events, using two-word catchphrases and speaking like a total outsider. Who was not known for her athletic prowess, and yet had an ability to act like a big shot from back east who will “propel Utah State University into the next century.”
Remember? That was the tag line upon her hiring. That in 2022, Sabau would grace us with her presence and create a female voice, the first at a program that undoubtedly had work to do, no question about it, when it came to protecting the rights of women.
Alas, Sabau was not the first athletic director at Utah State to be from out-of-town. Oh, no-no-NO! Don’t pin all the blame on this lady from THE Ohio State. John Hartwell, who looked, walked and talked like Foghorn Leghorn, deserves plenty. He brought with him to Logan some rigid, grandfatherly military advice, along with several coaches (and the school president) that left with Hartwell in 2022.
Hartwell (2015-22) was a guy who let a LOT of bad shit go on his watch, epically awful events that made Utah State, and particularly the football program, look bad on not just a local perspective but a national one. And, now that the Utah State administration has had so much turnover, you wonder why they would rather settle on someone closer to home???
Before Hartwell: Scott Barnes (2008-15) also stayed for seven seasons, and oversaw the transition to the Mountain West Conference but also used USU as a stepping stone to the next level of college athletics (Pittsburgh). Two years after that, he moved closer (Oregon State) to his home of Spokane, which, as John Stockton has stated in no uncertain terms, is his home.
You cannot take people from their home…it’s their HOME! Let’s be honest; even though Utah State is close to Bear Lake and has all the fishin’, hiking trails and more that makes it a premier outdoors destination it is not THE destination for anyone associated with college athletics. This is a fact locals can’t seem to wrap their heads around fast enough.
Before Barnes, Randy Spetman (2004-08) ushered USU into the WAC from total obscurity in the Sun Belt where a conference game was actually played in Troy, Alabama under the previous AD. It is always important to know where you’ve been and where you are going. (It’s probably on a GIF somewhere.)
Now that Sabau’s gone though, what has she left USU? A possibly lame duck men’s basketball coach, an aloof football coach cornering the market on high schoolers and a slew of other new hires that, aside from women’s soccer coach Manny Martins (maybe), will be leaving at the first sign of distress and/or success.
The Aggies don’t want some hot shot; they got all the promises they needed (for now), the athletic complexes have all been rebuilt or are under construction and the program, propelled into the new Pac-12 where USU continues to play hated Boise State in all sports and Gonzaga in everything except football. The only thing that is not new are these helmets:
Let’s face facts; no AD at Utah State has stayed longer than seven years at the program in the modern era. Jerry Bovee should’ve had the last AD job, had experience as one at Weber State and didn’t get it; according to one report this week from MW Connection even Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith himself or SEG Media might have a say on who’s named the next AD in this new era of name, image and likeness (and amateur student-athletes selling cars and trucks.)
Alan Smith has returned to Cache Valley as Utah State's new president; he thinks this time is "exciting" for the Aggies that start playing football with a new head coach that has allowed zero media access until now, and a basketball coach that was widely rumored to be taking trips in March and whose rumors were only put to rest once he signed an extension with a buyout. Are they all in over their heads in their final season in the Mountain West Conference … or all-in?
Some day down the line, the legendary Spectrum itself might be due for a renaming. At the moment, Cache Valley is kicking and screaming into the future after having had their entire athletics program dissected. In the meantime, locals are asking each other what happens next. «
Overthink This Photo 📸
Less that luscious hair (naturally) BYU football is ready to unveil their latest freshman sensation before a regional TV audience. But, the freshman from California getting the starting nod isn’t the biggest story in Provo.
Nope, it’s the choice of jersey number Bear Bachmeier, brother to Boise State great Hank and Stanford transfer Tiger, selected. No. 47 for a friggin quarterback elicited a slew of side eyed glances, and the old farts couldn’t stand seeing this hotshot in digits above No. 19.
According to BYU head coach Kalani Sitake, this choice in number best summarizes the kind of kid Bear is. The freshman himself seemed purty poised for such a youngun.
The expectation is to win a championship,” said Bachmeier during BYU’s weekly press conference. “I think the individual expectation is that we want to complete the ball, put it in our playmakers hands and score touchdowns.”
#BullshitOrNot
Alright, someone at USU Athletics must have a sense of humor to post this depth chart:
Thanks for reading; be safe and be well. I’ll see ya next time. «