Clune's coaching career leads to unexpected repeat stop at Utah State

Clune's coaching career leads to unexpected repeat stop at Utah State

(Eli Lucero/Herald-Journal/File)


3 photos
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

LOGAN — When former Utah State linebackers coach Kevin Clune left the Aggies’ football program two years ago, he didn’t think he’d return.

But his career had other ideas.

Clune succeeded newly hired Houston defensive coordinator Todd Orlando as the Aggies’ defensive coordinator after spending only one season at Hawaii, and the transition has been as easy as one could expect.

“I loved being in Hawaii and I loved working for coach (Norm) Chow, but there were a number of factors that brought me back (to Logan),” Clune said in a recent Q&A with Utah State Athletics. “I didn’t think I was ever coming back to Logan. That’s the way it’s been in my coaching career: you’re there for a while, you move on to the next and it’s a new adventure. This is kind of chapter two of the same adventure. It’s different. I never expected to be back.”

Now that he is back, Clune inherits several linebackers that he knows well, including returning preseason All-American Kyler Fackrell, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Aggies’ first game of 2014 at Tennessee. He also knows standout two-way player and linebacker Nick Vigil, whom he helped recruit from high school, and he coached his brother Zach for most of the latter’s college career.

Clune said this year’s defense will be about “effort, hustle and pursuit.”

Weber State defensive coordinator Kevin Clune (black hat) works with football players as they go through drills as part of practice on Saturday morning, April 9, 2005. (August Miller/Deseret Morning News/File)
Weber State defensive coordinator Kevin Clune (black hat) works with football players as they go through drills as part of practice on Saturday morning, April 9, 2005. (August Miller/Deseret Morning News/File)

“We need to improve and win the one-on-one battles,” he added. We need to establish the starters, establish the traveling team, establish depth, so guys have to step up and produce. There are lots of little things there and they’ve done a good job so far; they just have to continue.”

The Aggie defense has been strong in the first two scrimmages of spring camp, and fans will get another chance to see if the new defensive players can match that level again Saturday at 2 p.m. at Romney Stadium.

The spring is a time to get a glimpse of the next cycle of defensive standouts in the Utah State system. That is, guys who can replace the Bobby Wagners, Zach Vigils and Frankie Suteras of the past.

“Now it’s time for other people to step up,” the one-time Weber State defensive coordinator said. “That’s just the evolution, and this 2015 team is going to be one of a kind. Those people have to take ownership, they have to take leadership roles and push this thing to where it needs to go.”

The Utah State defense is still a work in progress — Clune admitted there are “a million questions” going through spring practice. But he’s confident the team will be ready to go by the Aggies’ opener Sept. 3 against Southern Utah.

“There is a group of kids that are here and understand my expectations and I know what they can do, so that’s all good,” Clune said. “It’s all about evolving to the 2015 team, and the kids have to feel their way through it and become this team. Spring ball is part of that process.”

Photos

Related stories

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

UtahSportsUtah State Aggies
Sean Walker

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast