Gary Andersen began his college football career where he was an offensive lineman for the University Of Utah. Andersen was coached by then Utah coach, Jim Fassel. Jim Fassel went on to be the head coach of the New York Giants who appeared in the 2000 Super Bowl. Andersen's position coach, offensive line, at Utah was Ron McBride. Andersen graduated with a degree in Political Science from the University Of Utah.
Ron McBride left Utah after Andersen graduated in 1986 for Arizona to coach under Dick Tomey, the former head coach of San Jose State. As the assistant head coach in 1989, McBride helped lead the Arizona Wildcats to a Copper Bowl win over North Carolina State. In 1990, McBride became the head coach of Utah. After two seasons with Utah, McBride took the Utes to their first bowl appearance in more than a decade in 1993. In all, McBride led Utah to six bowls and eighty-eight wins.
Andersen joined McBride as Utah's defensive tackles and ends coach in 1997. In 1999, Andersen helped lead Utah to its first Mountain West Conference championship. While at his first stint at Utah, Andersen helped lead Utah to two bowls and forty-nine wins, including bowl victories over Fresno State and USC.
In 2003, Andersen became the head coach at Southern Utah where SUU had just three wins in the previous two seasons. In 2003, Andersen led the T-Birds to more wins, four, than it had in the previous two seasons. Andersen was then hired by Urban Myer in 2004 as the defensive line coach. In the 2004 season Andersen helped lead the Utes to an undefeated season and a Fiesta Bowl victory over Pittsburgh. In 2005 Andersen became the defensive coordinator for the Utes under new head coach, Kyle Whittingham. While at Utah during his second stint, Andersen helped lead Utah to forty-nine wins and five bowls, including a Fiesta Bowl victory and a Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama in 2008. In 2008 Andersen was a finalist for the Broyles Award which is given to one of the best assistant coaches in the nation. While at Utah, Andersen was widely known as one of the top recruiters in the nation.
"During his tenure at Utah, Andersen coached 14 first-team all-conference players (three this season), including two Mountain West Conference defensive players of the year in John Frank (1999) and Eric Weddle (2005 and 2006), as well as a consensus All-American in Weddle in 2006. Andersen has also coached seven players drafted in the NFL in Richard Seals, John Frank, Lauvale Sape, Sione Pouha, Jonathan Fanene, Eric Weddle and Paul Soliai, in addition to several other players who made NFL rosters as free agents."
Andersen's four wins in 2009 are just four of many to come while head coach at Utah State.
