Notre Dame cheaps out and misses on another offensive coordinator target

Notre Dame still needs an offensive coordinator because they were reportedly too cheap to whisk Andy Ludwig away from Utah.

Ute fans in Salt Lake City have been dreading the prospect of losing offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig to Notre Dame.

They don’t have to worry about that anymore because Notre Dame isn’t willing to pony up.

“Sources: Utah offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig is staying at Utah,” Pete Thamel of ESPN tweeted on Monday night. “His buyout proved an obstacle in discussions with Notre Dame.”

Notre Dame missed on Utah’s Andy Ludwig over buyout

According to Josh Newman of the Salt Lake Tribune, Ludwig’s buyout was $2.8 million. That’s certainly a pretty penny to pay for a new OC but Notre Dame may regret not paying it.

Ludwig stood out as a top candidate in part because of his apparent interest as well as the work he’s done to help put Utah on top of the Pac-12. He’s been Kyle Whittingham’s OC since 2019. Over the past two seasons, the Ute’s offense has exploded with 38.6 points per game in 2022 and 36.1 in 2021. Quarterback Cam Rising has developed into a dark horse Heisman candidate.

The fact that Ludwig’s offense managed to outscore that of Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams twice in 2022 speaks to his performance.

The Irish have been linked to some big names like Byron Leftwich and Eagles quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson, but those feel like pipe dreams considering the opportunities those two could find in the NFL instead.

Notre Dame may find it hard to find comparable candidates who are available for less than it would have taken to land Ludwig.

You’ve got to spend big to win big in college football. Notre Dame shying away from a buyout or simply being outbid by Utah doesn’t bode well.