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Wisconsin Football: Badgers continue to move forward despite coaching changes
Despite three coaches in ten years, the Wisconsin Badgers continue to make the most of the situation, and them some.
On Thursday night, the Arkansas Razorbacks lost the Belk Bowl matchup to Virginia Tech 35-24, despite owning a 24-point halftime lead, making head coach Bret Bielema’s seat hotter than ever.
Bielema, who infamously left Wisconsin before the team’s 2012 Rose Bowl for Arkansas, completed his 51st game as leader of the Razorbacks Thursday, falling below .500 overall at 25 wins and 26 losses during his tenure. A man that promised a lot of winning, championships, and exposure, Bielema has been nothing but entertainment for Badgers fans, seeing him the victim of countless letdowns and unlikely losses.
Bielema now 25-26 at Arkansas after his team turned a 24-0 halftime lead into a 35-24 loss https://t.co/bsWivqFmKR
— Benjamin Worgull (@TheBadgerNation) December 30, 2016
In addition to his 25-26 record, Bielema is now 10-22 in the SEC since bolting Wisconsin to compete in the so-called “better conference.”
Since his departure, the Badgers football team has gone 40-14 in their games- including two bowl wins and a consistent threat atop the Big Ten. While his timing and decision to leave seemed poised to hurt the Badgers in recruiting, rhythm, and eliteness, Wisconsin bounced back with their hiring of Gary Andersen from Utah State, a coach that had nearly beaten the Badgers in Camp Randall the season before.
After a 19-7 record with the program, Andersen did the Badgers the same, bolting for another Power Conference school, this time out west. After accepting the position at Oregon State, a program that would appear to be behind Wisconsin’s, and still is, the Badgers faced the same predicament and many started to think that Wisconsin was now becoming a stepping school program.
Like Bielema, Andersen left right before the team’s Bowl Game, which ended up being coached by Athletic Director Barry Alvarez. While many speculations surrounded Andersen’s departure, the reason seemed to be due to the difficulty to recruit highly-skilled players because of the university’s strict academic standards.
Andersen is 6-18 during his short time with the Beavers.
Hoping third time is the charm, the Badgers brought back in former offensive coordinator Paul Chryst, who has roots to the state and the university. Animate about accepting the job, Chryst has proven his commitment and passion for the program and has brought great success up to this point, posting a 20-6 record through almost two seasons, with one bowl win (hopefully two) and a Big Ten West crown. He has even added a coach of the year honor to his accolades.
There is no guarantee how long or how well Chryst will perform with the Badgers in the future, but for right now- Wisconsin has to like the spot they are in.
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