Andy Buh officially hired as Cals new defensive coordinator

The Andy Buh hire was made official this afternoon and, according to head coach Sonny Dykes, Cal's new defensive coordinator should assume the position immediately following the Rose Bowl. Here's the official release from the university...

Andy Buh Named Defensive Coordinator

Veteran coach spent 2012 season at Rose Bowl-bound Wisconsin after coordinator jobs at Nevada and Stanford

Andy Buh will become the defensive coordinator at Cal, head coach Sonny Dykes announced Wednesday. Buh will join the Golden Bears after coaching on the Wisconsin staff in the Rose Bowl against Stanford on January 1, 2013. Contract terms are to be determined and will be in compliance with UC policy.

Buh has spent the 2012 season as the Badgers' linebackers coach after previously serving as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for two seasons at Nevada (2010-11) and the co-defensive coordinator for the final two seasons of his three-year stint at Stanford (2007-09).

"Andy Buh is a highly sought-after coach that has led a series of strong defenses in multiple settings over the last several seasons," Dykes said. "The experience and knowledge he will bring to Cal football on the defensive side of the ball will have a tremendous impact on our program. He also has significant experience recruiting in the state of California and will bolster our recruiting efforts in our own backyard. I have wanted to work with Andy for a long time and have tried to hire him in the past, so I'm glad that this opportunity has materialized."

"I'm truly excited for the opportunity to come back to the Bay Area and the University of California," Buh said. "Cal is a program that has all of the resources to be a consistent winner in the Pac-12. I have a tremendous amount of respect for coach Dykes and what he has done over his career. I cannot be more excited to meet the players, the staff and all that makes Cal a special place to be."

Buh has played a key role as the linebackers coach for a Wisconsin defensive unit that ended the 2012 regular season ranked 13th nationally in total defense (320.92 ypg) and in the top 25 in all major categories on the defensive side of the ball. Wisconsin was also tied for 19th in scoring defense (19.08 ppg), as well as tied for 21st in both rushing defense (124.46 ypg) and pass efficiency defense (112.59) at the end of the regular season. The Badgers were even better during regular-season 2012 Big Ten contests, allowing 18.3 points per game to rank second in the conference. Wisconsin held five consecutive conference opponents to 16 points or less at one point and gave up more than 24 in only of its eight regular-season league contests.

Wisconsin linebacker Mike Taylor is tied for 39th nationally in tackles with an average of 9.23 per game, while his 120 stops are tied for 24th overall. Over the last two seasons, Taylor has recorded more tackles (270) than any other player in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).

During his two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Nevada, the Wolf Pack was 20-7 overall and 12-3 in the Western Athletic Conference.

Nevada won the WAC title in 2010, posting a 13-1 overall record and defeating Boston College in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl featuring a rushing defense that ranked 18th nationally (120.29 ypg) and a scoring defense that was 31st (21.43 ppg). Pressure keyed much of the team's defensive success as the Wolf Pack was 24th nationally in sacks (2.50 spg). Defensive end Dontay Moch, a third-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2011 NFL Draft, had 22.0 tackles for loss (-83 yards). Moch led the WAC and ranked 10th nationally with an average of 1.57 per game.

Nevada posted a 7-6 record and nearly upset No. 22 Southern Miss in the Hawaii Bowl in 2011, limiting the No. 15 scoring offense in the country to 13 points and 125 yards below its season averages. Nevada finished 22nd in the country in pass efficiency defense (115.14) and was led on the defensive side of the ball by first-team All-American defensive tackle Brett Roy, who had 18.5 tackles for loss (-57 yards) while pacing the WAC and ranking 12th nationally with 1.42 per game. Roy also had 10.0 sacks (-36 yards), ranking second in the WAC and tied for 13th in the country with 0.77 per game.

Buh engineered a major turnaround in the defense he inherited at Nevada that ranked 91st nationally in total defense in 2009 (400.23 ypg) and 96th in 2008 (409.31 ypg) the two seasons before his arrival. In his two campaigns at Nevada, the Wolf Pack finished 52nd in total defense in 2011 (369.23 ypg) and 54th in 2010 (363.57 ypg).

Prior to his tenure at Nevada, Buh had three successful seasons at Stanford (2007-09). He began his stint at Stanford in 2007 as the linebackers coach for one campaign before being promoted by then-head coach Jim Harbaugh to co-defensive coordinator for his final two seasons.

In his first season as the co-defensive coordinator at Stanford, the Cardinal ranked 11th nationally in sacks (2.75 spg) with the team's 34 total sacks coming from 13 different players. In Buh's second season in the position, the Cardinal made its first bowl appearance (Sun Bowl) since 2001 and had four defensive players honored on the All-Pac-12 teams to bring the two-year total under Buh to seven.

Buh spent the 2006 campaign on the staff at Fresno State after four successful seasons (2002-05) as the linebackers coach at San Diego State. 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 who would go on to play in the NFL for seven seasons with Oakland (2005-09), Jacksonville (2010) and Buffalo (2011).

Buh spent two seasons at Cal (2000-01) as a defensive administrative assistant after making his collegiate coaching debut with three campaigns at his alma mater Nevada, where he was a graduate assistant coach in 1997 and 1998 before being hired as defensive backs/special teams coach in 1999.

He started his coaching career as an assistant by coaching one campaign in 1996 at Orange Glen High School, where he graduated from in 1991.

Buh played two seasons collegiately at Nevada (1993-94) and helped the Wolf Pack to a Big West championship as a senior as the Pack combined for a 16-6 mark during Buh's two seasons as a player. Buh graduated from Nevada with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1996.

A native of Escondido, Calif., he also played for two seasons at Palomar College, where he helped his squad to a share of the 1991 Junior College Grid-Wire national championship as a freshman. As a sophomore in 1992, he earned All-America honors.

Buh is married to the former Kelly Morris. The couple has a son, Luke, born in 2010 and are expecting a second in child in March.