Gary Andersen (previously of Utah St) to coach Wisconsin
December 19th, 2012 at 12:43 PM ^
December 19th, 2012 at 1:18 AM ^
And OSU hired a guy who won 2 national titles in 3 years. The Big East is pretty much a mid major at this point and I don't think there is a consensus that Jones is an impressive coaching hire given that he followed in Kelly's footsteps. He was Tennessee's 5th choice at the highest. Many successful head coaches in non-BCS conferences were hot coordinators just a few years prior. Also, I wouldn't use Mullen(a guy who said he publicly said he would take the PSU job and was turned down) and Richt as examples of all-star coaches.
December 19th, 2012 at 1:46 AM ^
We hired a coach who won multiple BCS conference titles and he flamed out spectacularly
Ohio hired a coach from an FCS school and won a national title
there are no absolutes and anyone who pretends that the best resume wins championships is deluding themselves.
December 19th, 2012 at 11:56 AM ^
I wouldn't necessarily say either is an all-star coach. However, Richt has the highest career winning percentage of any head coach at Georgia who has been there more than one year. If they win their bowl game, he'll have 6 top ten rankings in 12 years.
December 19th, 2012 at 1:30 PM ^
I understand what you're saying, and I don't even really disagree, but my understanding is that both Purdue and Wisconsin are paying about $2 million a year for their new coaches, and I'm sure there are performance raises in place. Obviously, this isn't the top of the top in pay, but in any job, you won't get paid the most until you prove your value and ability. Also, it is super rare that any coach of a high major program would leave for the same job elsewhere. Most of the time, it's a lateral move. For example, Jim Harbaugh not leaving Stanford to come here. Why do it? The pay isn't much different usually, and there's the awkward transition and no guarantee of success elswhere. At least if you get a head coach that has had success in a lower-tier program, you know they can manage a whole team, as opposed to former coordinators, who might only focus on one thing and not really even do that well. *cough* Bo Pelini *cough*
December 18th, 2012 at 10:35 PM ^
"After a little rumor mill back-and-forth, all indicates are Wisconsin will tab Utah State's head coach as their own."
"Indications"?
December 18th, 2012 at 10:53 PM ^
December 18th, 2012 at 11:10 PM ^
December 18th, 2012 at 11:21 PM ^
December 18th, 2012 at 11:29 PM ^
December 18th, 2012 at 11:48 PM ^
a lots a mills ya see. We are the back woods of the north.
December 18th, 2012 at 11:58 PM ^
I was wondering how long it would take either of the two primary Badger posters to respond to this. Figured you wouldn't want to go outside and turn the generator crank on the ol' www internet thang on a cold winter night. You must be 10 beers warm already. Said in true love of all my Wisconsin acquaintances.
December 19th, 2012 at 12:18 AM ^
did it snow today, but it is the middle of finals. I just finished my own and am now drinking/prepping for my review session for my calc 2 class, so not a good time for big news to break.
December 19th, 2012 at 1:38 AM ^
That darn life stuff always getting in the way of important sports news. Doesn't life understand priorities? Good luck on your finals. Don't miss those days at all.
December 18th, 2012 at 10:38 PM ^
Then again, neither did Brady Hoke when we hired him. Hopefully it'll work out for the best.
December 18th, 2012 at 10:45 PM ^
Gary Andersen was DC of the Utah team that beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl
good coach
December 18th, 2012 at 10:48 PM ^
December 18th, 2012 at 10:51 PM ^
He put the hurt on Toledo in the Idaho Potato Bowl, but you can't put much stock in it. Toledo was down their starting QB, starting RB and the nation's leading tackler.
December 18th, 2012 at 11:00 PM ^
And they are Toledo. The type of team that isn't the Steelers and puts something different on each side of their helmet.
December 19th, 2012 at 10:04 AM ^
It was like 13-9 late in the 4th quarter, and then Toledo got winded or something and just couldn't stop Utah State's running back anymore who just kept breaking big run after big run just running out the clock.
Has no real commentary on the hire, but that was a strange game.
December 19th, 2012 at 5:02 PM ^
now that sounds just like a Wisconsin team.
December 18th, 2012 at 11:35 PM ^
I get drunk and stop obessively checking Bucky's fifth quarter! DAMN YOU UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN FINALS SCHEDULE!!!
December 18th, 2012 at 11:39 PM ^
1) Good hire as Anderson has rebuilt the state of Utah's 'third school' with little to work with. He now has Wisconsin's facilities and the momentum of 3 consecutive Rose Bowls so the potential is unlimited!
OR
2) This ensures Urban and the Poisonous Nuts will win the Leaders Division every year.
December 18th, 2012 at 11:43 PM ^
We're going to keep the streak (of BIG champ games, not rose bowls - Michigan will be winning those) alive!
December 19th, 2012 at 10:31 AM ^
December 18th, 2012 at 11:47 PM ^
Beckmann there aren't many MAC coaches in the B10, no?
December 19th, 2012 at 12:04 AM ^
Todd Beckmann- Illinois (Toledo)
Jerry Kill- Minnesota (NIU)
Darrell Hazell- Purdue (Kent State)
Kevin Wilson- Indiana (Oklahoma OC)
Bill O'Brien- Penn State (New England OC)
Brady Hoke- Michigan (SDSU)
Urban Meyer- Ohio State (Florida)
Pat Fitzgerald- Northwestern (Northwestern LB's)
Kirk Ferentz- Iowa (Cleveland OL)
Gary Anderson- Wisconsin (Utah State)
Bo Pelini- Nebraska (Nebraska DC)
Mark Dantonio- Michigan State (Cincinnati)
December 19th, 2012 at 7:48 AM ^
Wasn't Bo Pelini DC at LSU prior to taking the HC job at UNL?
December 19th, 2012 at 7:45 PM ^
You and M-Wolverine are both right with your corrections. Protip: use the right sidebar on Wikipedia instead of the actual article. Apparently I got lazy and didn't check my work last night.
December 19th, 2012 at 10:07 AM ^
And it be completely fair, Meyer's last job was "ABC/ESPN", because if he was still at Florida, he wouldn't be coaching Ohio State now.
December 19th, 2012 at 12:07 AM ^
December 19th, 2012 at 6:51 AM ^
I don't know if this is a good hire or if their AD is just trying to win a pissing contest. A coaching hire is usually decided on tradition, do you like to argue with rival AD's or are you trying to win a pissing contest. Hmmm...
December 19th, 2012 at 7:57 AM ^
It doesn't seem like it is particularly easy to go 11-2 and turn around a program that has been in and out of conferences periodically for many years (including two stints as an independent team and one in the Sun Belt), but Andersen managed this, and did just about as quickly as anyone could have. Utah State is also a bit off the beaten path, which seems to make great recruiting difficult, so I think coaching may come into play even more, so there's evidence here that he's pretty good.
I wonder how much of his staff comes with him actually - I know Alvarez said that the style wouldn't change offensively, or something to this effect, but yet they hire someone who at least had spread elements in his offense. It will be interesting to see how they line up under Andersen.
December 19th, 2012 at 10:34 AM ^
The most interesting piece of the hire is watching how he inserts his spread system at Wisconsin. If Michigan fans couldn't get behind it, I don't know how Wisconsin fans do. They were more "MANBALL" on offense than pretty much any other team in the B1G and maybe the country. It'll definitely be a big transition if he decides to bring the spread to Wisconsin.
Also, how the heck is he going to recruit the Midwest coming from Utah? Does he have previous ties to the Midwest (kind of like Hoke did)?
December 19th, 2012 at 2:40 PM ^
His recruiting base here in Utah has always been getting the big Polynesians to play some FOOBAW. I can't imagine that following him to the Midwest. He also has a considerable amount of 21-YO return missionary Mormons, and kids who can play from the valley that like to walk on to the program. I really wonder what his recruiting will look like there.
December 19th, 2012 at 10:57 AM ^
Gary Andersen knows Defense. Prior to Utah State, he was a BIG asset for the Univ of Utah's Kyle Whittingham. Prior to Utah State, he helped Utah to become a good enough team to be admitted to the Pac 12. For those unfamiliar with Utah State, they have been a tire fire for a number of years, and he turned them around very quickly. That's not easy to do when you have BYU and Utah in the same state, fighting for recruits. Good hire for the Badgers.
December 19th, 2012 at 11:34 AM ^
Andersen did take a team with average talent and dismantle Toledo in a bowl game. He's done a good job of turning USU into a decent team. He's one of those solid guys that Wiscy seems to like. I don't know how he will react to being micro-managed by Alvarez, though.
December 19th, 2012 at 12:07 PM ^
Go Vikes!
December 19th, 2012 at 1:57 PM ^
Am a little surprised no one has considered Andersen's potential impact on our MANBALL shift.
While Andersen is a great defensive coach, the run D innovation his DC Dave Aranda has pioneered may actually work in our favor. Looking forward to Brian breaking the Xs & Os down next season.
December 19th, 2012 at 2:36 PM ^
People here in Logan are pissed. Just a couple weeks ago (a few days before the Bowl of Idaho Potatoes that became Famous) GA came out and said he's sticking around. He has 2 kids on the team (1 committed), said time and again that the money has nothing to do with his decision, even after getting offers from Cal and Colorado. USU is historically atrocious, and getting a coach to turn around the program from literally bottom 3 in the nation to 11-2 and 8 points total from being undefeated (lost by missed field goals @Wisky and BYU) in 4 years brought some new air into Cache Valley. He's a helluva coach.
December 19th, 2012 at 6:09 PM ^
don't like Wisconsin