Northwestern officially promotes analyst Kurt Anderson to offensive line coach

Northwestern has officially made Kurt Anderson its offensive line coach, the program announced Monday.

It was reported that Anderson would replace newly-hired Eastern Illinois head coach Adam Cushing 11 days ago, so now the hiring is official.

“Kurt made an immediate impact on our program behind-the-scenes this season and now has the opportunity to directly help our young men develop,” head coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “He is Chicago native who has a championship pedigree from his time as a player and has coached at the highest level collegiately and professionally. I’m confident that Kurt will help take our offensive line to the next level as we continue to work towards a Big Ten championship.”

Anderson was the offensive line coach at Arkansas under Brett Bielema in 2016 and 2017, and he spent this season as a quality control analyst at Northwestern, making the hire an in-house promotion. He previously coached offensive line with the Buffalo Bills and Eastern Michigan, and he played center at Michigan from 1997-2001.

“It’s a privilege to join the Northwestern coaching staff and work for the best head coach in the country,” Anderson said. “Chicago is home. My father played here, and Northwestern has always held a special place in my heart. My goal is to provide our young men with as many technique tools as possible, because when you play smart and physical with technique, that is a dangerous combination that can take us over the edge in our pursuit of a Big Ten title.”