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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah football's identity on offense almost took a significant hit in February.
Long time offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig, who returned to Utah ahead of the 2019 season, was linked to an open offensive coordinator position at Notre Dame. The blue blood program courted Ludwig, and head coach Marcus Freeman flew Ludwig out to South Bend, Indiana, where the two were seen at a hockey game together.
Ludwig was their main target, and the storied program made him an offer. But in the end, Ludwig opted to stay at the University of Utah, where he will look to lead the program's offense in another pursuit of a Pac-12 championship.
On Wednesday, in the first opportunity to talk to Ludwig since the end of the 2022 season, he said there were several favors that kept him at Utah, but ultimately that he is a "Utah man."
"I came back in 2019 to finish my career with coach Whitt," Ludwig said, matter of factly. "There was some intrigue with that position, but as all things were measured out, I made the decision, the commitment here, the commitment to the coach, to the program, to the administration, to the players, and just fired up to get the spring ball in this March for a championship repeat going."
To Ludwig, it wasn't a question of trying to jump to another job and the prestige that came with being a coach for a blue blood program like Notre Dame. There was "intrigued," he said, and it's "a big part of this profession," but it wasn't in the cards for him.
"When all the chips are on the table and you're measuring the pros and cons, this is the place, coach Whitt is the guy I want to work for, and the Utah players, that Utah culture is what I want to be a part of," Ludwig added.
"I'm going to finish my football career at Utah."
Ludwig wasn't the only coach from Utah linked to a position at Notre Dame, though. In the reports that followed the Irish's desire to have Ludwig on staff, offensive line coach Jim Harding was said to join Ludwig if hired at Notre Dame.
That report, however, was disputed by Harding on Wednesday.
"I guess, the easiest way to say it is, things that are reported or put on Twitter aren't necessarily the truth, and so I'll defer to coach Whitt, but I love it here," Harding said. "I have two little kids — seventh and fourth grade — that, to us, this is home. And so, you know, I think that there were some things in place that would prevent me from ever wanting to go anywhere else, whether it's contractually or things that — discussions I've had with coach. I guess the easiest way to say is everything you read is not necessarily true."
Harding added that he was never a "package deal" with Ludwig and that he had "no discussions whatsoever with Notre Dame." Any conversations, he added, we're with Kyle Whittingham and nobody else.
Harding has long been talked about as a strong candidate to replace Ludwig as offensive coordinator at Utah whenever Ludwig retires. He's had offers to coach elsewhere but remains committed to Utah.
The two coaches say they remain committed to helping Utah get better this spring in its pursuit of another Pac-12 title.
