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Wisconsin Football: Instability at Defensive Coordinator Hits Again

By Tyler Hunt

Sep 10, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox watches his squad practice before the game with the Akron Zips at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin defeated Akron 54-10. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox watches his squad practice before the game with the Akron Zips at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin defeated Akron 54-10. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports /
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Shake up is coming again for Wisconsin Football, but why?

The ink has not been put to paper, but according to rumors from various sources it appears that Wisconsin Football Defensive Coordinator Justin Wilcox will be the next Head Football Coach for the Cal Golden Bears. Wilcox, a native of Eugene, Oregon appears likely to take the job after rumors began to swirl early this week. While nothing has been confirmed by Cal or Wilcox, Wisconsin Football fans should not appear too optimistic. We’ve been down this road before.

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Yes, just like a year ago when Aranda packed his bags to head South, the Badgers appear to be without a Defensive Coordinator once again. Which, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Sure, you want to keep guys like Aranda and Wilcox forever but the reality is that just isn’t the world we live in. College sports is a carousel for coaches, and when coordinators leave it’s simply a testament to a successful season. Would Cal be calling if the Badgers didn’t have the #4 defense in the nation? Probably not.

So yes, the struggle of a revolving door at Wisconsin is frustrating, but it’s hard to fault a guy for making that leap. In Aranda’s case, the guy wanted more money and deserved it, so he took his talents to LSU. In Wilcox’s case, hes a West Coast guy that likely wanted to go home and got quite an opportunity to do so. The problem is not the cordinators for taking the next step in a career, the problem is the people above them.

Athletic Director Barry Alvarez has never paid assistants relatively well, so there will always be guys looking for new opportunities. Its the system in Wisconsin. If the trend continues, its always going to be a revolving door in these spots. Now i’m not saying the system hasn’t worked, but I’m not sure its one you want to continue with long term. The biggest issue with these changes is in recruiting. Guys do not like change, and when you are picking a school based on that they want someone who is well established and who will be there long term.

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At the end of the day, you can’t really fault anyone too much. Sure, there are reasons why this happens but its part of the game and you have to live with decisions that are made. For the Badgers, they will either have to take a long hard look at the payout they are giving, or find a guy who you know wants to be there for a longer period of time. Until then, we will just have to wait and see how it plays out.