Ludwig never thought about abandoning Utes before bowl
Early Thursday morning Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig was on his way to Utah's offices.He very well could have been on his way to Manhattan, Kansas with his bags packed. However, he said he never thought about not coaching the Utes in the Sugar Bowl.
"I want to beat Alabama. I brought that up in my first conversation with [Kansas State coach] Bill Snyder," he said. "He didn't bat an eyelash and said 'absolutely.' The players have invested a lot into this season and I wanted to stay and keep it going through one more game."
The fact that Ludwig is leaving probably isn't a huge shock. He has always made it clear he wants to be a coach at the pro level and in order to do that you have to keep moving up. Coaching with Bill Snyder was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. The shock was how it all came about for Ludwig.
Ludwig never planned for the Sugar Bowl to be his last game as a Utah coach, but he said he couldn't turn down the offer Snyder made when Snyder called him on Saturday and offered him the job, without interviewing him personally.
"It was completely out of the blue," Ludwig said. "I didn't have too many intelligent questions that I asked."
Ludwig called Snyder back Sunday for further discussions, then flew to Manhattan, Kansas on Monday.
"I spent a day and a half there," Ludwig said. "It's a new challenge and a new place. I really like Utah and coaching for coach Whittingham, but it's a great opportunity for me."
He admits Snyder made a nice financial offer to him that was part of his decision, but more than the money, what swayed Ludwig was the opportunity to work with Snyder, he said. Snyder is returning to coach the Wildcats after a three-year absence. In his previous 17-year stint he led the Wildcats to a 136-68-1 record and 11 straight bowl berths.
"He is a trendsetter and a pioneer," Ludwig said. "He just wins football games. His track record is unbelievable."
Ludwig said the more he and Snyder talked, the more he realized they had a lot of coaching philosophies in common. Snyder told him he liked how Ludwig uses the "Wildcat" formation with Matt Asiata and Corbin Louks taking over at quarterback, a formation he used long ago.
"He wants to use some multiple offenses and go heavy on the spread," Ludwig said. "He is a Hall of Fame coach and to work with him is a great opportunity. Coach [Urban] Meyer visited with him in the past when he was developing his coaching style. To work with him was the biggest draw for me."
Ludwig's four years at Utah have been up and down. Utah's offense was tremendous in 2005, was disappointing in 2007 and was inconsistent in 2008, although the Utes averaged 11 points more than what they averaged in 2007.
Ludwig has faced criticism from fans and media, but he brushed aside those instances and said overall his time at Utah was satisfying.
"Fans are the ones who are going to cheer the loudest and boo the loudest," he said. "I'd rather have that than apathy."
Of all the things he has done, helping rebuild the Utes after the transitions following the 2004 season top his list, Ludwig said.
"Going 7-5, 8-5, 9-4, then 12-0 and hopefully 13-0, being a part of that has been special," he said. "We faced a lot of adversity in 07 with Brian getting hurt. He is a special player and what he has done as a senior, I'm proud to be a part of that."
"I want to beat Alabama. I brought that up in my first conversation with [Kansas State coach] Bill Snyder," he said. "He didn't bat an eyelash and said 'absolutely.' The players have invested a lot into this season and I wanted to stay and keep it going through one more game."
The fact that Ludwig is leaving probably isn't a huge shock. He has always made it clear he wants to be a coach at the pro level and in order to do that you have to keep moving up. Coaching with Bill Snyder was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. The shock was how it all came about for Ludwig.
Ludwig never planned for the Sugar Bowl to be his last game as a Utah coach, but he said he couldn't turn down the offer Snyder made when Snyder called him on Saturday and offered him the job, without interviewing him personally.
"It was completely out of the blue," Ludwig said. "I didn't have too many intelligent questions that I asked."
Ludwig called Snyder back Sunday for further discussions, then flew to Manhattan, Kansas on Monday.
"I spent a day and a half there," Ludwig said. "It's a new challenge and a new place. I really like Utah and coaching for coach Whittingham, but it's a great opportunity for me."
He admits Snyder made a nice financial offer to him that was part of his decision, but more than the money, what swayed Ludwig was the opportunity to work with Snyder, he said. Snyder is returning to coach the Wildcats after a three-year absence. In his previous 17-year stint he led the Wildcats to a 136-68-1 record and 11 straight bowl berths.
"He is a trendsetter and a pioneer," Ludwig said. "He just wins football games. His track record is unbelievable."
Ludwig said the more he and Snyder talked, the more he realized they had a lot of coaching philosophies in common. Snyder told him he liked how Ludwig uses the "Wildcat" formation with Matt Asiata and Corbin Louks taking over at quarterback, a formation he used long ago.
"He wants to use some multiple offenses and go heavy on the spread," Ludwig said. "He is a Hall of Fame coach and to work with him is a great opportunity. Coach [Urban] Meyer visited with him in the past when he was developing his coaching style. To work with him was the biggest draw for me."
Ludwig's four years at Utah have been up and down. Utah's offense was tremendous in 2005, was disappointing in 2007 and was inconsistent in 2008, although the Utes averaged 11 points more than what they averaged in 2007.
Ludwig has faced criticism from fans and media, but he brushed aside those instances and said overall his time at Utah was satisfying.
"Fans are the ones who are going to cheer the loudest and boo the loudest," he said. "I'd rather have that than apathy."
Of all the things he has done, helping rebuild the Utes after the transitions following the 2004 season top his list, Ludwig said.
"Going 7-5, 8-5, 9-4, then 12-0 and hopefully 13-0, being a part of that has been special," he said. "We faced a lot of adversity in 07 with Brian getting hurt. He is a special player and what he has done as a senior, I'm proud to be a part of that."
8:40 AM
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