The next stop on Gary Andersen‘s coaching journey will once take him back to the Beehive State.
Utah announced that Kyle Whittingham has added Andersen to his Utes coaching staff. Andersen, who will carry the title of associate head coach and serve as an unspecified defensive assistant, will officially begin his duties Jan. 9, the date the NCAA rule that adds a 10th assistant goes into effect.
This will mark Andersen’s third coaching stint at his alma mater, the first coming from 1997-2202 and the second from 2004-2008.
“Returning to the Utah football family is something my wife Stacey and I are very excited about,” said Andersen in a statement. “Having an opportunity to coach at your alma mater is somewhat unusual and having the opportunity to do it again is certainly special. Kyle Whittingham is a great coach and I look forward to working alongside him again. I am fired up to meet the players and go to work.”
Andersen left Utah the second time to take over as the head coach at Utah State in 2009, where he spent four seasons before leaving for Wisconsin. After two seasons in Madison, he abruptly left to take the same job at Oregon State.
In the middle of his third season at the Pac-12 OSU, Andersen abruptly quit as the Beavers’ head coach.
“We’re looking forward to Gary rejoining our staff,” Whittingham said. “Gary brings a wealth of high-level coaching experience to the program, including serving as the head coach at two Power Five schools. During his previous time on our staff, he developed some of the best defensive linemen in Utah history. In addition, he is an excellent recruiter and motivator and understands what it takes to win at this level.”