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As Utah State prepares to officially begin its new era in the Pac-12 on July 1, the Aggies closed out June with a week that reflected momentum across nearly every corner of the athletics department.
From assembling Ben Jacobson's first men's basketball coaching staff to adding another NBA opportunity for a former player, securing a conference home for indoor track and field, earning national recognition for athletic and academic success and continuing an active recruiting stretch, Utah State's offseason remained busy during the week of June 22-28.
One of the week's biggest developments came Tuesday when Jacobson announced the hiring of Thomas Kithier as an assistant coach and video coordinator, further rounding out his first coaching staff since taking over the Aggies in March.
Kithier arrives after spending last season as an assistant coach at Western Michigan, where he helped the Broncos improve in rebounding, bench production and free-throw shooting.
Before that, he spent two seasons with the Utah Jazz as an assistant video coordinator and player development coach, working with players including Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, John Collins and Collin Sexton while assisting with scouting, analytics and Summer League coaching assignments.
The former Michigan State and Valparaiso forward gives Jacobson another coach with NBA experience and continues the staff's blend of player development, analytics and recruiting backgrounds.
Two days later, another piece of men's basketball news followed as former Aggie guard Drake Allen signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Detroit Pistons.
Allen will participate in NBA Summer League in Las Vegas from July 9-19 after helping Utah State compile a 55-15 record over the past two seasons.
He earned All-Mountain West honorable mention and Mountain West All-Tournament honors as a senior while helping lead the Aggies to both the conference regular-season and tournament championships before advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Allen also finished his Utah State career playing some of his best basketball.
Over his final 10 games, he averaged 11.3 points, 4.2 assists and 2.0 steals while shooting 54.2% from the field and 48.5% from 3-point range, reaching double figures eight times.
During Utah State's five postseason games in the Mountain West and NCAA tournaments, he averaged 10.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.2 steals while committing just one turnover per game.
Utah State also finalized another piece of its transition into the Pac-12.
The Aggies accepted an invitation to join the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation as an affiliate member in men's and women's indoor track and field, beginning July 1.
The move provides Utah State with a conference home for indoor competition after joining the rebuilt Pac-12, which does not sponsor indoor track and field.
The Aggies previously competed in the MPSF from 1993-2004, when the men's team won the conference championship in 1993 and the women's team captured the title in 1994.
"It's going to give our student-athletes a great conference championship experience," USU director of track and field and cross country Artie Gulden said in a statement.
"That atmosphere in a championship usually brings out the best in all our athletes." The athletics department also received national recognition Thursday after recording the second-best finish in school history in the Learfield Directors' Cup standings.
Utah State finished 85th nationally with 262.5 points, trailing only its 78th-place finish in 2017-18.
The Aggies' nine conference championships during the 2025-26 academic year set a school record, with men's basketball and volleyball each contributing 50 Directors' Cup points after sweeping Mountain West regular-season and tournament championships and advancing in the NCAA Tournament.
The finish also continued an upward trajectory for the department under new athletics director Cam Walker.
Utah State has improved its national finish each of the past four years, climbing from 144th in 2022-23 to 136th, then 104th before reaching 85th this season.
Track and field added another national accolade Friday as former Aggie long jumper Joshua Hartvigsen was selected as one of 21 men's spring-sport recipients of the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
Hartvigsen, who graduated with a degree in nutrition science and now serves as an operations assistant with the program, received a one-time $10,000 scholarship to help pursue dental school.
A four-time Mountain West Scholar-Athlete, Hartvigsen finished his career with the eighth-best long jump in school history at 7.44 meters.
He became the second Aggie to receive the scholarship this year and the eighth since 2000.
The department also finished second nationally in the NCAA Division I Helper Helper rankings after student-athletes logged 12,006 community service hours during the 2025-26 academic year.
More than 400 student-athletes completed 4,815 volunteer commitments across 24 organizations, generating an estimated economic impact of nearly $434,000.
Football led the way with the nation's top-ranked community service program, while men's basketball and volleyball each finished second nationally in their respective sports.
Recruiting also remained active across multiple programs.
New volleyball head coach Keith Smith continued assembling his roster by officially adding Wyoming transfers Addy Cook and Lily LaFlesch, while also securing commitments from highly regarded prep prospects Sloane Rattay, Kate Perry and Nora Kartye.
The additions give Smith both immediate experience and long-term talent as he builds the Aggies' future.
Men's tennis landed one of the top recruits in program history with the commitment of blue-chip prospect George Hakopian, who ranks No.
14 nationally in the 2026 recruiting class and No.
4 in California.
Utah State also added Swedish recruit Alvar Lange to its incoming class.
Track and field continued adding to its future roster as well, signing distance runners Mia Taylor of Eagle Mountain and Lucy Boone of Rigby, Idaho.
Taken together, the week's developments highlighted the broad changes and accomplishments throughout Utah State's offseason.
As the calendar turns to July and the university officially enters the Pac-12, the Aggies continue building momentum through coaching additions, recruiting, academic achievement and department-wide success.