Wisconsin Coaches Earn Contract Extensions

Multiple Wisconsin Badger coaches received contract extensions according to reports from Madison.com and the Journal Sentinel.

Men’s Basketball: Head Coach Greg Gard had his contract extended through the 2021-2022 season.  The Cobb, Wisconsin native completed his first full season as Wisconsin men’s basketball head coach in 2016-2017.  Gard was the Associate Head Coach from 2001-2015.  After Bo Ryan’s sudden and curious departure early in the 2015-2016 season.   In his retirement announcement, Ryan made clear that he wanted Gard to have the opportunity to become Head Coach.

From his bio on the UW Athletic Department’s website.

"In his first two seasons with the head coaching title, Gard has maintained a level of success that has become synonymous with Wisconsin Basketball. In his inaugural season as head coach, Gard led the Badgers to the 2016 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, becoming just the second-ever first-year coach to win the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award.In 15 total seasons on the Badgers’ bench, Gard has never seen the Badgers finish lower than fourth while amassing a mark of 184-74 (.713) in Big Ten play.As associate head coach, Gard served as the Badgers’ recruiting coordinator in addition to on-floor coaching duties, opponent scouting and game preparation, and the constructing of future game schedules. He was also the director of the Badger Boys Basketball Summer Camps."

Gard has posted a 42-18 record (.700 winning percentage) in his time as the Wisconsin Head Coach.  Gard has led Wisconsin to successive Sweet 16s suffering painful close losses in both. Apologies for posting.

2016

2017

There was never much concern that Gard was going to pull a Bielema or Henderson? Flenderson? you know, the guy who left to go to the second best school in Oregon.  Doesn’t mater now.  But these extensions are a nice vote of confidence in the coach and a signal to recruits nationwide that Wisconsin will not be changing styles anytime soon.

Next: Wisconsin Football Spring Game Review

Women’s Basketball: Jonathan Tsipis also had his contract extended through 2021-2022.  Tsipis became the seventh Head Coach in Wisconsin women’s basketball history in March 2016.  He spent time at Notre Dame and George Washington University before taking over the Wisconsin program.

From his UW Athletic Department Bio:

"He inherited a team that went 11-18 the year before he arrived and led them to a 55-11 record, two A-10 titles and consecutive NCAA tournament appearances in the last two seasons. In his four years, GW was 92-38 (.708)."

Wisconsin women’s basketball went just 9-22 in his debut season in Madison including a 3-13 conference record.  The Badgers will have to replace three seniors, including two key contributors for the 2017-2018 season.

That record perhaps might not suggest a contract extension in the offing but the UW Athletic Department is betting on Tsipis’ career history.  In addition, women’s basketball needs stable leadership having struggled immensely in recent history.

2016-2017: 9-22

2015-2016:  7-22

2014-2015: 11-20

2013-2014: 12-19

2012-2013: 12-19

2011-2012: 9-20

The Badger women’s last winning season came in 2010-2011 when they posted an 18-15 record losing in the second round of the WNIT at the Kohl Center.

Men’s Hockey:

Wisconsin surprised many by poaching Tony Granato from the Detroit Red Wings staff in advance of the 2016-2017 season.  The move paid immediate dividends revitalizing the Badger hockey program immediately.  He was rewarded with a contract extension through 2021-2022.

Granato led the Badgers to a 12-win improvement and second place in the Big Ten standings.

"Following a successful debut season and being named Big Ten coach of the year, Wisconsin men’s hockey head coach Tony Granato has been named one of 10 finalists for the Spencer Penrose Award as Division I men’s hockey coach of the year.Granato, who led the Badgers to the brink of the NCAA tournament in his first season, qualified as a finalist because he was named the Big Ten Conference’s coach of the year.He also became just the second coach in program history, and first in 40 years, to win the conference’s head coach of the year. Bob Johnson won WCHA coach of the year in 1977."

Wisconsin men’s hockey went 12-46-13 in the previous two seasons combined.  Granato joins Gard and football coach Paul Chryst as Badger coaches with deep roots in the Madison community.  The UW Athletic Department wasted no time in giving its seal of approval to Granato and his leadership for the men’s hockey team.

Women’s Hockey: It speaks to the tremendous success Mark Johnson has directed as women’s hockey head coach that losing to Clarkson in the national championship makes for a disappointing offseason for badger women’s hockey.  Wisconsin went 33-3-4 during the 2016-2017 winning both the regular season and conference tournament titles.  In other words, just the typical season in Madison for Mark Johnson and his charges.  It would be malpractice of the highest order to entertain anything but locking down Johnson as long as possible.  In this case, it’s through the 2021-2022 season.

From his UW Athletic Department bio which literally and figuratively glows.

"Wisconsin head coach Mark Johnson has established the Badgers as one of the nation’s elite programs during his 14 years in Madison. Under his direction, Wisconsin has compiled four NCAA titles, seven Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoff titles and six WCHA regular season crowns.With a career record of 428-78-39 (.819), Johnson is the winningest coach in Wisconsin women’s hockey history and ranks third in NCAA history in career wins.Five Badgers have won the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, awarded to the nation’s top NCAA Division I women’s hockey player, under Johnson. Sara Bauer was UW’s first winner in 2006, Jessie Vetter won the award in 2009, Meghan Duggan took home the honor in 2011 before Brianna Decker won the award in 2012. Ann-Renee Desbiens was UW’s most recent recipient in 2012.Since taking over the program, Johnson and the Badgers have continued to shatter both school and national records, while being the first team ever to land in the NCAA championship game in four consecutive seasons (2006-2009) and the first team to claim four NCAA titles (2006, 2007, 2009, 2011)."

Mark Johnson will be the women’s hockey coach as long as he wants.

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• Former Wisconsin Football stars to be featured on the next Wheaties box
• Believe it or not, Wisconsin Football has never played these FBS teams
• Four-star running back Darrion Dupree commits to Wisconsin Football
• Wisconsin Football wide receiver enters the transfer portal

Wrestling: Head Coach Barry Davis garnered a contract extension through the 2019-2020 season.  Davis is yet another coach with a long history in Madison having arrived on campus in 1994.

From his UW Athletic Department bio before the 2016-2017 season.

"Barry Davis begins his 22nd season officially at the helm of the Wisconsin wrestling program, but enters his 23rd season as part of the Wisconsin wrestling program after serving as interim head coach during the 1993-94 season. Davis has an overall dual record of 216-154-11."

Wisconsin wrestling went 7-5 this past season finishing eighth in the Big Ten and 13th at the NCAA National Championships.  Badger wrestling will lose seven red shirt seniors from its 31-man roster.

Swimming & Diving: Coach for both the men and women’s team, Whitney Hite had his contract extended through 2019-2020.

From his UW Athletic Department bio

ALL-TIME CHAMPIONSHIP FINISHES UNDER HITE

Hite has been Head Coach for six seasons in Madison and is the ninth Head Coach in program history.

This all leads again to the remarkable stability of the UW Athletic Department at least regarding Head Coaching.  The remaining question for Badger fans is whether money in the budget will be allocated to the safekeeping of Assistant Coaches and Coordinators which has been a sore spot for many years now of attrition at key support roles.