If you haven’t heard already, Wisconsin running backs coach John Settle has left the program to take the same position with the Kentucky Wildcats.
It’s been an offseason of coaching turnover for the Badger football program, with defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield leaving for Vanderbilt, quarterbacks coach Jon Budmayr leaving for Colorado State, Wisconsin hiring Hank Poteat being as cornerbacks coach and Paul Chryst taking back play-calling duties.
The most significant move of them all is Settle’s. In his two stints with the Wisconsin football program, he developed running backs P.J. Hill, John Clay, Montee Ball, James White, Corey Clement, Dare Ogunbowale and, most notably, Jonathan Taylor.
Why is this significant? Because it’s Wisconsin football, a program and brand of play that relies heavily on stars at the running back position.
But it’s also about the 2020 season, a campaign that made it clear Jalen Berger has the potential to become yet another star at the running back position for a program that has a long history of stars at the position.
With Settle there to develop the freshman, there would’ve been no reason to doubt Berger’s trajectory. It would’ve been about how long it would take before the New Jersey native becomes a nationwide household name.
But moving into 2021 without their longtime running backs coach, who again did a nearly perfect job in his 11 years at Wisconsin, there are undoubtedly more unknowns about where the program stands at the position.
Now, I’m saying all of this with an understanding of Berger’s talent in mind. He already is at the stage where his talent, production and potential are undeniable. But the departure of his coach needs to be considered, especially with nobody hired as of today to fill the role.
That coach, whether promoted internally or hired from elsewhere, will be following in some pretty large footsteps.
Leading rushers during Settle’s first stint as Wisconsin RB coach:
- 2006: P.J. Hill—311 carries, 1569 yards, 15 touchdowns, 18 catches, 197 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown
- 2007: P.J. Hill—233 carries, 1212 yards, 14 touchdowns, 14 catches, 89 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown
- 2008: P.J. Hill—226 carries, 1161 yards, 13 touchdowns, 7 catches, 72 receiving yards
- 2009: John Clay—287 carries, 1517 yards, 18 touchdowns
- 2010: John Clay + James White + Montee Ball: 506 carries, 3060 yards, 46 touchdowns
Leading rushers during Settle’s second stint as Wisconsin RB coach:
- 2015: Dare Ogunbowale—194 carries, 819 yards, 7 touchdowns, 36 catches, 299 receiving yards, 1 touchdown
- 2016: Corey Clement—314 carries, 1374 yards, 15 touchdowns, 12 catches, 132 receiving yards
- 2017-2019: Jonathan Taylor—926 carries, 6174 yards, 50 touchdowns
- 2020: Garrett Groshek + Jalen Berger—127 carries, 601 yards, 4 touchdowns
Now there are obviously some big names on the list, players who probably would’ve had success regardless. But if you consider the role of a college coach, especially a position coach, and then see them have that many big-time players come to the program, succeed and go on to play in the NFL, it’s an impressive feat.
Even during his four years away from the program—2011-2014—the backs we saw carry the team (James White and Montee Ball) were guys he helped to develop and even helped bring to the program.
If you needed any more proof about the job Settle did while at Wisconsin, here is an excerpt from Madison.com’s piece on him taking the RB coach job at Kentucky:
“‘I think coach Settle does a great job of kind of knowing what each guy needs and maybe where their strength is, kind of how they’re spending their time they want to devote to football,’ Chryst said of Settle in November.
‘Even learning how to study film and learning how to self-evaluate. And that takes a coach, and that’s where I think coach Settle does a great job of truly assisting our guys and that’s as much of coaching as what to do on a play or what technique to use in different situations.’
Speaking of the running backs group this season, assistant head coach and run-game coordinator Joe Rudolph said Settle established the tone of the room.
‘There’s such great leadership in the room, starting with coach Settle, helping those guys to develop,’ he said.
Montee Ball also weighed in on the now-former Badger coach.
Coach Settle!! He was my RB coach my freshmen and sophomore years. Kentucky got themselves a good one!
— Montee Ball (@MonteeBall28) March 12, 2021
Whoever comes next will have decades of momentum on his side. But when you consider what a Wisconsin football team needs to do well in order to win games, whoever the program hires will have a lot of pressure to keep the run going.
From 2006-2010 and 2015-2020, the Badgers had a perfect fit in coach Settle. Now, with Berger set to explode onto the national scene and the program upping its recruiting game, the hiring decision for his replacement becomes one of the most important storylines heading into the 2021 football season.
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