After an underwhelming start to the 2024 season, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, Andy Ludwig made the call to step down from his position as offensive coordinator of the University of Utah football team on Monday morning. Ludwig spent five seasons with the Utah program and was a massive part of their recent success, particularly throughout the back-to-back Pac-12 champion seasons.
Head coach Kyle Whittingham released a statement regarding the resignation earlier on Monday morning, saying, “Assistant coach Andy Ludwig has made the decision to step down from his position with Utah Football. Andy is the consummate professional, and we want to thank him for his complete dedication to our program during his 10 total seasons with us. Coach Ludwig has been instrumental to our success here at Utah, and personally, I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for Andy as both a coach and a person. We wish him nothing but the best in all of his future endeavors.”
Although Ludwig will no longer be with the program, we wish him the best in whatever is next, but it is now time to look ahead and focus on the future of this program.
What’s Next for the Offense
As Utah prepares for the future, head coach Whittingham has made a strategic decision, elevating Mike Bajakian to the position of interim offensive coordinator and primary playcaller for the remainder of the season. Bajakian is in his first year with the Utah program after spending the past three years as the offensive coordinator at Northwestern.
Bajakian has been able to work with quarterback Isaac Wilson since arriving in Utah, and they have gained familiarity and trust with one another, which should be extremely beneficial for the freshman in the final five regular season matchups.
A change in staff can be detrimental to the development of a young quarterback, but in this particular situation, it should allow Wilson to become more comfortable in a less complicated offense that is geared towards his specific skillset. It is expected that the playbook will become simpler for Wilson, allowing him to develop quicker at the collegiate level.
The final five games for Utah are extremely difficult, which will be a great test for Bajakian and the Utah offense. The Utes will take on Houston next week in what should be looked at as a dress rehearsal for Bajakian in preparation for when in-state rival BYU comes to town in two weeks.
Expect the offense to include relatively similar personnel but with different alignments, route combinations and pass blocking schemes, as those have been three areas Utah has struggled with all year. Hopefully Bajakian’s game plan can allow Utah to stay competitive in these tough matchups down the stretch; only time will tell.
