Dear Aggie Players, Coaches, Staff and Fans,

All my years as head football coach taught me one thing for sure: Utah State is truly a special place. Like me, I'm sure you have many fond memories of your time in Cache Valley. USU has given so much to us and now we have the opportunity to give something back.

I'm honored to have been asked to help raise funds to complete the offices for the assistant football coaches and head athletic trainer in the new North End Zone Complex. Our successful efforts will benefit Aggie coaches, staff and athletes for generations to come. I was the head coach at USU in the fall of 1968 when we celebrated the opening of the newly-constructed Romney Stadium with a win over New Mexico State. Although there have been a substantial number of improvements made to the stadium since then, the locker rooms, equipment room and sports medicine area have remained pretty much the same for almost forty years. Together, we now have the opportunity to change that.

Among my many duties as a head coach was the responsibility to help attract funding for athletics from external constituencies including alumni, fans, businesses, industry, etc. I had only one personal reservation regarding my involvement in those solicitations: I would not ask my former players for money. I regarded my association with them to be personal and loving, a relationship that was not to be exploited. On this single occasion, I am deviating from that policy.

From the 1960s through the mid 1970s, USU football was highly successful. Those Aggie teams were highly regarded and received national recognition in the "Top Twenty" rankings at least twice. During my years at USU from 1967-1972, we were fortunate to win a lot of exciting football games and to have more than 70 of our players sign contracts to play pro football. While not all of them were successful at the professional level, it's a tremendous compliment to the Aggie football program that so many of our players played well enough to receive that opportunity.

It's my belief that after those "golden years," the football program at USU began to suffer from isolation due to new and ever-changing conference alignments, the increased financial commitments necessary to keep pace with the competition and the challenges of scheduling non conference opponents. Recent entrance into the Western Athletic Conference provides USU with the opportunity to reverse that trend and to return the football program to a level of prominence. Upgraded athletic facilities are essential to help lead the way.

The completion of the North End Zone Complex will greatly enhance USU's ability to pursue championship-quality recruits and to care for the needs of Aggie athletes, coaches and staff. This project has been made possible through the support of USU president Stan Albrecht and the USU student body as well as through the tireless efforts of athletic director Randy Spetman and his staff. I salute them all for their efforts.

I encourage you to join me in raising the money needed to complete the construction of the offices for the assistant football coaches and the head athletic trainer. You can make your financial commitment by calling our era's fundraising captain Phil Olsen at 406-522-0478, or by calling Associate Athletic Director Kevin Dustin at 435-797-1860.

Go Aggies!

With love and warm regards,

Chuck Mills