Tag: dean oliver

Former Wisconsin basketball assistant lands coaching job with AAU program in Iowa

Former Wisconsin basketball assistant lands job with AAU program in Iowa

Former Wisconsin men’s basketball assistant Dean Oliver announced his appointment as head coach of AAU program Iowa United Prep on Monday via social media.

Oliver spent seven seasons as one of Greg Gard’s assistants at UW and helped guide the program to a pair of Big Ten regular-season championships in 2019-20 and 2021-22.

The former Badger returns to where he began his basketball journey. He now mans the sidelines for Iowa United, the state’s premier amateur athletic union organization.

“After dedicating 13 years as a Division I assistant coach and 10 years as a professional basketball player, I am honored to accept this position,” Oliver said in his X statement.  This new chapter excites me as it allows me to continue contributing to the sport that has profoundly impacted my life and my family’s.”

Before joining the Badgers in 2017, Oliver coached at North Dakota from 2012-14 and Illinois State from 2015-17. A successful nine-year professional career, including two seasons with the NBA’s Golden State Warriors and several seasons in Europe, preceded his time as a coach.

Oliver’s specialty is rooted in developing the next generation’s guards. As a player, he suited up at guard from Iowa from 1998-2001 and pocketed third-team All-Big Ten honors on three occasions.

Given his experience in the development realm, Oliver is poised to excel in his next chapter with Iowa United.

Wisconsin basketball hires D-II head coach as new assistant

Wisconsin basketball finds a replacement for Dean Oliver:

Wisconsin basketball announced the hire of former D-II Saint Leo head coach Lance Randall as an assistant coach on Wednesday.

Randall joins head coach Greg Gard’s staff with over 400 career victories as a head coach. He replaces Dean Oliver on a Badgers coaching staff that now includes him, Joe Krabbenhoft, Sharif Chambliss and Kirk Penney as assistants.

“We are very pleased to welcome Lance Randall and his family to our staff,” Gard said in a statement to UWBadgers.com. “This search process was extensive and we evaluated a multitude of qualified candidates across many levels for the position. As we continue to evaluate and navigate the ever-changing college basketball landscape, I am confident that Lance will bring a wealth of experience and wide-range versatility to our program.”

Randall served as head coach for two stints at Saint Leo University (2011-15, 2019-24) and became the program’s all-time leader in wins. His long coaching career includes stops at Beloit College from 1994-97, Webster University from 1997-2000 and Lindenwood from 2015-19.

 

Randall is a Montfort, Wisconsin native and has deep ties to the state. His coaching experience and in-state connections should bring value to a program desperately in need of a resurgence.

Wisconsin HC Greg Gard clarifies Kirk Penney’s role, the open position on his coaching staff

Wisconsin HC Greg Gard clarifies Kirk Penney’s role, the open position on his coaching staff

Wisconsin basketball head coach Greg Gard joined 97.3 The Game this week and discussed numerous topics, including the turnover on his coaching staff.

His staff is in a state of flux. Longtime assistant coach Dean Oliver recently left the program, and there are rumors that top assistant Joe Krabbenhoft is in consideration for a head coach position elsewhere.

Related: Everything Wisconsin HC Greg Gard said about NIL, his coaching staff and program changes in a recent radio interview

Gard clarified that the program is searching for Oliver’s replacement, and the position will include recruiting off campus. He added that program legend Kirk Penney will be on staff as a full-time analyst.

Penney joined Gard’s staff as a special assistant in November 2023. It appears his responsibilities will grow with another season and the departure of Oliver.

Wisconsin remains on the hunt for Oliver’s full-time replacement as the program prepares for a critical 2024-25 season.

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

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Wisconsin basketball longtime assistant coach announces he’s leaving the program

Greg Gard loses one of his long-time assistants

Wisconsin basketball assistant coach Dean Oliver announced he was leaving the Badgers program on Wednesday night.

Oliver has been a mainstay on Greg Gard’s staff for the last seven years since joining the program after the 2017 season.

Related: Tracking Wisconsin basketball’s reported transfer portal visits and targets

“Today, I informed Coach Gard that I am moving on from the University of Wisconsin,” Oliver wrote in a post on X. “It was an honor and a privilege to have coached here, and while I am excited to take the next step in my career, I know that my experiences as a Badger will stay with me forever. Most of all, a huge thank you to all the incredible student-athletes, coaches, and other staff that helped make my time here such a great experience.”

Oliver departs after helping lead Wisconsin through a rocky seven-year stretch of basketball. The stretch included multiple Big Ten regular-season titles (2020, 2022) and two years of missing the NCAA Tournament entirely (2018, 2023).

Related: An early look at the Wisconsin basketball roster entering 2024-25

This news comes after Wisconsin top assistant Joe Krabbenhoft was recently linked to a head coach opening. Krabbenhoft remains on staff at the moment, but 2024-25 could see a large-scale turnover under Gard on the coaching staff.

Oliver’s departure has many assuming Iowa, his alma mater, could be the next destination. He played for the Hawkeyes from 1997-2001 before a brief NBA career and lengthy playing career oversees.

Gard, meanwhile, has work to do on the roster and now on the coaching staff as he and the program enter a pivotal 2024-25 season.

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

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