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Andersen leaves Wisconsin after just two years on the job (Video)

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Barry Alvarez press conference

Barry Alvarez press conference

For just the second time in the last three years, Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez will spend the holiday season looking for a new head football coach.  He must also consider whether he’ll accept the seniors invitation to coach the Badgers in the New Years Day Outback Bowl after Gary Andersen said he’s leaving Wisconsin after just two seasons on the job.

Andersen has accepted the head coaching position at Oregon State, replacing Mike Riley who left the school to take over at Nebraska.  Oregon State plans to introduce Andersen at a news conference on Friday.  Anderson told Alvarez he was leaving Madison for family reasons.

Alvarez certainly didn’t see this coming.  But what’s somewhat concerning is that Wisconsin has all of a sudden become a stepping stone job.  Alvarez will be looking to change that with his next coaching hire.

The Wisconsin athletic director said he wants to find a new coach with head coaching experience.  He said it has to be a good fit for Wisconsin and Badger nation is hopeful the next coach will be somebody that wants to stick around for a while. [Read more…]

WRN Sports Daily (Video)

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In today’s WRN Sports Daily, I take a look at the departure of Wisconsin Badger QB Danny O’Brien.

It’s hard to call this a failure on Bret Bielema’s part.  He struck gold with Russell Wilson and with the Badgers quarterback depth lacking, Bielema figured he’d try again.

Even though it didn’t pan out, it was hardly a wasted effort.

O’Brien found himself well down the depth chart and decided to cut his ties with the Badger football program.  He has one year of eligibility left elsewhere and he should use it to have a shot at playing some place, rather than sit on the bench in Madison.

James says he’ll be a Badger

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Brookfield East standout Alec James is a big key in Wisconsin‘s incoming football recruiting class, but the coaching change from Bret Bielema to Gary Anderson left some doubt as to whether James would stick with the Badgers.

Nothing is official until the papers are signed next week, but it appears James will be a Badger after reaffirming his commitment to the UW this week.

After Bielema left, James had re-opened recruiting talks and was considering Oregon and Michigan State.  But it’s the Badgers that appear to have won the recruiting battle for James.

 

Wisconsin takes on Stanford in the Rose Bowl (AUDIO)

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Barry Alvarez

Barry Alvarez

When Wisconsin took care of Nebraska 70-31 in the Big Ten title game December 1st, little did we know what the 2013 Rose Bowl would like for the Badgers.  Three days after punching a third straight ticket to Pasadena, Wisconsin found themselves without a coach as Bret Bielema bolted Madison for Arkansas.  With no coach to lead the program, the King of the Rose Bowl, Barry Alvarez, stepped up to the plate and will lead the Badgers against #6 Stanford today in the 99th edition of the Rose Bowl.

Alverez led Wisconsin to Rose Bowl victories in 1994, 1999, and 2000 during his 16-years as Head Coach of the Badgers.  It has been 7-years since Alvarez last coached a game for Wisconsin, a 24-10 victory over Auburn in the Capital One Bowl.  In the 11-bowls Barry coached the Badgers, Wisconsin was 8-3 with a 3-0 mark in the Rose Bowl.  Alvarez doesn’t believe a lot has changed since he last put on the head set…

AUDIO: Barry Alvarez thinks nothing has changed in 7-years out of coaching :13

[Read more…]

Badgers set to hire new coach (Update) (AUDIO)

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According to a source, Utah State’s Gary Anderson is expected to fly into

Gary Anderson

Madison today.  Because of a 2-week waiting period from the time the job was posted, Anderson can’t be officially hired as the new head football coach of the Wisconsin Badgers until Thursday.

Because of a large winter storm that is going to hit the state on Thursday, Anderson may not be introduced as the Badgers new coach until possibly Friday.   

Anderson led his Aggies to a 11-2 season, including a season ending 41-15 rout of Toledo on Saturday in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise, Idaho.

Wisconsin radio voice Mike Lucas said, Andersen’s background as a defensive coach likely appealed to athletic director Barry Alvarez, a former defensive coordinator and linebackers coach himself.

Following is my conversation this morning with Mike Lucas about the Gary Anderson decision.

AUDIO: Bill Scott with Mike Lucas on the Badger football coaching decision 9:00

Report says Wisconsin to hire Utah State’s Anderson

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The Wisconsin State Journal is reporting tonight that Wisconsin Athletic Director Barry Alvarez has picked Utah State football coach

Gary Anderson

Gary Anderson to replace Bret Bielema as the next head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers.

Anderson is reportedly informing his staff of his decision to leave on Tuesday night.

Anderson led his 18th ranked Aggies to a WAC Championship and a 11-2 finish overall.  They beat Toledo 41-15 on Saturday in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise, Idaho.

Wisconsin faced Utah State earlier this season, pulling out a 16-14 win over the Aggies in September at Camp Randall Stadium. 

Anderson can’t be officially announced as Wisconsin’s next coach until at least Thursday, due to a two-week waiting period mandated by the state of Wisconsin after a job is posted.  The state is expecting a big winter storm on that day, which could impact the timing of the announcement. [Read more…]

Partridge and Canada leaving Madison

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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)

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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

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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)

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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…]