Gary Andersen leaves Wisconsin for Oregon State

Less than three weeks ago, I interviewed Wisconsin Athletic Director Barry Alvarez in a Cedar Rapids sandwich shop.

I didn't use the portion of the interview asking him how he zeroed in on Gary Andersen as his man to replace Bret Bielema as the Badgers' football coach two years ago, focusing instead on his role with the College Football Playoff selection committee.

Alvarez said Andersen wowed him when Utah State battled Wisconsin to the end before losing 16-14 to the Badgers in Madison in 2012, and how Utah State outplayed Auburn in a 42-38 loss there the year before.

When Bielema abruptly left for Wisconsin, Alvarez gave former Badger player Joe Panos a call. Panos is a contract adviser for Athletes First. Alvarez asked Panos to call around and talk to former Utah State players in the NFL about what they thought of Andersen. Alvarez said Panos got nothing but high praise from the former Aggies.

When Andersen interviewed with Alvarez in Minneapolis, he brought a pamphlet of sorts that detailed his philosophies of running a program. Alvarez said it was a virtual copy of the same principles he presented to Wisconsin when he got the UW coaching job 25 years and three Rose Bowl victories ago.

Alvarez told me he never in a million years saw Bielema up and leaving like he did. He probably never in 2 million years saw Andersen doing likewise, but Andersen is off to Oregon State.

I was in Madison on Nov. 29 for the Big Ten West-deciding game between the Badgers and Minnesota. After Wisconsin won, 34-24, a makeshift stage was assembled on the field and the team's stars, its coach, and its athletic director gathered on it to speak to the fans and celebrate their triumph. Andersen told the fans they were a big part of the success.

Eleven days and a 59-0 trouncing to Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game later, the coach bolts for Oregon State, the No. 2 program in its own state and one of the least-regarded programs in the Pac-12 with facilities and financing that don't begin to compare with what the mighty Ducks of Oregon own.

From an Iowa standpoint, how bizarre, how bizarre. The Hawkeyes lost to both Wisconsin and Nebraska in Kinnick Stadium in the space of seven days in late November. Nebraska's coach, Bo Pelini, got fired. Wisconsin's coach left voluntarily.

Wisconsin has a pretty powerful program. The Badgers win, it's not the hardest place from which to recruit, and they send a lot of players to the NFL. But something up there makes the grass look greener in Fayetteville, Ark., and Corvallis, Ore.

'I had no idea this was in the works,” Alvarez said Wednesday. Some of his other press conference quotes:

'We've got one of the most consistent programs in the country. ... Gary made the decision for family matters.”

'I promised (the players) we will not take a step backward and replace Coach Andersen with another excellent coach and staff.”

'I really don't worry about style of play on offense and defense as long as it's sound. ... I never strap anybody down. We were sound in what we did.”

'I thought Gary was a good fit.”

'I'm a big boy. I understand this business. ... We'll go hire a good coach, get him started in recruiting, here we go. I know one thing, I won't flinch.”

'We'll have someone in place. ... You probably won't hold your recruits, but the last time when Bret left we held most of them. ... You'll have a good coach in front of you soon. It's not going to set us back.”

Asked if this means Wisconsin isn't a destination job, 'It wasn't for them (Bielema or Andersen.) It was for me and Bo Ryan. Everybody is a little different. I don't worry about that. We've got a lot to sell.”

Alvarez also said the next football coach will be the last one he hires.