Greg Gard announced today some major changes on his coaching staff, with a big loss but also a big addition. It's truly a bittersweet announcement coming out of Wisconsin basketball as Kirk Penney has announced he is headed back to New Zealand to spend more time with his family, but Gard was able to replace him with a Wisconsin legend in Brad Davison.
Kirk Penney played an important role for Wisconsin, but is most notably known for being the mastermind in the evolution of the Wisconsin offense. The reason the Badgers run the offense they do is largely thanks to Penney. He helped figure out a system that not only helped Gard's development of bigs but also utilized them in the passing and shooting attack.
Penney also brought recognition and recruiting ability in New Zealand. It's hard to say that he was the direct reason that Wisconsin has been able to bring in talent from New Zealand in the last couple of recruiting classes, but it certainly didn't hurt. He was a big reason behind it.
Greg Gard calls Brad Davison one of the best leaders he's ever seen
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Now, on the flip side, Gard was able to call up one of his former players and ask him to step into the vacated role, Special Assistant to the Head Coach. Davison was a star at Wisconsin, helping lead the Badgers to two Big Ten championships.
Following his collegiate career, which ended just four seasons ago, he was able to play professionally overseas in both Lithuania and Spain. He was a spark plug at Wisconsin, and he plans to bring that energy back to the Badgers.
Gard was effusive on how important the addition of Davison is to the Badgers, "He was the heart and soul of our program while he played here...He has a terrific basketball mind, one of the best leaders I've ever coached, and we know we are adding someone who will dedicate every ounce to this team. He's a winner and will not only add valuable perspective, but he will also have the ability to connect with the guys in our locker room from day one."
It seems that Wisconsin knew Penney wanted a way out to return home to New Zealand, and Gard was ready to pivot with a huge addition in another former player, Davison.