June 20, 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.

 

Azzanni to leave Badgers for Tennessee

Wisconsin Badger wide receiver coach Zach Azzanni, has been reported to take a wide receiver coaching position at Tennessee, according to a source close to the Wisconsin football program.

The source says Azzanni will leave the Wisconsin team after the Rose Bowl takes place on January 1.  Nothing is certain yet, as the deal has not been confirmed by Tennessee.

According to Tom Mulhern of the Wisconsin State Journal, Azzanni has shown interest in remaining at Wisconsin, but Azzanni says it’s not easy to sit and wait for a new head coach.

“If I don’t get an opportunity to stay here, this will be my sixth house in five years,” said Azzanni in an interview.

The search for a new Wisconsin Badger head coach, and now wide receiver coach, continues as the Badgers take on Stanford in the Rose Bowl.

Bielema hires receivers coach

Wisconsin head football coach Bret Bielema announced today the hiring of Zach Azzanni to coach wide receivers for the Badgers

The 13-year coaching veteran joins the Badgers staff after serving as the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Western Kentucky last season.  Azzanni has also coached at Florida, Central Michigan, Bowling Green and Valparaiso.

With Azzanni directing the offense, Western Kentucky featured the nation’s No. 2 rusher this season.  Bobby Rainey averaged 141.3 rushing yards per game. 

Azzanni was hired at Florida following the 2009 regular season and coached in the Gators’ appearance in the 2010 Sugar Bowl in which Tim Tebow ended his career with a personal-best 482 passing yards.