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LOGAN — Utah State's athletic resurgence continues to pay dividends, even as the calendar approaches May.
This time, it's in the form of its athletic leadership.
Weber State athletic director Jerry Bovee has accepted the new position of assistant vice president and deputy athletic director for external affairs at Utah State, the Aggies announced Tuesday morning.
Bovee earned a bachelor's degree in finance from Utah State in 1992, and stayed with the Aggies while working his way up to assistant athletics director for marketing and promotions from 1992-95 prior to returning to his hometown of Ogden.
"I'm excited about the opportunity to come back to Utah State where this all began for me over 25 years ago," Bovee said in a statement from the Aggies. "The chance to be part of Aggie Nation once again is a thrill for our family. I have thoroughly enjoyed the last 12 years at Weber State and value the lifelong relationships I've made in Ogden. I look forward now to renewing friendships and being part of the amazing successes happening at Utah State."
He never strayed too far from home, either, going on to work as an assistant director with the Utah High School Activities Association in Salt Lake City prior to joining the Wildcats' athletic department.
A native of Ogden who graduated from nearby Ben Lomond High School, Bovee's athletic department enjoyed tremendous success in his 10 years at the helm at Weber State. He oversaw the major fundraising efforts that led to an extensive efforts at Stewart Stadium and the Dee Events Center, christened the Marquardt Fieldhouse indoor practice facility in 2013, and began construction on a state-of-the-art athletic complex in the north end of Stewart Stadium that will open in August.
The results followed a turnaround on the field, too. Bovee was responsible for hiring current head football coach Jay Hill in 2013, and the Wildcats went on to win back-to-back Big Sky titles in 2017 and 2018, including a school-record 11 games in 2017 and a run to the semifinals of the FCS playoffs en route to a No. 5 national ranking.
The next year, the Wildcats advanced to the FCS quarterfinals, while being ranked as high as No. 3 nationally during the season — the best-ever ranking in Weber State football history.
It was enough that Hill recently signed a contract extension to keep him in Ogden through the 2023 season.
In addition, Bovee came to Weber State shortly after Randy Rahe was installed as men's basketball coach in 2006, and Wildcat cagers wrapped up Big Sky titles in 2010, 2014 and 2016 with two NCAA Tournament berths.
"I'm grateful to have worked with (Jerry Bovee) over the last 10 years," Weber State president Brad Mortensen said Tuesday via Twitter. "His dedication to our student-athletes, coaches, staff, and broader Weber State family will be missed. Sincerely wishing him success in his new pursuits, except on Wildcat-Aggie game days."
Under his watch, Weber State women's cross country also won four Big Sky titles, Wildcat softball won three-straight regular season titles, men's tennis captured three conference regular-season crowns, and the Wildcats added more trophies to the case in track and field, men's golf and women's soccer, as well.
"We are really excited for Jerry to join Utah State Athletics. He's an Aggie, he received his undergraduate degree from USU, and he began his athletic administration career in our department," Utah State athletic director John Hartwell said in a statement. "Jerry's familiarity with and knowledge of our program are huge assets for Aggie athletics. We’ve got a lot of positive momentum within USU Athletics right now and the addition of Jerry to our staff strengthens our department even more."
In addition to his undergraduate degree from the Aggies, Bovee earned an MBA from Weber State in 2010. He and his wife Julie are the parents of four children.
