Wisconsin has three different rivalry trophies in football. The most well-known and most desirable for the Wisconsin fan is the Paul Bunyan Axe, the trophy that comes from the Wisconsin vs. Minnesota annual game. There's also the Heartland Trophy that either Iowa or Wisconsin gets after a victory, and there's the Freedom Trophy in the game against Nebraska. You can read more about those trophies by clicking this link.
The question before us now is which Wisconsin coaches owned the rivalries the most? Which Wisconsin coach held these trophies the most? The results may be a tad surprising, but only somewhat.
1. Bret Bielema
Bielema has very mixed reviews in the Badger fans' hearts and minds. His abrupt exit to Arkansas and now he's at Illinois is annoying. However, he, more than any other coach, dominated the rivalry games. He never lost the Axe, never lost to Nebraska (regular season), and went 3-2 against Iowa. He may not be a loyal coach, but he definitely didn't let rivals hold a candle to Wisconsin while he was here. He went 11-2 against those three schools and undefeated against Minnesota. That'll do.
2. Paul Chryst
You were expecting to see Barry Alvarez in this spot or truly in the first spot. The reality is that Bielema has an impressive win rate in these trophy games, and Chryst is right behind him. Barry was the foundation layer for these other two to fly and soar. Chryst went 5-3 against Minnesota, 5-3 against Iowa, and 7-0 against Nebraska. He quietly held these trophies 17 times and only allowed the rivals to have them six times.
3. Barry Alvarez
Alvarez gets a ton of credit for the two coaches above him on this list, as he laid the foundation. He doesn't have an official Freedom Trophy record as the game didn't really get going until 2011. So he gets a 0-0 on that. He went 11-5 against Minnesota but 5-9 against Iowa. His percentage in these games is directly affected by his Heartland Trophy games.
4. Gary Andersen*
Andersen actually has the best record in these games. He went undefeated, which none of these coaches can claim. However, he's ranked fourth because the sample size is way too small. He has an asterisk. He went 2-0 against Minnesota, 2-0 against Iowa, and 1-0 against Nebraska. Andersen didn't lose a single one of these rivalry trophies. While his tenure was cut short as he left for Oregon State, he gave Wisconsin a great two years in the rivalry games.
5. Luke Fickell
It's not going to surprise anyone that Fickell is last right now. However, his job is incomplete, and he can fix his record. Right now, he is 1-2 against Minnesota, 0-3 against Iowa, and 1-1 against Nebraska. There's plenty of time for Fickell to turn things around, but this will be an important season for him. He won't see the Cornhuskers, but Iowa and Minnesota are waiting on the schedule. If he goes 2-0 this year in these trophy games, that will go a long way.
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