Dec. 13, 2004
LOGAN, Utah - Tom McMahon and John Rushing, two members of the previous Utah State football coaching staff, have been retained by new head coach Brent Guy it was announced Monday. They are the first two assistant coaches named by Guy, who was hired last Friday.
McMahon has been a full-time coach at Utah State for the past seven years, while spending one season as video coordinator (1995) and two years as a graduate assistant (1996-97) working with the defensive ends. He coached the Aggie linebackers from 1998-2000 and the defensive linemen from 2001-04.
"Tom McMahon is Mr. Utah State," Guy said. "He has been through three coaching staffs here and knows Utah State inside and out. He is a great coach and a solid recruiter. I went against him several times in recruiting over the years."
McMahon, who will retain his duties as the team's recruiting coordinator as well as coach a position to be named later, coached several first-team all-conference players at USU including linebackers Brent Passey, Blake Eagal, Jesse Busta, and Tony D'Amato, who was the Big West Defensive Player of the Year in 1998. He also coached defensive end Ben Crosland, a first-team all-conference selection, who was also named Big West Defensive Player of the Year in 1997.
Rushing will begin his third year at Utah State after joining the staff in 2003. Rushing served as a graduate assistant coaching the secondary at Boise State in 1998 and 1999 when Guy was the defensive coordinator there.
In 2003 and 2004 Rushing was the Aggie secondary coach and concentrated on the cornerbacks. He worked closely with Aggie cornerback Mark Estelle, who was named the team's defensive Most Valuable Player. This past season, he led a secondary which is currently ranked 44th in the country in passing yards allowed.
"I have known John for a long time since he worked for me at Boise State," Guy said. "I like him personally and he is a good football coach. One of my goals was to hire guys who I have coached or worked with before and he will fit well with us."
