Matt Wells Signs With Texas Tech; Leaving Utah State
Nov 29, 2018, 1:36 PM | Updated: 7:46 pm
Head coach Matt Wells of the Utah State Aggies talking with his team during second half action against the Boise State Broncos on October 1, 2016 at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho. Boise State won the game 21-10. (Photo by Loren Orr/Getty Images)
(Photo by Loren Orr/Getty Images)
LOGAN, Utah – Texas Tech University has found their new head coach in Matt Wells, meaning Utah State University will need to begin a coaching search of their own.
Wells reportedly inked a deal with the Red Raiders Thursday afternoon.
Texas Tech held a team meeting Thursday evening in Lubbock to announce Wells as the new coach.
It’s official!
Please join us in welcoming our new head coach, Matt Wells!
🔴#WreckEm⚫️ pic.twitter.com/eZpw0fCEwC
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) November 30, 2018
The move comes less than a week after TTU fired head coach Kliff Kingsbury after three losing seasons. He was 35-39 in six seasons with the Red Raiders.
Don Williams of the Avalanche-Journal reported that Wells and Texas Tech had been in contract negotiations.
Utah State coach Matt Wells on brink of taking over at Texas Tech, sources say. https://t.co/bCwn42qhIs
— Don Williams (@AJ_DonWilliams) November 29, 2018
Pete Thamel of Yahoo! Sports has confirmed the reports from Don Williams.
Just confirmed with a source within Texas Tech that this is down the road and expected to happen. Not done, but on the way. Tech officials interviewed Wells Tuesday in Salt Lake City. https://t.co/EwB0PwfuLY
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 29, 2018
Wells is coming off of a 10-win season with the Aggies in his sixth season as the head coach of Utah State. The Aggies fell short of appearing in their first ever Mountain West Conference championship game after losing to Boise State in the regular season finale 33-24. Wells was just awarded his second Coach of the Year award in the conference and has led the Aggies to a bowl game in five of the last six seasons. Coach Wells has a 44-34 record as the head coach of the Aggies and 2-2 in bowl games.
This is Wells’ first head coaching job after spending one season as the quarterback coach and the next season as the offensive coordinator before taking over for Gary Andersen as the head coach.
Texas Tech just fired their head coach Kliff Kingsbury on November 26th after a 5-7 record including a five game losing streak. He compiled a 35-40 record in his six seasons as the head coach of the Red Raiders.
