WAC football: League's two new coaches face big challenges
There's no need to remind Gary Andersen of the struggles the Utah State football team has had in recent years.
Same for DeWayne Walker at New Mexico State.
The two first-year coaches take over programs that have been known more for padding the win totals of their Western Athletic Conference foes.
Turning around a program that is used to losing is tough, and they know that. They're not in an impossible situation, though, and that fuels them.
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Walker, the former UCLA defensive coordinator, takes over a program that has an 11-38 record since joining the WAC in 2005.
"Any year is a challenge for me," said Walker, who was a cornerback at the University of Minnesota and has coached under such coaching heavyweights as Pete Carroll at USC, Joe Gibbs with the Washington Redskins and Bill Belichick with the New England Patriots. "When I was a secondary coach I wanted to have the best secondary. When I was a defensive coordinator I wanted to have the best defense. Obviously it's my first year, my first head (coaching) job. But I've been around some very good coaches -- Pete Carroll, Joe Gibbs, Bill Belichick. Having good mentors is really going to benefit me."
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"Those are two quality coaches. ... Two good coaches just joined our conference."
