When Utah defensive coordinator Gary Andersen was a little boy, he used to run home from church and try to take control of the family basketball court in the driveway.
Gary didn't necessarily want it. He just did it to pester his brothers, twins Mark and Clark, who were nearly 12 years older than him.
It was a payback, of sorts.
"They gave me all kinds of grief," said Gary, who would also venture into the basement to cause trouble when the teenagers were hanging out with friends.
"Trust me. They tortured me," he laughed. "They tortured me much more than I did them."
The good-natured relationship was somewhat short, however. The age difference produced an interruption. The twins moved on after graduating from high school — attending college, getting married and starting careers.
Though they attended Gary's football games and other family functions over the years, they never really got to know their little brother all that well after moving out. Mark, in fact, spent several years working for Qwest in Colorado.
That eventually changed, though, thanks to early retirement and football.
After returning to Utah and buying a house across the street from his little brother in Murray, Mark accepted a job offer from Gary. The new head coach at Southern Utah asked his sibling to join him in Cedar City as director of operations — thrusting his brother into a world he knew little about.
"I think that anybody on the outside looking into football has absolutely no idea what it's all about. He got his feet wet real quick with us," Gary said. "I gave him a lot of responsibility down at Southern Utah."
Mark picked it up quickly. His administrative background in business proved beneficial.
After one season at SUU, though, Gary accepted an invitation from Urban Meyer to rejoin the Utah staff — his alma mater and a place where he worked as an assistant to Ron McBride for several years.
Mark followed as a volunteer. He has since become the program's administrative assistant — a "gopher" who oversees such things as travel, camps and banquets. Recruiting, building maintenance, budgets, public relations, athletic department issues and whatever the coaches need are among his other areas of involvement.
"It's not a career thing for me, that's for sure," Mark said. "But for the last five years in football, since I've retired, it's just been awesome."
The best part, he said, is being able to work with his brother.
"I can't put a dollar value on it," Mark said. "I really can't."
The Andersen brothers don't spend a lot of time together each day, but they do see each other.
And that, noted Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, makes it special.
"When I worked with my father (Fred) here years ago, you are with each other but it's all football. It's all business," he said. "There is no real socializing that's going on or any of that type of stuff."
Even so, Whittingham explained, a bond is formed.
"Blood is thicker than water," he said. "I think they are definitely close. They're close to each other."
Gary acknowledges it.
"For many, many years Kyle was up here with his dad. In the world of football that's pretty special," he said. "And in the world we've been able to live in the past four or five years — having Mark be part of that — it's good to see him every single day."
A special experience, Gary added.
"I think it's been rewarding and I think it's been fun for him," he said. "It's been great to be with him and hang out. We've become a whole heckuva lot closer."
Mark considers his exposure to college football as "life changing." He's especially proud of the impact Gary makes.
"Kids love him and he's done wonderful things for a lot of kids. I know he gets a lot out of it, but he sure gives a lot back, too," Mark said. "A lot of kids have gone on to the NFL and straightened their lives out because of him. It's a tribute to him."
The brothers share mutual admiration and respect for one another.
"He's not just a brother. He's a very good friend. He's somebody I can go to when it's good, and I can go to him when it's bad. We can sit down and talk," Gary said. "To see him here every day and have him be part of Utah football is something that's been great for me."
The fun extends to the rest of the family. Gary said no one is more excited to have two sons working at Utah than their mother, Barbara.
"We've been Utes since the day we were born," he said. "We had Ute binkies."
Utah football is truly a family affair. Mark's twin, Clark, and younger sister Karen are alums and fans of the program. Bowl games become family reunions.
"It's a great time to be up here. We grew Ute fans. We went to every game. We've been Ute fans forever," Mark said. "All my friends are jealous. They think it's all fun and games — which a lot of it is."
E-mail: dirk@desnews.com