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LOGAN — For the second year in a row, Utah State head football coach Matt Wells has signed a contract extension, keeping him in Logan through the 2019 season, the school announced Friday.
Wells signed an extension at the end of last year that kept him with the Aggies through the 2018 season. His most recent extension adds a year to the contract and also includes salary increases for each of his assistant coaches.
Wells' contract included a salary of up to $800,000 per season (with bonuses and incentives) under the previous terms, according to a former release.
"I am very appreciative of the support shown by my university and President (Stan) Albrecht, and in our staff and myself," Wells said a statement released by the university. "I am extremely honored to coach here at my alma mater, and I'm as motivated as ever to reset the culture daily that has been established here at Utah State in our football program.
"We will continue to work hard toward our goals of graduating our student-athletes on time and competing for and winning Mountain West championships.”
Wells has led the Aggies to a 19-9 record in two seasons as head coach, including back-to-back bowl wins that continued a school-record run of three-straight postseason victories in his time in Logan. The former Aggie quarterback has been on campus since taking the job as quarterbacks coach in 2011, ascending to the top spot after only one year as offensive coordinator in 2012.
The Aggies went 10-4 in 2014, including a 21-6 win over UTEP in the New Mexico Bowl, despite seeing significant injury attrition that included the loss of three starting quarterbacks.
Utah State joins just three other FBS programs with 30 or more wins and three bowl victories over the last three seasons. The other programs are Clemson, Michigan State and Oregon.
"It is extremely important to us that we keep Matt and his staff at Utah State long-term, and I know in my conversations with him this is exactly what he wants," interim athletic director Jana Doggett said in a statement. "We know what we have in coach Wells and his commitment to our student-athletes continues to be tremendous. Matt has deep roots here as a former Aggie quarterback and he conveys his passion for our great university on a daily basis."
Wells also received Mountain West coach of the year honors in 2013, his first in command at Utah State when he led the team to a 7-1 league record and a Mountain Division championship.
Utah State kicks off its season Sept. 3 at home against Southern Utah.
