Things were finally made official by the Wisconsin football team on Tuesday, with Luke Fickell announcing that Jeff Grimes will be his new offensive coordinator. Grimes was the OC for Kansas in 2024, but when Wisconsin came calling, he knew where he belonged.
Grimes has made his way to Madison and he's ready to get to work. Not only that, the new Wisconsin OC also is ready to get this offense back where it needs to be. Phil Longo was never a good fit with this team, which is why he's already out of a job. As Grimes gets ready to start building up plans for 2025, he's going to be keeping Wisconsin's history in his mind, which is a great thing.
“My family and I are grateful and excited for the opportunity to join the Wisconsin football program,” Grimes said via the team website. “Having been around college football for more than 30 years, I have long admired the history and tradition at Wisconsin, and in particular the blue-collar, tough foundation that has led them to sustained success. I’m excited to blend that physical approach with an offense that attacks in a variety of ways."
Wisconsin has made things official with offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes
At first, plenty of Wisconsin fans felt like this was an underwhelming hire, especially after the Jayhawks went 5-7 on the season in '24. However, Grimes has 30 years of experience and twice he was a finalist for The Broyles Award, given to the top assistant in college football.
The fact that he wants to bring back the old ways for the Wisconsin offense is music for a lot of ears too. Thus far under Fickell, there has been a lack of an identity for this team, which is something Badgers legend J.J. Watt pointed out not too long ago.
UW also went 5-7 this year, with the offense holding the team back against Oregon, Penn State and more. It's up in the air who the team's starting QB will be next season, but Grimes needs to get back to pounding the football and attack the ground game. Thankfully, it looks like he has this in mind.