Wisconsin Basketball: Why I Should Be The Next Badgers Coach
The Wisconsin basketball team has another option besides Greg Gard
When Bo Ryan stepped down in December, Greg Gard was appointed as the new head coach of the Wisconsin basketball team, strictly on an interim basis. Gard has made the most of out of his opportunity taking over a struggling, young team and turned the Badgers into a lock for the NCAA tournament with less than a week before Selection Sunday.
Related Story: Report: Greg Gard Will Be Offered Head Job
Since taking over nearly three months ago, Gard introduced a new offense, changed player rotations, and the results have been positive. Under Gard, the Badgers are 13-6 overall and have won 11 of their last 13 games. A few highlights of the season were beating Michigan State in the Kohl Center as well as taking down Maryland and Iowa on the road.
As Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported last week, Wisconsin is preparing to offer Gard a long-term contract to make him the permanent Wisconsin basketball coach. Seems like the obvious choice, right?
Not so fast.
A bright, young candidate has entered his name into the discussion of who will continue the success of the Wisconsin basketball program. The name: Erik Buchinger.
After reading this, you too will understand why I am the best option to be the next Wisconsin basketball coach.
I was brought into this world in the summer of 1993, and the Badgers ended their 47-year NCAA tournament drought within my first year of existence. Since then, Wisconsin has won four Big Ten regular season titles, three conference tournament championships and appeared in three Final Fours, including a national championship.
Live Feed
Betsided
It is hard to believe that this team was the laughing stock of the Big Ten for so many years, but I was not around for the bad times. When I am named the head coach, I will not fail because success is all I know.
As far as my basketball background goes, I am Greenville Middle School’s third all-time leading scorer in terms points per game in a single season. I scored 72 points in five games for a 14.4 average as a seventh grader in the 2007-08 season. Next to all my accomplishments in the official record book is a B in parentheses. No, it does not mean I was on the B team. The B stood for badass.
In my first few years at Hortonville High School, our team ran the flex offense, which is similar to the swing that Gard brought back to Madison. Give me an offseason to incorporate the flex, and players will master it from my teachings.
While I was a rarely-used member of the high school team, I saved everything I had for Senior Night for five points on 1 of 1 shooting from long range. I had a season-long competition with a friend to see who could score the most points by season’s end. I was defeated 20-11, and he played hockey.
A common narrative for Wisconsin basketball since Bo Ryan took over in 2001 is that the Badgers get the most out of their players, which is the nice way of saying their players are generally not very athletic. Nobody understands playing with limited athletic ability more than me. I can relate to the Wisconsin way.
Also, Wisconsin has been known for being a solid free-throw shooting team – making more free throws than opponents attempt is the line we hear often. Free throws were my strong suit, and I finished with the highest free-throw percentage in the state of Wisconsin at 100 percent. I attempted two, and I made two.
Another high school record that is unlikely to be broken is the amount of nosebleeds I accumulated in my four years, both on and off the court. I had Tanner Bronson playing time with Joe Krabbenhoft attitude.
According to the University’s official job posting, a minimum of five years of successful collegiate basketball coaching experience is preferred.
Preferred, not required. Let’s dive into my coaching career.
More from Wisconsin Basketball
- 2023-24 Big Ten opponents for Wisconsin Women’s Basketball announced
- Wisconsin Basketball: Recruiting and transfer portal updates
- Wisconsin Basketball: Badgers fumble the game away
- Wisconsin Basketball: Badgers headed for Sin City
- Wisconsin Basketball: Badgers roast the Ducks
We return to my middle school days. It was a weekday afternoon game, and the coach was unable to attend because of work. When the team needed somebody to take charge, I stepped right in. My coaching career started on that summer day and has yet to pick up since for whatever reason.
While we did lose by 20, my demeanor on the sidelines rivaled the likes of Bob Knight, Frank Martin and Bo Ryan. Following a questionable block/charge call 30 seconds into the game, I fired my Boston Red Sox baseball cap to the ground. The officials must have taken note of how serious I was about winning, and let’s just say the calls went our way nearly 50 percent of the time for the remainder of the game.
Fans will undoubtedly be shocked and downright angry if I get the job ahead of somebody who may have more head coaching credentials. However, everybody calls me Butch, which is a name Badger fans are familiar with Brian Butch and Bo Ryan’s father. If this does not get Badger nation on my side initially, winning national titles will.
While it will be awkward initially between Gard and myself, we can make it work. Who else would be better as my top assistant? The man has 25 years of experience as an assistant basketball coach. However, he will have to apply for an assistant coaching position first, and I am taking applications now.
Next: Badgers Up to a 6 Seed in Lunardi's Latest
Surely we can look past the fact that the official head coaching application deadline expired last week if Wisconsin wants to continue its basketball success. So to the athletic department making this decision, I ask that you consider me for the position. I may not be what Wisconsin basketball wants, but I am what Wisconsin basketball needs.
On Wisconsin.