Category: Athletics

Before Barry Alvarez could return to the sideline for his second stint as Wisconsins interim head coach, he had to fill the role of counselor.

SHEBOYGAN WITI — Inspiration comes from so many different places. For some Sheboygan third-graders, it’s coming from a very special piece of paper.

[S]enior center (Frank Kaminsky) … has proven to be a valuable resource for Vitto Brown because Kaminsky has walked in the sophomore’s shoes.

Badgers assistant coaches Chad Kauha’aha’a and T.J. Woods were named Tuesday to Andersen’s staff along with strengh coach Evan Simon. All appointments are contingent on Oregon State administration and human resources approval, according to an athletic department news release.

(Joe) Ferguson, a redshirt freshman safety on the University of Wisconsin football team, has spent the past two weeks experiencing the rare opportunity of having his grandfather (Alvarez) as a coach.

Not that most of the 45 other applicants who sought to succeed Gary Andersen ever had a serious shot. The university on Monday released all applications received for the job, fulfilling an open records request filed by The Associated Press.

When Gary Andersen was late to the meeting room — an unusual occurrence — several of Wisconsins seniors decided to engage in some humor.

MADISON, Wis. AP — Since Barry Alvarez took over a struggling University of Wisconsin football program in 1990, the recruiting priorities have focused around in-state dominance.

As a public university, Wisconsin has a few bits of red tape it must navigate in the hiring process for any coaching positions. While this can delay the official release of some staffing news, it also means that the position has to be posted publicly — and that we get to poke around the applications after the fact.

After practice ended Thursday morning, four University of Wisconsin football players gathered around their new coach.

When new University of Wisconsin football coach Paul Chryst said Wednesday the offense he ran during his three seasons at Pitt was basically the same as the one he ran as UW’s offensive coordinator before that, it was music to the ears of several Badgers.

Paul Chryst has secured perhaps the most important piece of his staff.

Carlini is one of five Badgers to receive All-America honors.Senior right-side hitter Courtney Thomas and junior libero Taylor Morey were named to the second team and senior middle blocker Dominique Thompson and sophomore middle blocker Haleigh Nelson received honorable mention.

Tolzien spent five seasons under Chryst at UW, starting the final two, and considers Chryst’s ability to teach the game and maintain an honest, genuine relationship with his players a difficult combination to top.

Paul Chryst has been with 10 teams during his 26 years as a football coach at either the college or professional level, including two stops at Oregon State. This will be his third tour of duty with the Badgers, including a successful run as offensive coordinator from 2005-2011.

The first thing University of Wisconsin tailback Corey Clement had to do Wednesday when he welcomed new Badgers coach Paul Chryst back to Madison was apologize.

With 42 starts on his Wisconsin résumé, former offensive lineman John Moffitt understands as well as anyone what Paul Chryst brings to a football program.

In the early 1990s, Robin Chryst was a newlywed working as a pharmacist in Racine when her husband, Paul Chryst, took a coaching job with the San Antonio Riders of the World League of American Football.

After seeing Wisconsin slump to a 7-6 finish in 2008, a season marred by subpar quarterback play, then-redshirt junior Scott Tolzien knew someone had to emerge and lead the offense.

The University of Wisconsin redshirt junior leads the nation in rushing with 2,336 yards and has scored 29 touchdowns this season. He enters the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1 292 yards from the NCAA single-season rushing record, set by Barry Sanders in 1988.

Sophomore Isaac Jordan was named the Big Ten Conference wrestler of the week Tuesday after posting two wins over ranked opponents last week.

After days of waiting out hiring timetable policies, the University of Wisconsin’s decision to make Pittsburgh’s Paul Chryst its next football coach is being finalized.

No matter how well he plays against Auburn in the 2015 Outback Bowl, redshirt junior tailback Melvin Gordon will leave Wisconsin as one of the most decorated tailbacks in the history of the program.

Appearing in Fort Worth, Texas, on Monday to promote the Jan. 2 Armed Forces Bowl, University of Pittsburgh football coach Paul Chryst declined the opportunity to say he will remain at the school.

Pittsburgh football coach Paul Chryst confirmed his talks with the University of Wisconsin on Monday and did not commit to staying with the Panthers long term.

Melvin Gordon spent his entire career at the University of Wisconsin looking at a photo of the Heisman Trophy that he hung on his bedroom wall.

According to a source, the UW athletic department was granted a request that will allow the program to hire a coach after five business days of posting the job. The school waited two weeks to hire Andersen after Bret Bielema left for Arkansas.

Three far-flung programs — Oregon State, Pittsburgh and UW — are experiencing similar levels of mystery and disarray.

On the day he was introduced as Oregon States head football coach, Gary Andersen had two opportunities to disparage Wisconsins program and athletic director Barry Alvarez.

One day after the Journal Sentinel reported former Wisconsin assistant Paul Chryst is poised to return to his alma mater and replace Gary Andersen as football coach, UW officials denied any candidate has been offered the job.

Although Wisconsin officials must wait until at least Wednesday to announce the hiring of a new football coach — expected to be former UW assistant and current Pittsburgh head coach Paul Chryst — potential assistants for the new staff are coming into focus.

Melvin Gordon still remembers the 2012 season.

Wisconsin’s chances of retaining wide receivers coach Chris Beatty improved Sunday. According to FootballScoop.com, wide receivers coach Brent Brennan will be retained at Oregon State by new head coach Gary Andersen, who was lured away from the Badgers last Wednesday.

Noted: Matt Miller, a former offensive lineman at both St. John’s and Whitmer, admitted that he was not always upfront with his coaches about injuries he endured on the playing field. As a result, his football career at the University of Wisconsin was cut short in 2013 because of concussions he suffered in high school.

As the college football world scrambles to figure out what’s wrong with Wisconsin, allow me to take one potential problem off your list:

Wisconsins Melvin Gordon has won the Doak Walker Award, given to the nations top running back.

Gary Andersen declined an opportunity Thursday to explain his rationale for abruptly stepping down as University of Wisconsin football coach.

Melvin Gordon has studied video of Wisconsins 59-0 loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten title game several times.