Gary Andersen is out as Utah State football coach following the team's 0-3 start to the season, the school announced Saturday.
Utah State lost to Nevada 34-9 on Thursday, dropping to 0-3 for the first time since 2007, when the Aggies lost their first 10 games. They opened the delayed season with blowout losses to Boise State (42-13) and San Diego State (38-7).
"After a thorough analysis on the current state of our football team, we believe a change at head coach is in the best interest of our program moving forward," athletic director John Hartwell said in a statement. "The continued success and development of Aggie football is a priority and we want to make sure we are regular contenders for the Mountain West Championship."
Andersen, 56, was in his second season and second tour at the school. The Aggies were 7-6 in 2019 and 26-24 under Andersen from 2009 to 2012.
Assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator Frank Maile will serve as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
Hartwell said Utah State will conduct a national search for its next coach. The Aggies attempted to conduct a national search after coach Matt Wells left for the Texas Tech job in November 2018, but Andersen, who had strong booster support after his successful first tenure, ended up getting the job.
Andersen left Utah State for Wisconsin following the 2012 season and went 19-7 in two seasons with a Big Ten West Division title before leaving to accept the head-coaching job at Oregon State. Andersen went 6-18 in his first two seasons at Oregon State before again voluntarily leaving his post after the team started 1-6 in 2017.
He spent the 2018 season as a defensive assistant at Utah, where he also coached from 1997 to 2002.