Texas Tech is in negotiations to hire Utah State coach Matt Wells to lead its football program, according to a report from the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

The Red Raiders reportedly considered many different options before settling on Wells. Athletic director Kirby Hocutt reportedly spoke to Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables, but he declined interest in the job. West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen was rumored, but both sides opted to go in a different direction. Oregon defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt was a hot name, but he’ll have other options.

Wells took over the Utah State program from Gary Anderson in 2013. Since then, he’s overseen the most successful period of in Aggies football since the 1960s. Wells coached the Aggies to nine- and 10-win seasons in his first two years. After winning just 15 games in three seasons, he then bounced back with the third 10-win season in school history this year.

Before Anderson, the Aggies finished below .500 in 11 consecutive seasons. No coach has posted three winning seasons at Utah State since Bruce Snyder between 1976 and 1982.

Wells earned Mountain West coach of the year for the second time after leading the Aggies to a 10-2 record in 2018. The only other coaches to win Mountain West coach of the year multiple times are Urban Meyer, Gary Patterson, Rocky Long and Sonny Lubick.

Texas Tech fired former record-breaking quarterback Kliff Kingsbury on Sunday after six years leading the program. Kingsbury finished with a 35-40 record in Lubbock.

Athletic director Kirby Hocutt noted that he wants the Texas Tech program to be “elite” again, like it was a decade ago. The 45-year-old Wells will be relied on to do it.

Wells played quarterback at Utah State from 1993 to 1996. He also had assistant coaching stops at New Mexico, Louisville, Tulsa and Navy.

While he has spent most of his career in Utah, his staff has experience elsewhere. Offensive coordinator David Yost coached quarterbacks in the Big 12 under Gary Pinkel at Missouri from 2001 to 2012. Yost also served as wide receivers coach under Mike Leach at Washington State. Defensive coordinator Keith Patterson had a stint at Allen High School, and also spent time across the state of Oklahoma.

Utah State has seven players from the state of Texas on its roster.

Wells would be the first active head coach to leave their program for Texas Tech since Jerry Moore in 1981. Spike Dykes, Mike Leach and Kliff Kingsbury were all coordinators before they took over at Texas Tech. Tommy Tuberville was out of coaching for a year after resigning at Auburn.