Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig emerges as 'leading candidate' for same job at Notre Dame
The next focus of Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator search has reportedly emerged. And he is in South Bend to discuss the job.
Utah offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Andy Ludwig is the “leading candidate” for the role, according to a report from ESPN’s Heather Dinich. Ludwig arrived on campus Friday evening to meet with Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman for an in-person interview, per Dinich. Multiple flight trackers show a private plane from Salt Lake City arrived in South Bend shortly before 6 p.m. ET. Friday.
“Ludwig hasn’t been offered the job or accepted it yet, but multiple sources have indicated it’s a strong possibility,” Dinich wrote.
Ludwig, 58, has been Utah’s offensive coordinator since 2019. The Utes have ranked top-25 nationally in yards per play in the last three seasons not shortened by COVID-19. They were No. 29 in 2022. They are the two-time reigning Pac-12 champions and are 34-13 in the last four seasons, including a 10-4 mark this year. They defeated then-No. 4 USC 47-24 in the Pac-12 Championship and lost to No. 11 Penn State in the Rose Bowl.
If Marcus Freeman wanted offensive coordinator experience and a history of coaching quarterbacks in this hire, Ludwig was bound to come up on his list. He has been an FBS offensive coordinator every season since 1998, with stops at Fresno State (1998-2001), Oregon (2002-04), a prior stint at Utah (2005-08), California (2009-10), San Diego State (2011-12), Wisconsin (2013-14) and Vanderbilt (2015-18). He has also held the quarterbacks coach title at several of those stops.
Ludwig isn’t the first candidate Notre Dame has brought to campus. Kansas State offensive coordinator Collin Klein was in South Bend to interview for the job Wednesday, but multiple reports – including On3 Kansas State reporter Derek Young – stated Friday that Klein, 33, would remain at Kansas State. The 2022 season was his first as the Wildcats’ sole offensive coordinator. He held a co-coordinator title in 2019.
Ludwig or whoever Notre Dame hires will replace Tommy Rees, who left Feb. 2 to take the Alabama offensive coordinator job after three years in that role with the Irish. Rees also served as Notre Dame’s quarterbacks coach since 2017.
