Coach Gary Andersen left Wisconsin to replace Mike Riley, who departed for Nebraska, at Oregon State. Under the terms of contract with Wisconsin, Andersen was subject to a $3 million buyout for terminating during his first two years of his hire.
The move of Coach Gary Andersen is a surprise in the NFL realm. Wisconsin announced that Andersen informed the team of his decision on Wednesday afternoon. Yahoo! Sports reported the school said a search was already underway for his replacement.
Former Wisconsin Coach Gary Andersen is leaving the school after two seasons, which he compiled a 19-7 and made one appearance in the Big Ten championship game, to take the head coaching job at Oregon State. In an ESPN report, Andersen replaces Mike Riley, who left the Beavers this month after 14 seasons to take the head job at Nebraska.
On Wednesday afternoon, Oregon State announced the news on Twitter.
We are excited to announce our new head coach, Gary Andersen. Let’s welcome him to Corvallis! #BeaverNation #GoBeavs pic.twitter.com/k0ly1RLiVY
— Beavers Football (@OSUBeaversFB) December 10, 2014
Meanwhile, in a press conference Wednesday evening, Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez said that he was very surprised by the news. But Alvarez said Andersen's decision was motivated by family considerations.
"I thought Gary was a good fit," Alvarez said. "There was never any talk about, 'Someday I'd like to get back to that part of the country.' When you're away for a while maybe that settles in. I don't know that. Those are things you may want to ask him."
Andersen also expressed his gratitude for his time at the University of Wisconsin, USA Today reported.
"First and foremost I want to thank Coach Alvarez for the opportunity to coach at the University of Wisconsin," 50-year-old Andersen said. "I also want to thank my staff and the people at UW. We worked very hard together and accomplished some great things. I had the opportunity to meet and coach some great young men and I look forward to watching them as they continue their careers and move through life."
Though Coach Gary Andersen's decision would be considered mind-blowing, his move underscored some struggles on the Wisconsin side. As pointed out by Sports Illustrated, admitting recruits and the school's hesitations in investing heavily enough in staff are what drove its coaches away.
While Coach Gary Andersen will be missed in Wisconsin, his move to Oregon State will surely be something to look forward to. Meanwhile, Wisconsin is set to play Auburn in the Outback Bowl on New Year's Day.
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