Waving goodbye to greatness...

The optimism was so high, so recently. The thought of Andersen, Wells and Aranda all staying for another season was nothing short of a thrill, and almost seemed too good to be true.

Turns out it was...

For a fan base that seemed to pretty well grasp the idea that our time with a coach as great as Gary Andersen would be very limited, it was interesting to see the reactions Tuesday night as news broke.

Heartbreak is a funny thing, and people all deal with it in their own ways, and I think that very much showed in the wake of the news that the man who helped turn Utah State football from a perennial doormat to a top 20 program, was accepting potentially a once-in-a-lifetime offer.

I won't hide the fact that I disagree with those who are trying to tear down everything about Andersen. A lot of the things said about him upset me quite a bit. This is a guy who devoted everything he had to this program for the last four years, raising Utah State football to national prominence. Remembering where we back in 2006 and 2007 when this program lost 16 consecutive games, and comparing that to the thrills of 2011 and 2012, I'm filled with nothing but joy that we got to have Gary Andersen here to do what he's done.

Going back on the announcement from a few weeks back that he would be staying is hurtful. I get it. We had our hopes high, and Tuesday they were brought crashing down. The way it all happened is a huge disappointment, and it is no doubt a bruise on his legacy.

But people had expected all along that Andersen would soon be on to bigger opportunities than what Utah State could afford him. Regardless of the circumstances, it was going to be hard to swallow.

I might not be the majority in this line of thinking by any means, but I think it's times like these where we can make the most positive of impressions on the program we want so badly to see succeed. These are the times where outpourings of gratitude could potentially leave an impression on any future coaches to truly believe we have something special in the works at Utah State. Throwing a guy under the bus after leading USU to its best season ever only harbors negativity, and the less of that we have, the better.

THE NEXT BOISE STATE
This has been a continual talking point about the future hopes for the Utah State football program. It's something that obviously won't come easy, as it's really only been done by one program. You could throw Utah and TCU into that mix too, but BSU is the benchmark there for doing it in such a small market.

For those who thought Utah State's hopes of becoming the next Boise State went out the window with Andersen leaving, you're forgetting one very crucial aspect of the Boise State story... Dan Hawkins.

Dan Hawkins was the head coach that Boise State lost to a big name school after the 2005 season, leaving them wondering if their rise to prominence had come to an end. The school hired Offensive Coordinator Chris Peterson as its head football coach to replace Hawkins, won the Fiesta Bowl, and have been a national power ever since.

If being the next Boise State is what Aggie fans want, then Andersen's departure is just part of the process.

While a head coaching search might not be resolved right away, it's worth noting that Gary Andersen's head coaching record at USU prior to Matt Wells joining the staff was 8-16. With Wells on staff, the record has been 18-8. If continuity is the goal, Wells could be the guy, much like Peterson was as the successor to Hawkins.

Do I think Utah State will find a better coach than Andersen? Probably not. I think Andersen is destined to be one of the best coaches in all of college football for a long time. I think he'll have tremendous success at Wisconsin, and should serve as a proud example of coach that really blossomed at Utah State.

Not too unlike a certain Urban Meyer a few years back when he left Utah. Meyer has gone on to be arguably the best coach in college football of the past 10 years, and the Utah program he left behind has done pretty well for itself too. Kyle Whittingham took over that program and kept them at the high level where Meyer had brought them. Many will claim (myself included) that Whittingham's 2008 Sugar Bowl championship team was a better overall squad than the 2004 Fiesta Bowl team that Meyer was in charge of.

The point is, programs have withstood high-profile coaching changes before to go on to bigger and better things than the would-be legends like Hawkins and Meyer could claim from their time at the mid-major level. Both BSU and Utah had more sustained success than what USU has had in leading up to these changes, but what's to say USU can't go a bit further in overcoming this new challenge?

Respect the process.

I DON'T JUST LIKE YA, I LOVE YA!!!
I'm not bitter at Gary Andersen at all. It is a bummer to lose him, but Wisconsin is an unreal opportunity for him. We very well could see our former head coach hoisting a national championship trophy at some point in the next few years, and for me, that gives quite a bit of a sense of pride in knowing that he was one of us for these last four years.

Andersen has done the job at Utah State that we've only dreamed to see other coaches do. He's made us into a strong program for the first time in generations, and that is something I will forever be appreciative of.

On top of winning a ton of football games, beating the in-state teams, winning the WAC and winning a bowl game, he was just a pleasure to have around. He's a hell of a guy who you can tell really cares about what he does.

Sure, he might be moving on to a new group of players and fans to care about, but I have zero doubt that his love for Utah State players and fans has been genuine all along. To have a guy like that here for four years has been special. And while I've thanked him multiple times for all he's done here, I would give a whole lot for the chance to thank him one last time and wish him well.

No matter how much the unfolding of events may have hurt, the good things he's done outweigh the bad, and the ratio is nowhere even close in that one!

Thank you for everything Gary Andersen!!! To me, and hopefully plenty others, you'll forever be an Aggie legend!!!