For the first time in Wisconsin women’s basketball history, the Badgers will be coached by a man. Jonathan Tsipis was introduced as the new women’s coach at Wisconsin during a news conference at the Nicholas-Johnson Pavilion on Thursday.
Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez said the issue of gender was not a consideration in making the selection.
“I wanted to hire the best coach we could hire,” he said. “And I think we did that.”
Tsipis said he plans to have strong female role models on his coaching staff, which he said he hopes to have in place before the next open recruiting period in mid-April.
Tsipis met with the returning players, spoke via telephone with each of the six members of the 2016 recruiting class and made home visits to the top two players in the state for the 2017 class, Madison Edgewood’s Estella Moschkau and Kenosha St. Joseph’s Sidney Cooks. [Read more…]