Brings Defensive Coordinator Experience From Pac-12 and Western Athletic Conference
Photo: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Andy Buh, who has been defensive coordinator or co-defensive coordinator at Stanford, Nevada and California, and also coached for a Big Ten champion at Wisconsin, has joined the Kentucky football staff, Coach Mark Stoops announced Wednesday.
“I was looking for a specific fit for this position,” Stoops said. “I wanted someone with defensive coordinator experience who has won on a high level. I’m very pleased with Andy’s level of experience. I believe he’ll be a great asset to our program and defensive staff.”
Stoops said that Buh will receive his positional duties at a later date as the head coach evaluates the optimal alignment of the defensive staff. Stoops also noted that responsibilities for the various special teams units will be spread among the Wildcat coaches.
Buh’s coaching legacy includes helping engineer major turnarounds at Stanford and Nevada, making four consecutive bowl appearances from 2009-12 and sending numerous players to the National Football League.
Buh (pronounced same as “boo”) coached most recently at the University of California, where he was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2013. The Golden Bear defense was ravaged by injuries that year as 16 players from the team’s preseason two-deep were sidelined for a total of 109 games. A highlight was the performance of defensive lineman Deandre Coleman, who earned third-team All-Pac-12 honors and just finished his rookie season with the Miami Dolphins.
Buh was the linebackers coach at Wisconsin in 2012 and the UW defense ranked in the nation’s top 25 in several statistical categories. The Badgers were 15th in the nation in total defense (322.6 yards per game), 17th in scoring defense (19.1 points per game), 22nd in pass efficiency defense and 24th in rushing defense. Wisconsin was even better during the regular-season Big Ten contests, allowing just 18.3 points per game to rank second in the league.
Individually, Wisconsin linebacker Mike Taylor had 123 tackles and ranked 25th in the nation in total stops. Linebacker Chris Borland received All-Big Ten honors. Borland currently plays for the San Francisco 49ers and Taylor is a member of the reserve squad for the Seattle Seahawks.
Prior to Wisconsin, Buh was defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Nevada in 2010-11. In his first season, Buh helped lead Nevada to arguably the greatest season in school history with a 13-1 record, tying for the Western Athletic Conference championship and defeating Boston College in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. Nevada ranked 31st in the nation in scoring defense (21.4 ppg) and 18th nationally in rushing defense at 120.3 yards per game. The Wolf Pack rated 24th nationally in sacks with 35 QB takedowns, 2.5 per game. Defensive end Dontay Moch had 22 tackles for loss, leading the WAC and rating 10th nationally with 1.57 TFL per game. Moch was a third-round draft pick by the Cincinnati Bengals and currently plays for the Tennessee Titans.
The Wolf Pack went 7-6 in his first season and played No. 22-ranked Southern Mississippi in the Hawaii Bowl, limiting the nation’s No. 15 scoring offense to 13 points and 125 yards below its season average. Nevada was led by first-team All-America defensive tackle Brett Roy, who had 18.5 tackles for loss, pacing the WAC and ranking 12th nationally with 1.4 TFL per game. Included were 10 quarterback sacks, with Roy ranking second in the WAC and 13th in the country at 0.77 per game.
Buh’s success came after inheriting a unit that had ranked 96th and 91st nationally in total defense in 2008 and ’09, respectively, the two seasons before his arrival. In his two years at Nevada, the Wolf Pack was 54th in the country in total defense in 2010 and 52nd in 2011.
Buh also was part of a major turnaround during his term at Stanford. He was linebackers coach in 2007 for a team that had gone 1-11 the year before. The 2007 squad improved to four wins, including one of the greatest upsets in college football history – as a 41-point underdog, the Cardinal scored a 24-23 road victory at Southern California. Buh was promoted by then-head coach Jim Harbaugh to co-defensive coordinator for his final two seasons.
In his first year as co-defensive coordinator, Stanford ranked 11th nationally in quarterback sacks and improved to five wins. Three Cardinal defenders were named All-Pac-12. In 2009, Stanford played in the Sun Bowl, the school’s first bowl appearance since 2001, and had four players receive All-Pac-12 honors, including NFL All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman.
A native of Escondido, Calif., Buh played linebacker for two seasons at Palomar College, where he helped the team to a share of the 1991 Junior College Grid-Wire national championship as a freshman. He was a junior-college All-American as a sophomore.
Buh went on to play at Nevada in 1993-94 and was a part of a Big West championship team as a senior. He graduated with a degree in physical education and began his coaching career at his high school alma mater, Orange Glen HS, in 1996.
Buh entered the collegiate coaching ranks at Nevada as a graduate assistant in 1997-98 and coached defensive backs and special teams in ’99. He was a defensive administrative assistant at California in 2000-01.
Buh coached linebackers at San Diego State at 2002-05. During his time with the Aztecs, Buh coached four players who went on to the NFL, including Kirk Morrison, a first-team All-American, two-time Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year and three-time All-MWC selection. Morrison went on to play eight years in the NFL. Buh coached one season at Fresno State before going to Stanford.
“I jumped at the opportunity to be part of Mark Stoops’ staff,” Buh said about his desire to join the Wildcats. “He’s one of the best defensive coaches in the country and has had remarkable success on that side of the ball.
“I also wanted a chance to coach in the SEC, a premier conference. We’re excited to move to Lexington as my wife is from that part of the country.”
Buh’s wife, Kelly, is a native of New Albany, Ind. They have two sons, Luke and Logan.
Buh College Coaching File
Years School Position
1997-98 Nevada Graduate Assistant
1999 Nevada Defensive Backs, Special Teams
2000-01 California Defensive Administrative Assistant
2002-05 San Diego State Linebackers
2006 Fresno State Graduate Assistant
2007 Stanford Linebackers
2008-09 Stanford Co-Defensive Coordinator, Linebackers
2010-11 Nevada Defensive Coordinator, Linebackers
2012 Wisconsin Linebackers
2013 California Defensive Coordinator, Linebackers
Comments
