Vanderbilt offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig has left to take the same position at Utah as first reported by UteNation.com.

Ludwig spent four years under coach Derek Mason at Vanderbilt, and also coached running backs and tight ends last season.

He returns to Utah, where he was the offensive coordinator from 2005-08. The Utes lost offensive coordinator Troy Taylor, who left to become the head coach at Sacramento State.

Ludwig claims Ogden, Utah as his hometown, and also played two years collegiately at Utah's Snow College.

Ludwig's tenure at VU drew mixed reviews for inflexibility and not always using play-makers to their fullest extent. He was also not as involved as other Vandy assistants in recruiting.

Whether those criticisms were fair or not, there's no doubt that the Commodore offense improved markedly from the start of his tenure to the end.

In Ludwig's first season--VU scored 15.2 points per game, and averaged 327 yards of offense--was rough. But VU improved to 23.0 points per game in 2016, 24.6 in 2017 and 28.5 last year.

The Commodores averaged 411.2 yards of total offense in '18, the best mark since averaging 412.8 in 1974. Vanderbilt went from 4.5 yards per play in Ludwig's first year to marks of 5.2, 5.6 and 6.3 in the seasons that followed.

Ludwig walks away from a 2019 group that could be one of the best in school history. VU loses NFL Draft prospects Bruno Reagan (center), Justin Skule (left tackle) and quarterback Kyle Shurmur, all of whom started for all of three seasons, and parts of a fourth.

However, the Commodores add transfer quarterback Riley Neal, a gifted three-year starter from Ball State, and bring back the five best wide receivers on last year's roster, including receiver Kalija Lipscomb (87 catches, 916 yards, 10 total touchdowns).

VU is also expected to get a major boost by the return of junior running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn (1,414 yards from scrimmage, 7.9 yards per carry, 14 TDs) and junior tight end Jared Pinkney (50 catches, 774 yards, seven touchdowns). Both should be All-American candidates for 2019. Each enrolled in school this week, and neither have declared for the draft, which they must do by Jan. 14.

However, Utah's situation is also enticing. Junior running back Zack Moss (1,096 rushing yards, 6.1 per carry) is returning for another season after anchoring an offense that averaged 28.1 points per game on a 9-5 team. Starting quarterback Tyler Huntley will also be a senior, though the Utes also lose three starters on their offensive line.

The Utes went to bowls all four seasons when Ludwig was there. That included 2009, when they went 13-0, beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and finished No. 2 nationally.

Ludwig came to Vanderbilt from Wisconsin, where he was the offensive coordinator from 2013-14. Between VU and Utah, he was the offensive coordinator for Cal and San Diego State for two years each.

Ludwig was also the offensive coordinator at Oregon (2002-04), Fresno State (1998-2001), Cal Poly (1997) and Augustana (1993-94).