Evan Butts is in his second season as the director of player personnel with Utah State football. The 2026 season will be his fifth working for head coach Bronco Mendenhall.
With Utah State, Butts oversees all facets of recruiting, including official visits, travel, recruiting weekends and roster management. Butts also oversees USU’s scholarship allocation and walk-on program, as well as walk-on tryouts.
In his first year at Utah State in 2025, Butts helped Utah State to a 6-7 record (4-4 Mountain West) and its 12th bowl game in the last 15 years. With Butts on staff, USU had 10 players earn All-MW honors, the most since 2019. Three players garnered first-team All-MW accolades, and two others were named to the second team, along with five honorable mention selections. Senior cornerback Noah Avinger highlighted these honorees as he was named a HERO Sports Group of Five Second Team All-American.
Butts came to Utah State after spending the 2024 season as the director of scouting at New Mexico. He helped the Lobos to a 5-7 record, marking the program’s most wins in eight years. Their season was highlighted by a 38-35 victory against No. 19 Washington State, snapping a 26-game losing streak against nationally ranked teams. The UNM victory was its first win over a top-20 team since 1994 and its first non-conference win against a top-20 opponent since 1940.
Before New Mexico, Butts spent four years with Virginia in a variety of roles. With UVA, Butts got his start with his alma mater working as a regional scout in 2020 before spending three years as the offensive recruiting coordinator, where he worked with the director of scouting on offensive positional needs, recruiting, roster management and travel.
Butts got his start in college athletics administration in 2019 as a facilities and events intern with Villanova. He has also served an internship with the Chicago Bears in player personnel.
Butts graduated from Virginia with two degrees, earning his bachelor’s in psychology in 2018 and his master’s in higher education and sports administration in 2019.
EVAN BUTTS FILE
Coaching History
2025- Utah State – Director of Player Personnel
2024 New Mexico – Director of Scouting
2021-23 Virginia – Offensive Recruiting Coordinator
2020 Virginia – Regional Scout
2019 Villanova – Facilities and Events Intern
Bowl Games (2)
Utah State (1): 2025 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Virginia (1): 2021 Fenway Bowl*
*Not Contested
Education
2019 Virginia – Higher Education/Sports Administration (Master’s)
2018 Virginia – Psychology (Bachelor’s)