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COLLEGE FOOTBALL Here's insight into new Beaver coach Beat writer shares thoughts from Andersen's time at Utah State Comment By Connor Letourneau The Oregonian MailTribune.com By Connor Letourneau The Oregonian Posted Dec. 11, 2014 at 7:56 PM By Connor Letourneau The Oregonian Posted Dec. 11, 2014 at 7:56 PM » Social News In two years at Wisconsin, Gary Andersen proved he could continue a proud tradition at one of the nation’s elite programs. But he also has a strong track record with rebuilding projects. In 2009, Andersen took over a Utah State team that hadn’t topped three wins in six seasons and hadn’t reached a bowl game in 12. The Aggies went 7-6 in his third year at the helm. They enjoyed an 11-2 campaign, the program’s best-ever mark, in 2012 before Andersen moved to Madison. At Oregon State, he won’t stare down a makeover the magnitude of what he faced at Utah State. But the Beavers still represent a significant challenge. Facilities, though soon-to-be upgraded, rank near the bottom of the Pac-12. Recruiting to rural Corvallis is often trying. And OSU is losing a number of key contributors from a bowless squad. Tony Jones, who covered Andersen’s entire Utah State tenure for The Salt Lake Tribune, is as familiar with the 50-year-old’s coaching style as any media member. Jones shared his thoughts about what Beaver fans should expect from their next head coach. At Wisconsin, Andersen obviously had a very run-oriented offense. How would you describe his offense at Utah State? “He’s a spread guy. At Wisconsin, he ran what his personnel dictated that he should run. You know, he had Joel Stave at quarterback. He’s not a real spread guy. So once he got his recruits in there, he would’ve opened it up. He’s always been a spread guy. That’s kind of what he’s always liked to run. Do you think his desire to run more of a spread offense played a factor in his decision to come to OSU? “Knowing him, his Polynesian pipeline is really huge. I think that works better out west and would work better in the Pac-12 than it did in that dynamic at Wisconsin. I also have heard various rumors floating around as to why he left. You know, issues with the administration on certain things. But he’s huge with the Polynesian pipeline. He’s a big believer in junior college recruiting as well. I just think that his recruiting ties are mostly western based. So I think that all of those factors could’ve come into play in terms of why he left.” Obviously his coaching history rests on the defensive side of the football. How involved was he with his defenses at Utah State? “The year before he hired Dave Aranda to be the defensive coordinator, he was actually coaching the defense. So historically he’s been a defensive coach. When he did hire Dave Aranda (in 2012), Aranda was a guy who brings consistent pressure and leaves your cornerbacks on an island. It’s the exact same thing that Gary has always believed in, and that Gary always coached when he was at Utah. Gary’s always been a traditional defense-first guy. I know he takes real pride in what happens on that side of the ball. He’s usually pretty hands off with his offense.” Aranda is definitely a rising star as a defensive coordinator. What were your impressions of Aranda at Utah State? “I worked with him for one year. He was a quiet guy, really nice and really polite. As a media member, you’re not going to get a whole lot out of him. But I thought he did a great job in his one year at Utah State. Now that team had some real defensive talent on it. That team Aranda coached had two NFL cornerbacks, they had great linebacker play and they had good guys up front. I mean, it was a defense that was built before he got there and had been really successful. He did really well with it. He’s going to pressure you, he’s going to blitz a lot, he’s going to come up with a lot of exciting packages. If they can get the personnel that they want in there, you should expect a lot of 4-3-4 sets.” Would you expect Andersen to bring Aranda with him to OSU? “Unless he gets a head coaching job, I would say he would follow Gary to Corvallis. I’m not altogether sure how the 59-0 loss to Ohio State looks on Dave, but I know he’s seen as a rising star. I wouldn’t be surprised if, even if it doesn’t happen this year, I wouldn’t be surprised if he does get a job somewhere.” What’s been the reaction in Utah to this hire? “I think the first reaction was shock and the second reaction was a little bit of fear. Gary is a master recruiter, and he’s one of the best recruiters that I’ve ever been around. Even at Wisconsin, he had already affected some of the status quo with Utah kids. He grabbed Austin Kafentzis out of Jordan High, who kind of put up video-game numbers in high school. He’s a top 300 guy. I just think that if Gary’s in the Pac-12, I would think Utah fans have reason to worry about Gary infiltrating the state and being a huge factor in in-state recruiting.” Do you think that if Kyle Whittingham had left for another job and the timing had worked out, Utah would’ve gone after Andersen to be their head coach? “I’m not sure. I think if they knew he was available, there’s a chance that they would’ve gone after him. But I also think that if Whittingham leaves for another job tomorrow, I think Kalani Sitake — their current defensive coordinator — would have a good shot at the job as well.” How did Andersen deal with the media in your time covering him? “He’s great with the media. He’s one of the coaches who kind of gets it when it comes to the media, it seems like. He knows that keeping a relationship with the media is important. He’s always been open with us, and he’s pretty honest. He always has his practices open as long as you didn’t do something stupid like tweet injuries or something. He was always pretty good with the media, so no complaints there.” By Connor Letourneau The Oregonian MailTribune.com By Connor Letourneau The Oregonian Posted Dec. 11, 2014 at 7:56 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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