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The University of Utah Athletics
Luke Wells Named Utah’s Tight Ends Coach
1/6/2026 11:59 AM | Football
Veteran offensive mind has spent time at four Big 12 Conference programs
SALT LAKE CITY — Veteran offensive mind Luke Wells has been hired to lead the Utah football tight end room, head coach Morgan Scalley announced Tuesday. He joins the Utes after spending the 2025 season as the tight ends coach at Kansas State and brings experience from four Big 12 Conference programs.
Wells rounds out Scalley's staff for his first season at the helm of the Utah program and brings more than two decades of coaching experience to Salt Lake City.
"Luke brings a wealth of experience within the conference to our staff, which will be very beneficial," Scalley said. "He has spent time coaching several position groups, is known for developing players and can help us in many different aspects offensively. I'm looking forward to welcoming him to the Utah family!"
While at K-State, Wells oversaw the development of tight end Garrett Oakley, who was tabbed as an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection in 2025. Oakley, a 2024 all-conference second-team honoree, recorded 38 receptions for 389 and six touchdowns in 2025 – each of which marked career bests. Oakley ranked ninth among Big 12 tight ends with 35.4 receiving yards per game and tied for the conference lead in touchdowns.
"I am incredibly thankful for this opportunity from Coach Scalley to join his staff and be a part of the winning culture at the U," Wells said. "I'm excited to be back in Utah and ready to get to work with this talented tight end room."
Wells served as the tight ends and inside wide receivers coach at Texas Tech from 2019-21, helping three players from his position rooms earn All-Big 12 accolades. Tight end Donta Thompson and inside receiver Dalton Rigdon were recognized by the league in 2019 while inside receiver KeSean Carter earned honors in 2020.
Wells spent four years at Utah State prior to his time in Lubbock. He served as the Aggies' co-offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator from 2013-16, working with the tight ends the first three years and quarterbacks in 2016. He shifted back to overseeing Utah State's tight ends and inside receivers his final two seasons in Logan where the Aggies boasted one of the nation's top offenses.
Wells mentored one of the most prolific tight ends in Utah State history in Wyatt Houston, who tallied 86 receptions for 933 yards and nine touchdowns during his Aggie career – all three of which rank second in school history among tight ends. Houston earned All-Mountain West Honorable Mention honors as a senior in 2016.
Utah State's offense shined during Wells' final two seasons in Logan as the Aggies averaged 47.5 points per game in 2018, trailing only Oklahoma for the top mark nationally. Utah State racked up 618 points on the season, snapping both the Mountain West and Utah State single-season records in the process and scored at least 40 points in 13 different games over his final two years, including 10 games with 50 or more points.
Before his stint at Utah State, Wells was the wide receivers and tight ends coach at Iowa State from 2009-12, helping the Cyclones advance to three bowl games in four years. He arrived in Ames following six years at Louisiana-Monroe, where he worked his way up from a graduate assistant to tight ends coach to wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.
Wells, who played quarterback at Oklahoma from 1997-99, graduated in 2002. He and his wife, Coby, have two children, Walker and Kinsley.
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Wells rounds out Scalley's staff for his first season at the helm of the Utah program and brings more than two decades of coaching experience to Salt Lake City.
"Luke brings a wealth of experience within the conference to our staff, which will be very beneficial," Scalley said. "He has spent time coaching several position groups, is known for developing players and can help us in many different aspects offensively. I'm looking forward to welcoming him to the Utah family!"
While at K-State, Wells oversaw the development of tight end Garrett Oakley, who was tabbed as an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection in 2025. Oakley, a 2024 all-conference second-team honoree, recorded 38 receptions for 389 and six touchdowns in 2025 – each of which marked career bests. Oakley ranked ninth among Big 12 tight ends with 35.4 receiving yards per game and tied for the conference lead in touchdowns.
"I am incredibly thankful for this opportunity from Coach Scalley to join his staff and be a part of the winning culture at the U," Wells said. "I'm excited to be back in Utah and ready to get to work with this talented tight end room."
Wells served as the tight ends and inside wide receivers coach at Texas Tech from 2019-21, helping three players from his position rooms earn All-Big 12 accolades. Tight end Donta Thompson and inside receiver Dalton Rigdon were recognized by the league in 2019 while inside receiver KeSean Carter earned honors in 2020.
Wells spent four years at Utah State prior to his time in Lubbock. He served as the Aggies' co-offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator from 2013-16, working with the tight ends the first three years and quarterbacks in 2016. He shifted back to overseeing Utah State's tight ends and inside receivers his final two seasons in Logan where the Aggies boasted one of the nation's top offenses.
Wells mentored one of the most prolific tight ends in Utah State history in Wyatt Houston, who tallied 86 receptions for 933 yards and nine touchdowns during his Aggie career – all three of which rank second in school history among tight ends. Houston earned All-Mountain West Honorable Mention honors as a senior in 2016.
Utah State's offense shined during Wells' final two seasons in Logan as the Aggies averaged 47.5 points per game in 2018, trailing only Oklahoma for the top mark nationally. Utah State racked up 618 points on the season, snapping both the Mountain West and Utah State single-season records in the process and scored at least 40 points in 13 different games over his final two years, including 10 games with 50 or more points.
Before his stint at Utah State, Wells was the wide receivers and tight ends coach at Iowa State from 2009-12, helping the Cyclones advance to three bowl games in four years. He arrived in Ames following six years at Louisiana-Monroe, where he worked his way up from a graduate assistant to tight ends coach to wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.
Wells, who played quarterback at Oklahoma from 1997-99, graduated in 2002. He and his wife, Coby, have two children, Walker and Kinsley.
FOLLOW THE UTES
Follow the Utes on social media through Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok along with visiting www.UtahUtes.com. Download the Utah 360 app here.
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