UTEP coach Sean Kugler is turning the Miners into a force.

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UTEP’s emergence as a contender in the Western Division of Conference USA is flying under the radar. Houston and SMU have received the headlines with head coaching hires this offseason, but the Miners are on the right track after Sean Kugler took over the program in 2013. The long-time offensive line coach has brought an attitude and toughness to a program that is visible on the field.

“UTEP is a physical team now. Not that they were pushovers when we played them before Kugler got there, but the whole program has a different vibe. You know it’ll be a fight now with UTEP and he should get a lot of credit for that,” one CUSA defensive coordinator told me. “They’re going to run the ball and see if you can match that physicality. You’re going to leave that game feeling like you were in a fight.”

Kugler and his team recorded its first winning season in nine years last season. The offense starts and stops with running back Aaron Jones. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound junior had over 1,200 yards as a sophomore and returns as one of the top candidates for first-team All-Conference honors this season after earning second-team honors a year ago.

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