Robert Anae and the USU coaching vacancy

Now that USU coach Brent Guy lost his coaching job, speculation is hatching out about his replacement.

Names like Robert Anae, BYU offensive coordinator, and Utah defensive coordinator Gary Anderson have surfaced as possible replacements. Other names are former USU and Michigan State coach John L. Smith, plus Washington’s Ty Willingham.

It is news to Anae that his name has cropped up.

“Where? And when?” he asked. “That’s the first I’ve heard of it, you know more than I do about it,” said Anae.

The source is news accounts of the firing of Guy. Anae’s name appeared in newspapers and then it got bantied around on some radio shows and on the Internet.

Anae, who has never expressed his aspirations for a head coaching job, did tell me of his desire to be an offensive coordinator when he was the offensive line coach at Texas Tech.

With the resignation of Rocky Long at New Mexico, it will be an interesting situation to see what names surface and where Long will end up. He told reporters on Monday he isn’t through coaching but he stepped down because he failed to get the Lobos where they needed to be in a program with a glass ceiling.

Another job to watch is the San Diego State situation. Will Chuck Long keep his job alive?