Wisconsin head basketball coach Greg Gard has announced that he has promoted his graduate manager, Eli Wilke, to operations coordinator. This is an important promotion not only for Wilke, who becomes the youngest operation guy in the Power 5 conferences, but also a needed adjustment for the Badgers on the staff.
Wilke made a strong impression on Gard over the past year, according to Nick Osen, specifically in his ability to identify and recruit transfer portal players. This promotion allows him to oversee even more of the logistical side of the program.
A basketball note: Greg Gard and Wisconsin have promoted grad manager Eli Wilke to Basketball Operations Coordinator
— Nick Osen (@TheRealNickOsen) August 23, 2025
Wilke has impressed with his scouting work in the department, as well as helping to identify and recruit transfer portal targets.
Strong internal hire #Badgers pic.twitter.com/uRCiRT3813
Eli Wilke has moved up the ranks in Wisconsin basketball quickly
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Wilke has ascended in a rapid fashion. He was hired a little over a year ago to be the graduate manager. He was hired directly from the University of Minnesota, where he graduated with a degree in sports management and a minor in leadership. He helped the basketball program for two seasons and learning a lot about Big Ten basketball operations.
Wilke's hire comes on the back of another important hire that Gard made this offseason. He promoted Marc VandeWettering from the director of operations to the men's basketball's first general manager.
As college basketball enters a new era of revenue sharing, NIL, and other recruiting and payment logistics, the need for a team of operational specialists is growing increasingly important. Wisconsin is now more prepared for this with VandeWettering and Wilke at the helm. It is also helpful that both were promoted from within.
Wisconsin basketball is now two months away from its October 24 exhibition start. The Badgers will be taking on the Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiserv Forum in a game that doesn't count, but will prepare both teams for the season.