University of South Florida pass game coordinator Mike Canales said Tuesday he has been contacted by Utah State about the Aggies’ vacant head coaching position.

“I have a great passion for that place,” said Canales, who also is USF’s wide receivers coach. “It’s where I played, bled and sweated. I gave five years of my life to the university and graduated from there. It has given me many opportunities in my life.

“It would be very, very special. To go back there [as head coach] would be a dream come true.”

Canales has been at USF the past two seasons. He was on USF’s original staff as offensive coordinator from 1996-2000. He also was pass game coordinator at N.C. State, working with QB Philip Rivers, from 2001-02, New York Jets WRs coach (2003) and Arizona offensive coordinator (2004-06).

While offensive coordinator at the University of Arizona in 2005, Canales was a finalist for the USU job that went to Brent Guy. Guy was fired last week after going 8-38 in four seasons at Utah State.

The Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News have reported that other candidates for the Utah State job include former Utah State coach John L. Smith, UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker, San Jose State assistant Kent Baer, Utah defensive coordinator Gary Anderson.