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Canales among top candidates for Utah State job


University of South Florida wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator Mike Canales is listed as one of the favorites to replace fired Utah State coach Brent Guy, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

A 1984 graduate of Utah State, Canales started three years at quarterback for the Aggies. In 2005, Canales, then offensive coordinator at the University of Arizona, was a finalist for the Aggies job that went to Guy.

Canales is in his second stint at USF. He was on the original staff in 1996 as the Bulls’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 1996-2000 before going to N.C. State in 2001-02 where he was pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, working with current San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers.

Canales spent the 2003 season as receivers coach with the New York Jets before going to Arizona for three seasons (2004-2006) as offensive coordinator. He’s been at USF since 2007.

Other leading candidates to replace Guy, the Salt Lake Tribune reported, included former USU coach John L. Smith, who coached the Aggies from 1995-97, San Jose linebackers coach Kent Baer, Utah defensive coordinator Gary Anderson and New Mexico offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin.

Send Us Your Comments

Posted by  Harold Wheeler, Tampa on 11/19  at  09:37 AM

It’s all about $. And right now the USF program is too young to have enough of it to compete consistenly with the top tear programs in recruitment and compensation for coaches and players. Recruiting players not compensating them. (Better clarify that before some jackass runs with it.) As the budget grows, slowly i might add, so will the program.
We are not UF, USC or Tx and won’t be for a very long time. Be thankful and proud of what we have.
Go Bulls.


Posted by  Brett McMurphy,  on 11/18  at  09:51 AM

Simon, Kiffin made as much - or more than Leavitt did - with the Raiders. He would not take a million dollar paycut to work at USF. He wants to be a head coach. Patrick, if you’re an Entourage fan, you had to love the ‘shroom episode a couple weeks ago. Don G., I think naturally any non-BCS coordinators would want to work at BCS schools. But since USF’s assistants are among the lowest paid in the BCS, it might not be an automatic jump for a non-BCS coach. USF’s assistants pool increases $100,000 next year, to be divided among the nine assistants.


Posted by  Don G, Madeira Beach, FL on 11/18  at  09:38 AM

Brett, with continued success by MAC teams like Ball St, Central Michigan, Western Michigan and the very good teams we’re seeing in the Mtn West (Utah, Brigham Young, & TCU, what’s your feeling or what do you know about those OCs being interested in OC position with our BCS team?  Would seem reasonable to assume that non-BCS coaches would jump at opportunity to move to a BCS school and do so in hopes of possible future head coaching job?  Re: that possibility and the Bulls, USF would need to find more money for quality OC & DC. Any knowledge on USF’s plan to invest more for their assistant coaches?


Posted by  Patrick O'Rourke, D.C. on 11/18  at  09:03 AM

Simon.....STEP AWAY FROM THE ‘SHROOMS.

Your hallucinating, my man.

Lane Kiffin....go from head coach of an NFL team to offensive coordinator of a college program??

Wow.  Some of us USF fans have a wee bit of a high opinion of our school, huh?


Posted by  Simon,  on 11/18  at  08:16 AM

Mike certainly deserves to have an opportunity to be a head coach and I hope he is offered the job at Utah State and takes it. I am not sure he would take the OC position at USF if offered. With some pretty good coach’s available out there right now I would say perhaps it would be worth a converation with Laine Kiffin and USF/Tampa might be enticing for him since his dad is here. Plus an opportunity for him to be at a program in one of the prime recruiting states in the country. The name value certainly would bring him up to par with the coach’s at the other 3 big schools in the state.


Posted by  Dan, Tampa on 11/18  at  06:52 AM

We would be letting the wrong guy go if Canales moves on. Does it say anything that NOBODY is asking our OC Greg Gregory to go coach for them? Let Leavitt and Canales use this leverage to give GG the boot (now if possible) and promote Canales to USF’s OC!


Posted by  Ron Zook, Champaign, IL on 11/17  at  05:24 PM

I think Coach Leavitt and Coach Gregory are doing a great job down there.

Now, it can’t compare to the way I took that Florida program from the nothing program it was during the Spurrier era and made it into a perennial power, but what they have going down there is sensational.

Anyone who wants to fire any of USF’s coaches would probably say that I deserved to be fired from UF....and we all know THAT isn’t the case.  I mean...just look at the way the Gators’ program has regressed in the years following my termination. 

Is that what you Bulls fans really want for your program?


Posted by  Brett McMurphy,  on 11/17  at  03:27 PM

David, that’s certainly a sign - no pun intended - USF is hitting the big time: For Sale signs in coaches yards. I used to cover Odessa Permian High School in West Texas (the school book/movie/TV show Friday Night Lights is based on) and after EVERY single loss, the coach would have hundreds of For Sale signs in his front yard.


Posted by  David M., West Palm Beach on 11/17  at  03:18 PM

Brett, any chance Mike Canales would take USF OC Coach Gregory with him?  and then maybe fire him...the next day..  Im a USF grad and supporter of the bulls, but i am embarrased by C Leavitt lack of preparation for games.  The players are not playing for him, it’s apparent.  Can someone place a for sale sign on CJL lawn please, and maybe send a few moving vans.


Posted by  Terry Lucas, Queen Creek, AZ on 11/17  at  02:33 PM

If anyone can get USU off the ground, it would be Coach C. He was easily the most respected coach at USF when I played there. A true player’s coach… he can recruit because he is sincere with every action. He was the fall guy at UofA. Now that Arizona is still pathetic, Stoops can’t pin his problems on Canales. I hope Coach Canales gets the position. What would be better than coaching at your alma mater where you were the star QB? He deserves the position and the pay day. I wish Leavitt would just announce his promotion back to OC that way he can right the ship here. But that is not going to happen mid-season. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.


Posted by  Gary Blackamn, Tampa on 11/17  at  02:06 PM

I am praying he will take over as OC but if he wants the job who am I to say stay.


Posted by  Hector Jimenez, Forsyth, GA on 11/17  at  12:49 PM

Great!  The one coach besides Wally who is worth anything will be leaving after this year....’cause they won’t string him along twice.


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