Bill Bedenbaugh Joins Football Coaching Staff

TUCSON, Ariz. ?- Arizona head football coach Mike Stoops announced Friday the hiring of assistant coach Bill Bedenbaugh (pronounced Bee-Den-Bow).

Bedenbaugh, who will work with the offensive line in Tucson, joins the Wildcats coaching staff after seven seasons at Texas Tech, and with national signing day just a little over three weeks away he will jump right into the recruiting process with the members of the staff already on board.

“We’re excited to add another outstanding coach to our staff here at Arizona,” Stoops said. “Coach Bedenbaugh has worked with (recently hired offensive coordinator) Coach Dykes for a number of years, and is on the same page with him as to what we are looking to do offensively. He has a great understanding of what our game plan is here, and what we’re doing on and off the field and in recruiting. He’s eager and ready to get started with our linemen, and he has shown a desire to help continue the process of building the Arizona program into a contender.”

Bedenbaugh, who joins offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes from the Red Raiders staff, spent the last two seasons (2005-06) mentoring the offensive line in Lubbock.

“I'm really excited to get started,” Bedenbaugh said. “I know Coach Stoops has an excellent defense here and I really want to help get the offense on track and help win some championships. I've been around Coach Dykes for a long time, and I know what his expectations are for the offense we want at Arizona. It's an exciting time to be here.”

In 2006 his charges paved the way for a Tech team that finished first in the Big 12 in total offense (448.8 yards per game, 13^th nationally) and passing offense (369.5 yards per game, 3^rd nationally), and was third in the Big 12 Conference and 13^th nationally in scoring (32.5 points per game).

The Red Raiders most recently rallied from a 31-point deficit against Minnesota in the Insight.com Bowl in December for a 44-41 overtime victory to mark the biggest come-from-behind win in major bowl history.

Bedenbaugh-coached senior Glenn January was tabbed second-team All-Big-12 offensive line upon the conclusion of the 2006 regular season, and linemates Manuel Ramirez and Louis Vasquez were named honorable mention.

His line helped sophomore running back Shannon Woods average 6.1 yards per carry in 2006 and score 10 rushing touchdowns, while also giving sophomore quarterback Graham Harrell enough time to pass for a Big-12-best 350.4 yards per game and 38 touchdowns.

Previous to his two seasons as the O-line coach, Bedenbaugh served two years as the running backs coach with the Red Raiders (2003-04) and was a graduate assistant coach at Tech for three seasons (2000-2002), working under former offensive line coach Robert Anae, who is now the offensive coordinator at Brigham Young.

He joined the Red Raider staff after spending the 1999 season as the offensive line coach and running game coordinator at Division II Ferris State. He was named the NCAA Division II Coordinator of the Year after leading the Bulldogs to a Division II-best yards per game (534) and points per game (47) average.

He got his coaching start in 1995 at Oklahoma Panhandle State, and has coaching stops at Valdosta State (1996) and Central Michigan (1997-98).

Bedenbaugh, a native of St. Charles, Ill., was a four-year starter at center at Iowa Wesleyan College and played for current Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach there. He graduated from Iowa Wesleyan in 1995 with a degree in business and earned a master's degree in sport management from Texas Tech in December 2001.

The Wildcats, who are in the process of reshuffling the coaching duties for the staff, are still in need of another assistant coach, as well as replacing recently departed Director of Personnel and Research Dan Berezowitz

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