SALT LAKE CITY — On the second day of the new year, Gary Andersen came home.
After the NCAA approved a rule that allowed teams to hire a 10th assistant coach, the former Utah defensive coordinator returned to the program in the capacity of assistant head coach/defensive line coach after resigning as head coach at Oregon State following a 1-5 start in 2017.
“Every day is a great day,” he says, happy to be back at his alma mater for his third stint in 21 years.
But on some level, “getting home” has carried a double-meaning for Andersen’s new appointment, which is to fix last season’s disappointing pass rush.