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Logan • Utah State hasn't journeyed into the offseason without a men's basketball coach since 1998.
The Aggies are about to do it again.
Moments after Wyoming's 67-65 victory over Utah State in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference tournament on Thursday, coach Stew Morrill announced the Aggies would not pursue a bid to the CollegeInsider or College Basketball Invitational tournaments.
Utah State's season was over, Morrill said. So was his 40-year coaching career, including 17 seasons with the Aggies.
"It's been great playing for one of the best coaches in college basketball — kind of a legend," said sophomore forward Jalen Moore, who scored 17 points against Wyoming.
"I learned a lot about basketball from him — playing hard [on] offense and defense. He's always coaching perfection — to have energy. I like that in a coach. He pushes you and makes you get better every game."
At Utah State, Morrill finished with a record was 402-153, including eight trips to the NCAA tournament.
So, what lies ahead for the Aggies?
That's the million-dollar question.
Athletic director Scott Barnes undoubtedly has been looking at replacements since Morrill announced his retirement Jan. 9, effective at the end of the season.
Barnes has not commented on his search process, although University of Utah assistant Tommy Connor could be on a short list of candidates to replace Morrill.
Whoever gets the Utah State job, he will get a team that surpassed expectations this season.
The Aggies were picked 10th in the preseason Mountain West poll but finished 18-13 overall and 11-7 in the conference. They tied for fourth with Wyoming after piecing together a late six-game winning streak.
"I think the new coach will inherit a good group that will just keep getting better," said Morrill. "That's what we emphasized from Day 1 — keep getting better. That's what I told them in the locker room: 'Be proud of what you accomplished [and] don't hang your head. You did more than most thought you could do. Keep trying to get better.'"
Utah State loses only one senior off this season's roster, backup forward Sean Harris.
The Aggies return their top six scorers, including Moore. He was a second-team all-conference selection. Four freshmen who ended up in Morrill's regular rotation are also back, including starters David Collette and Julion Pearre.
"I'm really proud of this team," Morrill said. "... This group of kids got better. They're young. They've got a really bright future. I really believe that."
Utah State is not the only Mountain West school looking for a coach. At Nevada, David Carter was fired this week after six seasons with the Wolf Pack.
Looking ahead
Utah State's top returning players next season:
Player Pts. Rb. Ast.
Jalen Moore 15.0 6.4 .2.1
Chris Smith 13.8 3.6 2.6
David Collette 11.7 4.9 1.2
Darius Perkins 9.0 2.5 3.4