Sunday, February 22, 2009

Kansas City Star: K-State loses assistant coach to Cal

Link.

In his second stint as Kansas State coach, Bill Snyder has suffered his first loss.  Andy Ludwig, the former Utah offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Snyder was said to have handpicked to guide the Wildcats’ offense, is leaving Manhattan to join California as the Golden Bears’ offensive coordinator. The move was announced today by California. There wasn’t a comment from K-State.  Ludwig helped guide the Utes to a 13-0 record, including an upset of Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. He is known as a terrific quarterback tutor, and Ludwig was viewed as perhaps Snyder’s biggest hiring coup – along with former Clemson co-defensive coordinator Vic Koenning.

But he’s gone, off to Berkeley, where he’ll work for Cal coach Jeff Tedford. Ludwig and Tedford have never worked together, but they share common previous places of employment at Fresno State and Oregon.  “I am happy and excited to have Andy join our staff,” Tedford said in a statement. “I’ve kept in touch with him over the years and followed his career, and we have a lot of history together. Andy is an excellent coach, which is evident by his guiding Utah to an undefeated record last year. He is an outstanding offensive coordinator and play caller.”  A K-State replacement could come from within.   Dana Dimel, a former K-State assistant that left Arizona to join Snyder’s staff Feb. 13 as running backs coach, was the Wildcats’ offensive coordinator in 1995-96. Ditto for Del Miller, another former assistant with a long history as Snyder’s right-hand man who has been added to the new coaching staff in a capacity that has yet to be formally announced.

No comments: