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Recruiting Coordinator Ben Strickland to Leave Wisconsin for Florida Atlantic

By Taylor Johnson

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It looks as if Wisconsin Badgers recruiting coordinator Ben Strickland will join a former Badgers coach down at Florida Atlantic.

According to 247Sports.com and 247Sports College Football Recruiting Analyst Ryan Bartow, multiple sources are confirming that Strickland will become the next defensive backs coach for the Florida Atlantic Owls. He will join former Wisconsin defensive line coach and defensive coordinator Charlie Partridge, who was hired as the Owls’ head coach on December 16, 2013 after leaving Wisconsin for a brief stint at Arkanas.

Before becoming Wisconsin’s recruiting coordinator, Strickland served as cornerbacks coach from 2012-14. In 2013, Strickland was a mentor to freshman Sojourn Shelton, who led the team and all Big Ten freshman with four interceptions.

A season ago, the Badgers had one of the best defenses in the country, thanks in part to the secondary allowing only 168 passing yards per game (ranked fourth in the country) and ranked 32nd in team passing efficiency defense.

After being announced as the next head coach of the Badgers, new head coach Paul Chryst preferred to keep Strickland as strickly a recruiting coordinator and not a coach on the field.

The Owls have only had a football program since 2001, where they played Division I-AA as an independent until 2004 when they made the jump to I-A. They played in the Sun Belt Conference from 2005-2012, and in 2013 joined Conference USA. The Owls have played in just two bowl games, the New Orleans Bowl (2007) and the Motor City Bowl (2008), winning both.

Last season Florida Atlantic finished with a 3-9 record overall, 2-6 in conference.

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