Luke Wells is in his sixth season as an assistant coach at Utah State, including his second year working with the inside receivers and tight ends, after serving as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2016, and the co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach from 2013-15.
In his first five years at Utah State, the Aggies have played in four bowl games and notched bowl wins against No. 24 Northern Illinois (21-14) in the 2013 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl and against UTEP (21-6) in the 2014 Gildan New Mexico Bowl.
During the 2017 season, Wells was part of an Aggie coaching staff that helped USU set single-season school records by scoring 50-plus points in three games and producing 500-plus yards of total offense in four games. USU also rushed for 2,228 yards, marking the ninth straight season it has rushed for at least 2,000 yards.
As inside receivers and tight ends coach in 2017, Wells mentored redshirt sophomore tight end Dax Raymond to honorable mention all-Mountain West honors as he ranked second in the conference among all tight ends, and second on the team, in both receptions (41) and receiving yards (456).
As co-offensive coordinator in 2016, Wells mentored one of the best tight ends in school history in Wyatt Houston, who earned honorable mention all-Mountain West honors as a senior and finished his career with 86 receptions for 933 yards and nine touchdowns, all of which rank second all-time in school history for a tight end.
Following his collegiate career, Houston signed an NFL free agent contract with the Carolina Panthers. During the 2015 season, Houston ranked fourth on the team with 25 receptions for 307 yards and three touchdowns.
In 2014, Houston finished the year ranking fifth on the team in both receptions (19) and yards (178), while Jefferson Court ranked tied for second on the team in receiving touchdowns (3).
Following the 2014 season, Court was the 37th player selected in the 2015 Canadian Football League Draft by the Ottawa Redblacks. During the 2013 season, Wells was part of an Aggie offense that set school records for pass completions (297), total offensive plays (1,073), touchdown passes (30) and first downs (310), while its 445 points scored and 481 pass attempts both rank second all-time.
Furthermore, USU’s 56 total touchdowns rank third all-time and its 31.7 points per game average ranks fifth all-time in school history.
Utah State’s tight ends also set the single-season school record for touchdown receptions in 2013 with nine, bettering the previous record of seven set in 1993. As tight ends coach, Wells mentored Tialavea, who participated in the 2014 NFL Combine and signed a free agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL. Tialavea is currently with the Atlanta Falcons.
Prior to joining Utah State’s staff, Wells spent four seasons at Iowa State (2009-12), working with the tight ends and wide receivers. Wells also helped the Cyclones to back-to-back bowl games as they played in the 2011 New Era Pinstripe Bowl against Rutgers and the 2012 Auto Zone Liberty Bowl against Tulsa.
At Iowa State, Wells mentored Cyclone tight end Ernst Brun, who earned honorable mention all-Big 12 honors and was also named ISU’s Offensive Player of the Game at the Auto Zone Liberty Bowl. Brun was invited to the Oakland Raiders camp following his senior season.
As wide receivers coach at Iowa State during the 2009 and 2010 seasons, Wells coached Darius Darks and Darius Reynolds, who finished their careers combining for 208 receptions for 2,396 yards and 16 touchdowns. Wells also coached Josh Lenz who had 96 receptions for 1,213 yards and 10 touchdowns during his ISU career. Lenz spent four years in the NFL.
Prior to his stint at Iowa State, Wells spent six years at Louisiana-Monroe serving as an offensive graduate assistant in 2003 before being elevated to a full-time assistant coach from 2004-08. During his last two years at ULM, Wells served as the Warhawks’ recruiting coordinator, as well as wide receivers coach, and helped bring in the highest-rated recruiting classes ever.
The Louisiana-Monroe offense posted the highest scoring average in the school’s NCAA FBS history in 2008 as Anthony McCall set a school record for freshman touchdown receptions that season.
Wells took over the wide receivers at ULM in 2007 and mentored all-Sun Belt second-team selection LaGregory Sapp, who led the league in yards per reception with 19.6 on 40 catches for 784 yards.
In 2004 and 2005, Wells worked with the tight ends and all-Sun Belt first-teamer Joey Trappey, who was the top receiving tight end in the conference with 42 receptions for 425 yards.
Prior to ULM, Wells coached wide receivers at Denton High School in Texas, helping his team win the 2002 bi-district title.
Before that, Wells was a student assistant at Oklahoma from 1999-2001 as the Sooners won the 2000 Big 12 Conference crown and national title.
Wells earned his bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma in secondary education in 2002 and did graduate work at ULM. He is married to the former Coby Groves and the couple has one son, Walker (11), and one daughter, Kinsley (9). His brother, Matt, is USU’s head football coach.