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SALT LAKE CITY — It may be the middle of February, but Utah football got a win late Monday night.
Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig will remain with the program after he was originally considered the leading candidate for an open spot for the same position at Notre Dame. ESPN's Pete Thamel was the first to break the news, citing a "buyout proved an obstacle" in Ludwig's decision to remain at Utah.
The buyout for Ludwig was over $2 million, though Utah would have attempted to match anything Notre Dame tried to offer for the valuable member of the offensive staff. Last season, Ludwig made $1.3 million as one of the highest-paid offensive coordinators in the Pac-12.
Ludwig was seen attending a Notre Dame hockey game over the weekend with football head coach Marcus Freeman.
The Notre Dame offensive coordinator position became available after Tommy Rees left to take a position on Alabama's coaching staff, leaving Ludwig to be considered a top candidate for the open spot after he lifted Utah to a top 20 offense last season and back-to-back Rose Bowl appearances.
After an initial stint at Utah, Kyle Whittingham hired Ludwig, an Ogden native, to be the team's offensive coordinator ahead of the 2019 season. Ludwig had previously spent four seasons in the SEC at Vanderbilt and had quickly improved the offense.
In just one year at Utah, Ludwig helped then-starting quarterback Tyler Huntley improve as a passer and helped him become a dark horse candidate for a Heisman run amid one of Utah's most successful team's in the Pac-12 era.
Each year since, Ludwig has helped Utah's offense improve. Last season, Utah averaged 38.6 points per game — good for 11th in the country — and had the 15th most efficient offense in the country, according to ESPN.
With Ludwig back at Utah, the two-time reigning Pac-12 champions will look to be in contention for a third. Utah ranks 16th in the country for returning production for the 2023, with quarterback Cam Rising and tight end Brant Kuithe leading an offense that returns 83% of last season's production — the fifth-highest offensive returning production in the country.
