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Bill Busch

Position: Assoc.Head Coach/Special Teams Coord./Defensive Backs Experience: 4th Year at USU Alma Mater: Nebraska Wesleyan, 1988

Recruiting Area: Arizona, Las Vegas

Bill Busch is entering his fourth season on the Utah State staff, starting his first season as associate head coach and special teams coordinator, as well as coaching the USU safeties.

As defensive coordinator and safeties coach in 2010, Busch coached first-team all-Western Athletic Conference linebacker Bobby Wagner, who led the WAC and ranked eighth in the NCAA FBS with 11.1 tackles per game, earning first-team all-WAC honors for the second-straight season. Wagner's 133 tackles are just shy of the WAC's single-season top 10 list and are the most by a USU defender since 2002 when Jesse Busta logged 135 stops. Wagner is No. 12 on USU's single-season tackles list.

Busch also coached second-team all-WAC cornerback Curtis Marsh, who ranked second in the WAC and sixth in FBS in passes defended with 1.25 per game with 15 total on 13 pass break-ups and two interceptions.

Marsh was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles with the 26th pick of the third round, the 90th overall selection, in the National Football League Draft in April. Marsh, who was the first player from the state of Utah school selected in this year's draft, is also the first former Aggie to be drafted since Shawn Murphy and Kevin Robinson were picked in the 2008 draft.

Other defensive highlights from 2010 including USU ranking fourth in the WAC in pass defense efficiency (128.42).

Highlights from the 2009 Busch-led Aggie defense included first-team all-WAC linebacker Bobby Wagner, who led the WAC and ranked tied for 22nd in Football Bowl Subdivision in tackles with 115, a 9.6 per game average. Wagner also led the league in WAC only games with 71 stops (8.9 pg). Wagner's 115 tackles ranked as the second-most by a USU sophomore, behind the record of 138 in 1996 by Johndale Carty. Wagner was the first sophomore to lead the Aggies in tackles since David Gill's 89 stops led the 1994 USU squad.

Busch also coached safety James Brindley, who signed a free agent contract with the Seattle Seahawks. Brindley was eighth in the WAC overall in tackles with 7.8 per game, ranking third among defensive backs in tackles. Additionally, Brindley ranked third overall in passes defended with nine on six pass break-ups and three interceptions. Brindley was the top ranked defensive back in the WAC for combined tackles and passes defended, as the two other defensive backs ahead of him in tackles were below him in passes defended and the two others in passes defended were below him in tackles. Brindley ranks 12th on USU's career interceptions list with nine, but is second on the Aggie career list for interception return yardage with 210 yards.

The 2009 Busch-led USU defense had three games of forcing three turnovers, with season-best of holding San Jose State to 56 yards rushing and New Mexico State to 81 yards passing.

Busch's most recent coaching job before Utah State was at Nebraska from 2005-07, where he was assistant coach for safeties and special teams coordinator. Busch coached with USU head coach Gary Andersen at both Northern Arizona and Utah. He and Andersen were at NAU together from 1995 to 1996, with Busch serving as secondary coach in 1995 and co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach in 1996, while Andersen was assistant head coach and defensive line as well as special teams coach.

"The excitement for me is two-fold. For one, coaching at such as great university like Utah State is exciting due to the fact of the tremendous commitment that the administration has made football. Secondly, getting the chance to work with Gary Andersen is so exciting. He's obviously a great friend but also for the opportunity to work with him again are major reasons why I couldn't wait to get back into coaching," Busch said.

After Busch's four-year stint as secondary coach at New Mexico State from 1997-2000, Busch and Andersen joined up again at Utah in 2001 when Busch was safeties coach until taking over the entire secondary in 2003. He then went to Nebraska in 2004 where he coached outside linebackers and was the special teams coordinator, before moving to safeties in 2005 while remaining special teams coordinator until 2007.

"Coach Andersen and I have worked together at two different programs at Northern Arizona and Utah, so we have a great feel for each other. I know exactly what he wants from me and vice versa, and what we can do for each other with what exactly our schematic plan is," Busch said. "I'm thrilled to work in a program with the great potential that Utah State has and in a great conference like the WAC, as well as to work with Coach Andersen again."

In his year away from full-time coaching, Busch worked with some NFL and college teams in addition to spending time with his family in Nebraska, but he was excited about the chance to return to college football and the state of Utah.

"In this profession, everything is short-lived and you're back and going again, so it was nice to do some things outside of football, but I was excited to get back into coaching and return to Utah. I love the state of Utah and am excited about being a part of the Logan community. This is a terrific community and is very supportive of the Utah State football program," Busch said.

While at Nebraska, Busch's safeties were consistently among the team's top athletes. In 2006, Husker safeties recorded six of Nebraska's 12 interceptions. The 2005 Nebraska defense toted a No. 10 national pass efficiency defense ranking and the No. 2 ranking in the Big 12 Conference. The Huskers held six opponents to less than 200 yards passing and nine to one or fewer passing touchdowns in 2005. Busch had two players selected in the NFL Draft as Josh Bullock was selected by the New Orleans Saints in 2005 and his twin brother Daniel was chosen in the 2006 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions in the second round. Ironically, each Bullocks brother was taken with the 40th pick.

Busch's coaching talents also paid dividends for the Huskers on special teams. During his time there, the Huskers blocked 16 kicks, including seven in 2005. NU's special teams recorded two important plays in the final minutes of a contest - a 40-yard field goal to beat Kansas State and a block of a Pitt field-goal attempt - that proved to be game winners.

Nebraska ranked in the top 25 nationally in net punting (24th in 2006) and punt returns (17th in 2005) under Busch as well. NU's kickoff coverage unit ranked 15th nationally in 2006 after finishing 22nd the previous year.

Busch is a Pender, Neb., native and earned his bachelor's degree in education from Nebraska Wesleyan in 1988 and added a master's degree from Nebraska-Kearney in 1990.

Busch began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Nebraska-Kearney in 1989, after playing wide receiver at Nebraska Wesleyan from 1985 to 1987.

Busch was a graduate assistant at Nebraska from 1990 to 1993, assisting with the defensive backs. Among the defensive backs Busch worked with at Nebraska were all-league performers Tyrone Byrd, Barron Miles, Tyrone Williams and Mike Minter.