Jan. 5, 2015
Record-setting offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig has been hired to direct the Vanderbilt offense and mentor Commodore quarterbacks, Head Coach Derek Mason announced today.
Ludwig joined Vanderbilt’s staff after two seasons as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Wisconsin, where the Badgers set numerous offensive records. A coaching veteran with 28 years of experience, Ludwig’s coaching career also includes stops as offensive coordinator at San Diego State (2011-12), Cal (2009-10), Utah (2005-08), Oregon (2002-04) and Fresno State (1998-2001).
“I am excited to welcome Andy Ludwig to Nashville and Vanderbilt University. We have attracted one of the brightest offensive minds and most successful coordinators in college football to the Commodore program,” Mason said. “Our student-athletes are gaining a tremendous mentor in Andy Ludwig, a man of integrity who demands excellence on and off the field.”
In a related coaching announcement, Mason also said he was looking to attract a top defensive coach to mentor Commodore cornerbacks after deciding to become his own defensive play-caller for the upcoming season. Brett Maxie will return for his second season coaching Vanderbilt’s safeties.
“After weeks of deliberation and conversations with many coaches, I’ve decided to call our defense. No one knows our defense and what we can accomplish with this defense more than I,” Mason said. “At the same time, I expect to attract one of the nation’s top coaches to guide our cornerbacks.”
Mason and Ludwig also are seeking to hire a top-notch wide receiver coach to complete the offensive staff.
Ludwig helped rewrite the Wisconsin record book as the Badgers tallied two of the three highest offensive outputs in school history en route to a 20-7 overall record and consecutive Jan. 1 postseason bowl appearances. The 2013 Wisconsin offense averaged a school-record 480.8 yards per game (6,251 yards in 13 games), while averaging the third-most points in school history (34.8 points per game). The 2014 squad nearly matched those totals, averaging 34.6 points and 468.9 total yards.
Ludwig’s Wisconsin offenses were led by running back Melvin Gordon, a 2014 Heisman Trophy finalist and consensus first-team All-America. Gordon rushed for 2,587 yards in 2014, establishing the second highest single-season rushing total in NCAA FBS history. Gordon capped the season with a 251-yard performance in Wisconsin’s 34-31 overtime victory over Auburn in the Outback Bowl. Gordon also paced all NCAA FBS backs with 29 rushing touchdowns and briefly held the NCAA single-game rushing record after a 408-yard effort in a November win over Nebraska.
Behind Gordon, the powerful Badger rushing attack also set school records two years in a row. The 2014 Badgers amassed a school -record 4,482 rushing yards in 14 games, breaking a record established in 2013 with Wisconsin rushed for 3,689 yards in 13 games. The Badgers also averaged 320.1 rushing yards in 2014, ranking third in the NCAA behind triple-option teams Georgia Tech and Navy.
Nationally, the Badgers ranked 21st (468.9 yards per game) in total offense and 26th in scoring offense (34.6 points per game). The team’s ball-controlling ground attack helped Wisconsin rank sixth nationally in time of possession in 2014.
Wisconsin was one of just four FBS teams to amass 3,500 rushing yards and 2,500 passing yards during the 2013 season, joining Oregon, Northern Illinois and Ohio State.
With senior wide receiver Jared Abbrederis racking up 1,081 receiving yards and the running back duo of Gordon (1,609 yards) and senior James White (1,444 yards), Wisconsin was the lone team in the nation to boast two 1,000-yard rushers and a 1,000-yard receiver in 2013.
Gordon and White combined to rush for 3,053 yards, breaking the single-season FBS record for rushing yards by teammates and becoming the first teammate duo in FBS history to each rush for 1,400 yards in a season.
Behind the running of Gordon, White and freshman Corey Clement, Ludwig’s 2013 offense set a school record for rushing yards in a season with 3,689. UW’s rushing attack also proved to be the most efficient in Wisconsin history, shattering the school record by averaging 6.62 yards per carry — a mark that ranked No. 2 nationally. Gordon led the charge, averaging a nation-leading 7.8 rushing yards per attempt.
Between Gordon, White and Clement, the Badgers posted 20 100-yard rushing performances, the most in school history and the most of any FBS team in 2013.
Abbrederis, who was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2014 NFL Draft, was the main beneficiary of UW’s passing attack and hauled in a school-record 78 passes for 1,081 yards in his final season at UW. For his career that saw him become the second-most prolific receiver in Wisconsin history with 3,140 receiving yards, Abbrederis was named the recipient of the 2013 Burlsworth Trophy as the nation’s top player that began his career as a walk-on.
Abbrederis joined White, who was selected by the New England Patriots, as players from Ludwig’s offense to be picked in the 2014 NFL Draft. In addition, OL Ryan Groy (Chicago), TE Jacob Pedersen (Atlanta) and TE Brian Wozniak (Atlanta) signed with NFL teams as undrafted free agents.
Anchoring the Badgers’ offensive line, Groy earned third-team All-America honors as a senior and was one of eight offensive players to be named All-Big Ten.
In his first season under Ludwig’s direction, starting Wisconsin quarterback Joel Stave threw for 22 touchdown passes, the second-highest total in school history. His 208 completions were the third-most ever by a Badgers quarterback, while his 2,494 passing yards set a school record for the most by a sophomore and the fifth-most overall in UW annals. Stave completed 61.9 percent of his passes for the season and ranks No. 4 all-time at UW for career pass efficiency rating at 140.8.
Overall, UW’s explosive offense ranked second in the country with 15 plays of 50-plus yards, with the Badgers scoring on 10 of those home-run plays. However, despite the ability to quickly move the ball with those big plays, Wisconsin continued its tradition of controlling the ball and ranked fourth nationally in time of possession.
Prior to joining Wisconsin, Ludwig spent the 2011-12 seasons at San Diego State.
In 2012, the Aztecs went 9-4, including 7-1 in the Mountain West Conference. The SDSU offense averaged 32.9 points per game and ranked 20th in the nation in rushing, with 220.7 average yards per game. Aztecs junior tight end Gavin Escobar was a Mackey Award semifinalist while sophomore running back Adam Muema ran for 1,458 yards.
In 2011, San Diego State averaged 427.4 yards per game. Running back Ronnie Hillman ranked fourth nationally in rushing (1,711 yards) and was selected in the third round of the NFL draft. Quarterback Ryan Lindley, who finished his career among the top 15 in FBS history in career passing yards, was a sixth-round draft choice of the Arizona Cardinals.
Ludwig completed his 20th year as an offensive coordinator at the NCAA level in 2014. His teams have been to 15 bowl games with nine bids in the past decade. Prior to his years at San Diego State, Ludwig served as the offensive coordinator at California (2009-10), Utah (2005-08), Oregon (2002-04), Fresno State (1998-01), Cal Poly (1997) and Augustana (1993-94).
Ludwig helped Utah go to four consecutive bowl games, including a 2009 Sugar Bowl win over Alabama, as the Utes finished 13-0 with a No. 2 national ranking. That season, he was named a finalist for the FootballScoop Offensive Coordinator of the Year after Utah put up 36.9 points per game. In 2005, the Utes led the MWC in total offense and ranked 12th nationally at 473.0 yards per game.
While at Oregon, Ludwig tutored quarterback Kellen Clemens, who threw for 2,390 yards and 16 touchdowns as a sophomore. Wideout Samie Parker also set a school record for most receptions in a season with 77 in 2003 and finished his Ducks career as the school’s all-time career leader in catches and yardage. Running backs Onterrio Smith and Terrence Whitehead both posted 1,000-yard rushing campaigns during Ludwig’s stay in Eugene.
Ludwig was also a finalist for the 2001 Frank Broyles Assistant Coach of the Year Award after Fresno State finished fourth in the nation in both scoring (40.0 ppg.) and total offense (501.6 ypg.). The Bulldogs also became the first school in NCAA history to feature a 4,000-yard passer, two 1,000-yard receivers and a 1,000-yard rusher in a single season. That Fresno team featured Heisman Trophy finalist and 2002 NFL Draft No. 1 pick David Carr.
Besides his offensive coordinator experience, Ludwig has spent time at Boise State (quarterbacks coach, 1995-96), Utah (defensive graduate assistant, 1992), Idaho State (quarterbacks/receivers, 1989-91) and Portland State (receivers, 1987-88).
Ludwig played two seasons as a wide receiver at Snow College in Utah (1982-83) before earning a pair of letters at Portland State (1985-86), where he graduated in 1988 with a degree in exercise science.
Ludwig and his wife, Jill, have a son and a daughter.
