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Wilcox compensation figures released

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Justin Wilcox

Justin Wilcox

Wisconsin’s new Defensive Coordinator Justin Wilcox will earn $1.45 million over the next two years.  His compensation package was released to the Wisconsin State Journal on Thursday via an open records request.

Wilcox’s base salary is $300,000.  He’ll earn additional compensation that will pay him $200,000 in his first year and $650,000 in the second.  Wilcox will also receive a $100,000 retention payment if he’s still with the team on January 1, 2018.

Former defensive coordinator Dave Aranda made $520,000 in his final year with the Badgers in 2014.

UW also released the compensation package for new defensive backs coach Jim Leonard.  The former Badger safety will earn $225,000 in his first season as coach.

Wisconsin coach Jones heading to NFL

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Daronte Jones. (Photo by David Stluka).

Daronte Jones. (Photo by David Stluka).

After coaching defensive backs at Wisconsin for just one season, Daronte’ Jones is leaving for the N-F-L.

Jones is reportedly ready to become the assistant secondary coach of the Miami Dolphins.

The Badgers have to replace three starters from last season, cornerback Darius Hillary and safeties Michael Caputo and Tanner McEvoy.

Jones was a key factor in recruiting safeties Patrick Johnson of Washington D.C. and Eric Burrell of Severn, Maryland, who signed letters of intent with the school last week.

Jones becomes the second member of Paul Chryst’s coaching staff to leave following the end of the last season.  Defensive Coordinator Dave Aranda left to take over as defensive coordinator at LSU.

Wisconsin makes Wilcox hiring official

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Justin Wilcox

Justin Wilcox

The University of Wisconsin announced Thursday that Justin Wilcox has been hired as the Badgers new defensive coordinator, pending approval by the UW Board of Regents.

The 39-year-old Wilcox replaces Dave Aranda, who left after the Holiday Bowl to run LSU’s defense.

Wilcox was among four assistants fired at USC by head coach Clay Helton after the Trojans suffered a 41-22 loss to Stanford in the Pac-12 title game.

Wilcox has been a defensive coordinator for 10 seasons, spending time with Boise State, Tennessee, Washington and USC.

Wisconsin set to hire new defensive coordinator

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Motion WFormer U-S-C defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox is reportedly about to take the same job at the University of Wisconsin.

Several media outlets say Wilcox is finalizing a contract with UW.  Football-Scoop-Dot-Com says he has met with the Badgers’ entire defensive staff, and one possible recruit.

The 39-year-old Wilcox ran the U-S-C defense for the last two years before coach Clay Helton fired him and three other assistants in December after a 41-22 loss to Stanford in the Pac-12 championship game.

Wilcox would replace Dave Aranda, who led the nation’s second-best defense in Madison last season before leaving to become L-S-U’s defensive coordinator.

The Badger post was reported offered to University of Houston defensive coordinator Todd Orlando, who eventually decided to stay put.

Aranda headed for LSU

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Dave Aranda

Dave Aranda

The Wisconsin Badgers were hoping to keep their defensive coordinator, Dave Aranda around for a while.  They found out on Friday that wouldn’t be the case.

Aranda has quickly become a star in the industry and LSU swooped in with an offer he couldn’t refuse.  Aranda will move into the same position at LSU, for more money.

Aranda’s salary at Wisconsin is $520,000 with a $300,000 base salary.  According to USA Today, that ranks 64th nationally and 12th among Big Ten assistants. [Read more…]

Biegel says Big Ten honor is a slap in the face

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Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Vince Biegel (47) (Photo by David Stluka)

Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Vince Biegel (47) (Photo by David Stluka)

Wisconsin Badger redshirt junior linebacker Vince Biegel is upset after being named third-team All-Big Ten.  Biegel called it a “Slap in the face”.

Biegel said, “For what I put in every single day, for what I do in the off-season, how I go about my business, to be named third team was a slap in the face to me.”

“I’m going to do what I do and use that as motivation and a chip on my shoulder. No disrespect or nothing taken away from the linebackers ahead of me but that is noted in my book.”

Biegel’s statistics are similar to those of teammate Joe Schobert who was named the Big Ten’s top linebacker. [Read more…]

Badgers open up against Alabama, looking for more takeaways

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Dave Aranda

Dave Aranda

The Wisconsin Badgers ranked 10th in the Big Ten and 114th out of 128 FBS schools in defensive takeaways last season.  Despite that fact, they still managed to win eleven games.

Getting more takeaways has been a big emphasis for defensive coordinator Dave Aranda and his players all offseason.

The Badgers secondary intercepted just four passes last season and the team had just six overall, which is better than only six FBS teams.  The goal is to get more hands on footballs and then hang on to the ball when the first part of the goal is accomplished.

More interceptions and takeaways for the defense means better field position for Joel Stave and the Wisconsin offense to work with.  It’s no secret that turnovers generally lead to more points.

Last season, the Badgers forced a total of 17 turnovers.  We’ll see tonight, when the Badgers open their season against 3rd-ranked [Read more…]

Badgers make coordinator hires official

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MotionW_2ColorThe UW Board of Regents approved the hires of Joe Rudolph as Wisconsin’s offensive coordinator and Dave Aranda as the Badgers defensive coordinator in 2015.

Rudolph returns to Madison after spending the last three seasons as offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh under Paul Chryst.  He’ll also coach the offensive line in Madison.

Aranda is a holdover from Gary Andersen’s staff at defensive coordinator.

Terms of the compensation packages were not immediately available.

Wisconsin has yet to announce the rest of the coaching staff.

Report: Aranda is expected to stick with the Badgers

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Dave Aranda

Dave Aranda

Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez said last week that he hoped Badger defensive coordinator Dave Aranda would return.  According to Andy Baggot in the Wisconsin State Journal, it appears Aranda will stick around for a third season.

There’s no deal in place at this time, but the report says coach Paul Chryst wants Aranda to stay in Madison.

Assistant coaches aren’t available to the media until Friday after practice.  Aranda hasn’t been available since Wisconsin’s 59-0 loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten title game.

Under Aranda this season, the Badgers defense finished 4th in total defense, 13th in scoring defense, 17th in rushing defense and 5th in passing defense.

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…]