Wisconsin football head coach Bret Bielema announced the latest addition to his staff Wednesday afternoon, introducing Andy Buh as the program’s new linebackers coach.
Buh spent the previous two seasons at Nevada, his alma matter, where he acted as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He also has two years of experience as a co-defensive coordinator at Stanford (2008-09).
“I’ve known about Andy for several years and had the chance to visit with him at the coaches’ convention in San Antonio recently,” Bielema said. “I came away very impressed with his teaching ability, his passion and his personality. He brings tremendous experience, being a coordinator at both Nevada and Stanford, and is a dynamic personality.
“With his wife being an Indiana native, this is chance for his family to get back to the Midwest.”
All in all, Buh has coached linebackers for seven years at three institutions. He will replace Dave Huxtable, who left Wisconsin to join Paul Chryst and become defensive coordinator at Pittsburgh.
After six assistants departed in the weeks after the Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 2, Buh is Bielema’s fourth hire since Jan. 16, and all have experience coordinating either an offense or defense.
Buh inherits a linebacking corps that returns two starters, Chris Borland and Mike Taylor, who combined for 293 tackles and earned first-team all-Big Ten awards in 2011.
“Today is a great day,” Buh said. “I’m very excited and enthused about joining the University of Wisconsin’s football staff. I’m thrilled with this opportunity and can’t wait to hit the field running.”
“Coach Bielema has given me the opportunity of a lifetime, and I’m humbled to be a part of his staff. I look forward to every part of this experience and can’t wait to get working.”
Nevada flashed a 20-7 record over the two years in which Buh acted as defensive coordinator, with the Wolf Pack winning the WAC title in 2010.
Upon arriving at Nevada, Buh received a defense that ranked 91st and 96th in the country in total defense in the two years prior to his arrival as defensive coordinator, in 2009. In the two seasons under his command, however, the Wolf Pack defense ranked 54th and 52nd in the same category.
In 2010, the Wolf Pack had the nation’s 18th-best rushing defense, allowing 120.29 yards per game. The following season, they ranked 22nd nationally in pass efficiency defense.
Buh’s defenses at Nevada also featured defensive end Dontay Moch, a third-round draft choice by the Cincinnati Bengals, and first-team All-American defensive tackle Brett Roy.
Before returning to Nevada, Buh spent three seasons at Stanford. After spending 2007 as the linebackers coach, then-head coach Jim Harbaugh promoted Buh to co-defensive coordinator. In 2009, four members of the Cardinal defense attained all-Pac-10 honors.
Between 2002-05, Buh oversaw linebackers at San Diego State, his first job doing so, and watched four players graduate to the NFL. Two of them saw their names added to watch lists for the Nagurski and Butkus Awards, given annually to the best defensive player and linebacker in the country, respectively.
He earned his first coaching job in college football in 1997 as a graduate assistant at Nevada, three years after graduating from the school. He also has held various coaching positions at California (2000-01) and Fresno State (2006).
