Malzahn turned down (or resigned from) a head coaching job at UCF in order to be offensive coordinator in a higher-profile program.

I’m sure he got a nice pay raise in the process.

Is head coach at Utah State really such a desirable job that he’d pass up being a defensive coordinator in a higher-profile program? BYU has P4 money now and will be getting full revenue share starting next season. The Cougars should be able to pay him more than the Agriculturalists can offer.

If his career goal is to be a head coach at a P4 school, his best bet might be to keep BYU relevant in the national landscape. Unless he thinks he can lead Utah State to Boise State-level success, the higher-profile program should be able to pay him more and give him more exposure and relevance.