With Maile at the helm, Aggies gear up for bowl

[Harry]

It’s been a whirlwind for interim Aggie head football coach Frank Maile the past two weeks.

As Utah State prepares to take on North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl, Maile has been in charge of keeping the team together, running practices and making sure recruits have been contacted. The former Aggie defensive lineman wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Our kids are awesome and if it wasn’t for the kids, it would be a lot harder than what it actually is,” Maile said Monday during a press conference. “They’ve made it pretty easy on me. Them handling their business on and off the field has allowed me to be able to prep practices and get them in a situation to be successful. It runs smoothly simply because of what the culture is like here and that’s the biggest thing.”

Center Quin Ficklin and linebacker Jontrell Rocquemore were on hand Monday to talk about preparations for the bowl. Both were asked about Maile, who was appointed to be in charge of the team when Matt Wells took the Texas Tech job. Ficklin and Rocquemore both praised Maile, who is in his eighth season at USU as a coach.

“I don’t think there’s anybody on this team who doesn’t look at Frank and not know for 100 percent fact that, that man loves me as an individual,” Ficklin said. “Not as a jersey. Not as a helmet. But, as an individual. That’s been great. That’s been exactly what we’ve needed here. He’s done a phenomenal job. He’s a passionate man, which I can appreciate. Frank has been exactly what we’ve needed these past few weeks. I don’t know what’s going to go on with him. I don’t make those decisions, but he’s a great coach and I’d follow him anywhere.”

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