June 19, 2013

Partridge and Canada leaving Madison

Wisconsin Badger assistant coaches Matt Canada and Charlie Partridge

Matt Canada

decided not to gamble and accepted coaching positions elsewhere.

Partridge is joining Bret Bielema at Arkansas to become the school’s defensive line coach. 

Canada will be headed to North Carolina State to join coach Dave Doeren and become the Wolfpack’s offensive coordinator.

Both coaches would like to have stayed at Wisconsin but there was no guarantee that either would retain positions once the new head coach is hired. 

More assistants will likely follow Canada and Partridge in the coming week.

Wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni has already accepted an offer to coach wide receivers at Tennessee and Wisconsin defensive coordinator Chris Ash has also already accepted an offer to coordinate the Arkansas defense under Bret Bielema.  But the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Friday that Ash has yet to sign a contract with the Razorbacks and would like to throw his name in the ring to be the new head coach at Wisconsin.

 

Alvarez looking to hire coach before Christmas (AUDIO)

University of Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez says he hopes to

Barry Alvarez

extend an offer to a head-coaching candidate in the next couple of weeks.

During his monthly radio show on the Badger Sports Network, Alvarez said, “If things break right I’d like to have someone offered the job, that I feel comfortable with, before Christmas.

AUDIO: Alvarez on his timetable for finding a new head coach :18

AUDIO: Alvarez says he won’t rush into the decision :15

Earlier in the day on Tuesday, UW officials announced Alvarez will receive additional compensation of $118,500 for coaching UW in the Rose Bowl.    The funds will come from the $1-million contract buyout of Bielema.  The buyout is being picked up by the University of Arkansas.

Alvarez would also be eligible for a $50,000 bonus if the Badgers win the Rose Bowl.

Ash to join Bielema at Arkansas

Wisconsin defensive coordinator Chris Ash is joining former Badger coach

Chris Ash

Bret Bielema at the University of Arkansas.

Ash will stay on and coach the Badgers defense through the Rose Bowl. 

Ash joined UW as defensive backs coach in 2010.  he was promoted to defensive coordinator the following season, after Dave Doeren left to become the head coach at Northern Illinois. 

Ash may be just the first of several coaches leaving Madison.  The Wisconsin State Journal is reporting that defensive line coach Charlie Partridge and linebackers coach Andy Buh are both weighing multiple offers, but haven’t decided what to do. 

 

Alvarez to coach Badgers in Rose Bowl (AUDIO)

Wisconsin Athletic Director Barry Alvarez made it official on Thursday,

Barry Alvarez

announcing that he would coach the team in the Rose Bowl against Stanford on New Years Day.

AUDIO: Alvarez said this didn’t cross his mind until the players asked him :22

Many of the players on the team that want Alvarez to coach this one game, were watching Alvarez win Rose Bowls in Madison years ago as the Badgers coach.  Alvarez coached 16 seasons in Madison and won three Rose Bowls.

AUDIO: Barry describes how this all came about :26 [Read more...]

Alvarez to coach Badgers in the Rose Bowl (Update)

Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez, who already has a 3-0 record as a coach in Rose Bowl games, will coach the Badgers against

Barry Alvarez

Stanford in the New Years Day Rose Bowl game in Pasadena.

A source close to the program said the teams captains asked Alvarez to coach the team and he has accepted.  Alvarez will discuss the decision, as well as Bret Bielema’s departure to Arkansas at a 10am news conference in Madison on Thursday.

Bielema, at his introductory news conference in Arkansas earlier today, spilled the news on Alvarez and the Rose Bowl.

AUDIO: Bret Bielema on Barry Alvarez coaching the Badgers in the Rose Bowl :11

Alvarez captured Rose Bowl victories as the head coach of the Badgers in 1994, 1999 and 2000.