Football

Northwestern promoted an assistant coach with NFL coaching experience to its offensive line coach, the school announced in a Monday news release. Kurt Anderson, who spent three years with the Buffalo Bills, was tapped to replace Adam Cushing.

Cushing left Evanston to become the head coach at Eastern Illinois last month after spending fifteen years with the team. Following his tenure last season as a quality control coach, Anderson now takes over one of the better offensive lines in the Big Ten.

“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,” coach Pat Fitzgerald said in the release. “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 a standout lineman at the University of Michigan in the early 2000s, and later coached at his alma mater, Indiana State, Eastern Michigan and Arkansas in addition to the Bills.

As the Razorbacks’ offensive line coach from 2016-2017, Anderson helped mentor 2017 NFL first round draft pick Frank Ragnow, and their running back led the SEC in regular-season rushing yards for the 2016 season.

Joining the staff at NU, Anderson returns close to his Chicago home and to the college that his father played college football.

“It’s a privilege to join the Northwestern coaching staff and work for the best head coach in the country,” Anderson said in a statement. “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.”

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @2021_charlie