Tag: coaching staff

Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell discusses hire of Alex Grinch after rough USC tenure

Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell discusses hire of Alex Grinch after rough USC tenure

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell addressed one of the program’s headline-grabbing moments of the offseason at Big Ten media days on Tuesday.

That is the hire of former USC defensive coordinator Alex Grinch to its new safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator.

Related: The 6 most likely scenarios for Wisconsin’s 2024 football season

The Badgers made the hire in late January after safeties coach Colin Hitschler left for the same position on Kalen DeBoer’s staff at Alabama.

Grinch was available after being fired as USC’s defensive coordinator midway through the 2023 season.

“I want guys that have had a lot of tough situations,” Fickell said. “Guys that have gone through that and humbled themselves and you can recognize that, I think they are a hell of a lot better in the long run.”

USC decided to move on from Grinch as his 2023 defense was in the midst of a season where it finished ranked No. 119 in the nation with 432.8 yards allowed per game, No. 121 in scoring defense with 34.4 points allowed per game and finished ranked No. 105 in ESPN SP+. That is after his unit finished No. 106, No. 93 and No. 87 respectively in 2022.

The Trojans were among the worst defensive teams in the nation during his two years at the helm, prompting many fans to wonder why the Badgers would make the hire.

Grinch does have a successful track record as an assistant, however, just not as a coordinator. He was a four-time Broyles Award nominee for the nation’s top assistant coach, including a semifinalist in 2017 and 2019.

His coaching experience includes working as the safeties coach at Missouri (2012-2014), defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Washington State (2015-2017), co-DC and safeties coach at Ohio State (2018), DC and safeties coach under Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma (2019-2021) and in the same position once Riley left for USC (2022-2023).

“We didn’t overlap at the time at Ohio State, but had some mutual connections and knew that our ideas and things we do aligned in a lot of ways,” Fickell added. “Once I got to know him and met him a little bit, to see and feel the humility that he had and all the things he went through, never complained, never made an excuse, never pointed a finger. He’s a very smart football coach that is a hell of a lot better now even then he was then because of those experiences.”

Grinch is set to coach a safeties room that will be led by star Hunter Wohler in 2024. He will also co-coordinate a defense that is expected to take a significant step forward after a solid performance in 2023.

Wisconsin’s head coach is certainly confident in Grinch being a positive addition to his staff despite his recent track record as a defensive coordinator.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Sean Payton says Jim Leonhard has a bright future as a coach in the NFL

“This guy has got a real good future as a coach in this league,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of new DBs coach Jim Leonhard.

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton tried to hire Jim Leonhard to his staff last year, but Leonhard took a break from coaching in 2023 while recovering from hip surgery.

After fully recovering, Leonhard joined Payton’s staff this spring as a defensive backs coach. Leonhard, 41, spent 10 years as a safety and special teams player in the NFL, including a summer with the New Orleans Saints in 2013.

“I had him briefly as a player and he reminds me that I cut him,” Payton said on June 12. “I think he [also] came here. He played for a long time. He’s extremely smart. Even last year in the process, he was going through a hip replacement surgery, so I was trying to hire him, but he was going to have trouble with that. He spent that year — last year — just working kind of as a consultant with Illinois. He was able to do that where it was going to be harder for him to commit.

“When this year came around and the opportunity presented itself — we are getting someone with [playing] experience and we’re getting someone with coaching experience as well. He’s been coaching at the college level now for quite a while and was a candidate to be the head coach at Wisconsin. I’ve kind of known him for a while and he’s one of those guys — not only myself, but I would say a number of people in the league have tracked and said, ‘This guy has got a real good future as a coach in this league.’”

Leonhard spent one season with the Broncos in 2012. Following his final season in 2014, Leonhard transitioned to coaching. He returned to Wisconsin, his alma mater, in 2016 and quickly worked his way up from defensive backs coach to defensive coordinator. Leonhard served as an interim head coach in 2022 before stepping down and taking a senior football analyst role at Illinois while rehabbing in 2023.

Now set to make his NFL coaching debut in 2024, Leonhard brings 10 years of experience as a player and seven years of coaching experience to Denver.

“He did a lot, and he will lean on him in all of those areas,” Payton said. “He really had a good career and was part of a lot of winning teams, too. The Jets — I remember competing against the Jets and [he] had two real good seasons there. He was part of those teams with Rex [Ryan]. He was in Baltimore and here. He was at a few stops, but when you play that long, he is doing something right.”

Broncos fans will get their first look at Leonhard coaching up the team’s defensive backs when training camp practices begin on Friday.

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Report: Wisconsin elevating top analyst to assistant coordinator role

Report: Wisconsin elevating top analyst to assistant coordinator role

The Wisconsin Badgers are promoting top special teams analyst Eric Raisbeck to assistant special teams coordinator, according to a report from FootballScoop’s Doug Samuels.

Wisconsin hired Raisbeck back in March for an analyst position. He had previously signed on as UC-Davis’ new special teams coordinator before accepting the position on Luke Fickell’s coaching staff.

Related: Reasons why Wisconsin football will or won’t make College Football Playoff in 2024

The fast-rising assistant coach’s path to Wisconsin includes stops at UW-Platteville (2017-2019), Utah State (2019-2020) and Penn State (2020-2023) — mostly in a special teams analyst capacity. He is now reportedly being promoted to work directly with Wisconsin special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell.

Special teams were a strength for the Badgers in year one under Fickell. Transfer kicker Nathanial Vakos was terrific, while punter Atticus Bertrams had a lukewarm debut season. Overall, the units did little to hurt the team — an improvement from some of their previous performances.

Vakos and Bertrams are back as Wisconsin’s respective kicker and punter in 2024. Raisbeck will work on a staff that will look to elevate the rest of the Badgers’ special teams units, trying to reach the top-end standard set by Iowa ace special teams coach LeVar Woods.

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Report: Wisconsin football moving program legend to on-field coaching role

Report: Wisconsin football moving program legend to on-field coaching role

Wisconsin football is moving program legend Casey Rabach to an on-field coaching role, according to a report from BadgerExtra’s Colten Bartholomew.

Rabach had been part of the program’s recruiting department after being hired in 2022. UWBadgers.com identifies his current role as the director of scouting, a position he has held since the spring of 2023 after beginning as a personnel assistant.

Related: Reasons why Wisconsin football will or won’t make College Football Playoff in 2024

Bartholomew reports Rabach is being promoted to assistant offensive line coach and will work directly with Badgers’ new OL coach A.J. Blazek.

Rabach played for Wisconsin from 1996-2000. His decorated college career included one second-team All-Big Ten selection (1998), two first-team All-Big Ten nods (1999, 2000) and one third-team All-American honor (2000).

Rabach played 10 seasons in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Redskins after being selected in the third round of the 2001 NFL draft.

The longtime professional offensive lineman briefly worked in the Green Bay Packers’ personnel department before eventually finding his way into Wisconsin’s recruiting department. He does not have any listed coaching experience.

Luke Fickell remade his offensive line coaching staff after the position struggled to find consistency during the 2023 season. Blazek has brought a tangible energy to the room, something Badgers fans hope will translate into on-field results.

One area that has seen results has been recruiting the position. Wisconsin has commitments from top linemen Hardy Watts, Logan Powell, Nolan Davenport and Michael Roeske in the class of 2025. Blazek and his new assistant, Rabach, should be credited with the majority of those recruiting wins.

Wisconsin’s offensive line will look to improve upon its play from the last 4-5 years when the team kicks its 2024 season off at home against Western Michigan. The addition of Rabach to the coaching staff will be an interesting storyline to follow as the season moves along.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Todd Davis will be an intern coach at Broncos training camp

Todd Davis will join Sean Payton’s coaching staff as an intern at training camp, the Super Bowl 50 champion announced on ‘DNVR Broncos.’

When the Denver Broncos begin training camp next week, a familiar face with join the team’s coaching staff as an intern.

Todd Davis, who won Super Bowl 50 with the Broncos following the 2015 season, announced on DNVR Broncos earlier this week that he will have an internship with the club this summer.

“This training camp, I’ll be doing an internship with the Broncos,” Davis said, explaining his upcoming absence from DNVR Broncos. “So I’ll be on the Broncos’ coaching staff for an internship this [summer].”

In five and a half seasons with the team, Davis totaled 448 tackles, 13 pass breakups, 11 quarterback hits, two sacks, two defensive touchdowns, two forced fumbles, one interception and one forced fumble in 82 games.

Following his retirement in 2021, Davis transitioned to media. He was a guest on in-house Broncos programming and also made appearances on networks including KCNC-TV. Davis joined DNVR Broncos full-time last summer and will now take a break for an internship with the team.

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Former MSU football DPP to be hired by UAB

UAB is hiring a former MSU assistant

Michigan State football had Lino Lupinetti as the school’s Director of Player Personnel in 2023. After Mel Tucker’s departure from the program, Lupinetti was not retained by Jonathan Smith when he came over to East Lansing.

Now, Lupinetti has found his new home, being hired by UAB as the school’s director of player personnel for Trent Dilfer with the Blazers.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on Twitter @Cory_Linsner

Florida’s massive coaching staff benefitted by NCAA rule change

Billy Napier said he wanted to build an army of a coaching staff when he got to Gainesville, and the NCAA’s recent rule changes prove just how forward-thinking the man in charge is. On Tuesday, the Division I Council approved a rule change …

Billy Napier said he wanted to build an army of a coaching staff when he got to Gainesville, and the NCAA’s recent rule changes prove just how forward-thinking the man in charge is.

On Tuesday, the Division I Council approved a rule change permitting any staff member to provide technical and tactical instruction to student-athletes. The change is effective immediately upon the conclusion of Wednesday’s meeting period and does not affect the number of off-campus recruiters a team can field.

The rule opens up the door for assistants and quality control analysts to provide on-field instruction, which was previously forbidden despite being an impossible stipulation to monitor.

“NCAA members continue efforts to modernize support for student-athletes, and removing restrictions on skill instruction in football will provide those student-athletes with increased resources to achieve their greatest on-field potential,” chair of the council and athletics director at Illinois Josh Whitman said. “At the same time, the council determined that maintaining limits on recruiting personnel will preserve competitive balance in recruiting while also localizing decision-making around how best to maximize support for student-athletes.”

Napier and the athletic department foresaw this rule change, which is why Florida has nearly 75 names on its staff directory page. All of those names won’t get clearance to do some on-field coaching, but the guys who watch all of the film and take notes for the players can now talk directly to them rather than “encouraging” them from the sidelines.

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Jim Leonhard excited to make NFL coaching debut with Broncos

Sean Payton tried to hire Jim Leonhard last year, but he took a year off coaching due to hip surgery. Now recovered, Leonhard is on board.

After spending ten years as a safety and special teams player, Jim Leonhard transitioned from playing in the NFL to coaching at his alma mater, Wisconsin.

Leonhard returned to the Badgers in 2016 initially as a defensive backs coach before later becoming the defensive coordinator and eventually an interim head coach. He turned down DC jobs in the NFL to remain at the college level and then served as a senior football analyst at Illinois in 2023 while recovering from hip surgery.

After failing to land Leonhard on his staff last year, Broncos head coach Sean Payton made a pitch to Leonhard again in 2024. This time, the coach accepted, joining the team as their new defensive backs coach after six years at the college level.

“Definitely excited to be here,” Leonhard said on June 12. “Last year was a great time for me to kind of step away and reset a little bit. We had talked a year ago and decided against it, but it was hard to turn down twice.

“I loved my time here in Denver. It was a great experience as a player, and just knowing really from the top down, the commitment and the passion for the Broncos here in Denver. I’m excited to be back for this to be my first opportunity coaching in the NFL.”

Leonhard spent one season playing for the Broncos in 2012. He started one game on defense that season and played 151 snaps on special teams. Now back in Denver, Leonhard will be tasked with coaching up the Broncos’ defensive backs while undoubtedly helping with special teams as well.

The 41-year-old coach is the latest ex-player to join Payton’s staff, joining a list of peers that includes Chris Banjo, Zach Strief, Davis Webb, Keary Colbert and Logan Kilgore. Judging by his quick ascension, Leonhard seems poised to have a bright future in coaching.

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Texas adds Jim Schlossnagle’s assistants to Longhorns baseball staff

Three assistants follow Schloss to Texas.

In a quick move for the Texas Longhorns baseball program, the university announced three hires to Jim Schlossnagle’s staff.

After one season under Schloss with the Texas A&M Aggies, Texas adds Max Weiner as the pitching coach. Weiner served as the pitching coordinator for the Seattle Mariners from Dec. 2018 until he left for Texas A&M ahead of the 2024 season. He worked with top pitching prospects Logan Gilbert, Georgia Kirby, Bryan Woo, and Bryce Miller.

New hitting coach Michael Earley joined the Aggies staff when Schlossnagle took the job at Texas A&M. Earley was drafted by the Chicago White Sox and joined the coaching ranks in 2017.

Nolan Cain will take over as the recruiting coordinator for Texas. The former LSU Tigers pitcher played in the Detroit Tigers farm system. He returned to the Bayou as Coordinator of Baseball Ops and assistant coach from 2014 until 2021. He joined the Aggies in 2022 as an assistant coach and was promoted to Associate Head Coach this past year.

Quite a start to the Jim Schlossnagle era on the Forty Acres.

Broncos HC Sean Payton praises QBs coach Davis Webb

“He was tremendous on keeping things simple and knowing how to read certain plays,” Broncos HC Sean Payton said of QB coach Davis Webb.

Earlier this offseason, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton said quarterbacks coach Davis Webb is part of a “new generation” of coaches that utilizes digital files in a way Payton has “no idea” how to access or organize.

Webb, 29, is less than half the age of Payton, 60. He spent six years as a backup quarterback in the NFL before Payton recruited him to coaching last spring. So far, so good for the young coach.

“[H]is meetings are extremely organized,” Payton said on May 30. “He’s played the position. I think even as a player at this level, when you talk to — and I spoke with Eli [Manning] and various players. He was tremendous on keeping things simple and knowing how to read certain plays and how to approach the game. I think he’s very positive with these guys.” 

Payton retold a story about the hiring process that he shared last offseason. The Broncos had scheduled other interviews for after Webb’s appointment but Payton decided to cancel them.

“You’ve heard the story: when I interviewed him, you get kind of caught in a schedule,” Payton said. “Tomorrow we’re going to interview [somebody else], and then here he is driving to the airport, and I’m thinking, ‘What am I doing?’ We called the driver and brought him back and hired him.”

Webb is only two years older than Jarrett Stidham, but he’s been in the NFL longer than any of the team’s three QBs, and he connects with them well.

“Davis brings energy, experience and almost like that wily veteran quarterback that’s in the room, which I think is a plus,” Payton said. 

After coaching Russell Wilson last year, Davis will now work with Stidham, Zach Wilson and rookie Bo Nix in 2024. Just like Payton, Davis got his first job in the NFL as a QB coach. Now he’ll aim to replicate Payton’s success.

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