Gary Andersen

Gary Andersen is an analyst at Weber State University. He joined the staff as a volunteer in August 2021, serving as an adviser while assisting the defensive coaching staff.[1] Andersen is a former coach of head football coach Jay Hill.[2]

He was head football coach at Utah State University from 2019 to 2020. He was fired by Utah State on November 7, 2020, after the team started 0-3, and refused to be paid the balance of his contract.

Andersen became the new head coach of Oregon State on December 10, 2014, and on October 9, 2017, he he abruptly quit as Oregon State’s head coach in the middle of the 2017 season with four years left on his contract (counting a one-year extension). One former OSU employee said Andersen quit because he no longer believed his staff was capable and that to succeed he would have to start over completely with an entirely new staff; that was not an appealing option. He walked away from a reported $12.6 million.[3] When Andersen left OSU he released this statement through the athletic department: “Coaching is not about the mighty dollar. It is about teaching and putting young men in a position to succeed on and off the field. Success comes when all parties involved are moving in the same direction.”[4]

During his coaching career, he was with University of Wisconsin-Madison, Utah State (twice), University of Utah, Southern Utah University, Northern Arizona University, Idaho State University, Ricks College, and Park City High School.

Andersen lettered in football at Cottonwood High School in Salt Lake City. At Ricks College, he played center. He was team captain his second year, and helped Ricks to ranking second in the nation. He then played for two years at University of Utah and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He and his wife, Stacey, have three sons.