It took a few extra days, but what many have rumored for the past few weeks became official on Tuesday afternoon as the University of Wisconsin and head coach Paul Chryst officially announced the hirings of offensive and defensive coordinators.
As expected, Chryst will hire former Badger offensive lineman and assistant coach Joe Rudolph as offensive coordinator. He also announced the retention of defensive coordinator Dave Aranda.
“There are a number of similarities with Dave and Joe,” Chryst said in a press release. “Both are obviously terrific football coaches. They care about our student-athletes not just as players, but also people. As coaches they are committed to helping them become successful and well-rounded adults. The players can sense that and really enjoy playing for them.”
Aranda’s retention was seen as paramount, with athletic director Barry Alvarez going to bat for him following Gary Andersen’s departure to Oregon State. It was seen as a key move on and off the field, as Wisconsin has kept it’s 2015 recruiting class together so far.
His defenses have opened eyes in Madison and beyond, and rightfully so after allowing an average of 299.4 yards per game. That ranks Wisconsin third among FBS programs in the last two years, trailing only Louisville (280.5) and Michigan State (282.9) in that time frame.
That isn’t the only big time mark for the Badgers defense, as they rank sixth in points per game (18.6), fifth in pass defense (184.6) and seventh in rushing defense (114.7) as well.
Aranda came to UW after directing Utah State’s defense to similar success in 2012, with the Aggies ranking No. 8 nationally in scoring defense at 15.4 points allowed per game. He also served as defensive coordinator at Hawaii in 2010 and 2011.
“Dave is the first person I spoke to when I got the job. I’m very impressed with his knowledge of defense and his ability to put together a game plan,” Chryst said in his press release. “He has helped build Wisconsin’s defense into one of the best in the country over the last two years and the numbers back that up. He is able to identify the strengths of his players and play to those strengths, which I think is the mark of a good coach. When Dave expressed a great interest in staying, I was excited because I believe it is a great fit.”
As for Rudolph, earlier rumors also indicate that he will take over duties as the offensive line coach. However, the official release did not mention that role for him, but that could be cleared up tomorrow
Things were just getting going for Rudolph as the offensive coordinator at Pitt. The 2014 season was the most productive year under his direction, averaging 31.8 points and 435.4 yards per game. Pitt’s numbers were also good for third in the ACC in total offense and fifth in scoring.
Leading the way for the Panthers was sophomore running back James Connor, who rushed for 1,765 yards and set the ACC single-season rushing TD record with 26. Those numbers earned him ACC Player of the Year honors and his 135.8 yards per game average put him third in the country behind UW’s own Melvin Gordon (184.8) and Indiana’s Tevin Coleman (169.7).
What the Badgers have struggled with is finding a second threat in the receiving game, and Rudolph has coached on the of the best wide receivers in the ACC during his time at Pitt. We’re talking about two-time All-ACC wide receiver Tyler Boyd.
He led all freshman wide receivers in 2013 with 85 receptions for 1,174 yards and became a freshman All-American with that performance. Boyd’s 2,435 receiving yards over the past two seasons are the sixth-most by an FBS player in that span.
This will be a return to the place where Rudolph played and got his coaching career really going. In his first stint with the Badgers, Rudolph spent four seasons as Wisconsin’s tight ends coach from 2008 to 2011.
He coached four UW tight ends that have earned playing time in the NFL in Travis Beckum, Garrett Graham, Lance Kendricks and Jake Byrne.
Prior to Wisconsin, Rudolph coached tight ends at Nebraska (2007) and was a graduate assistant and strength coordinator at Ohio State (2004-06).
Rudolph graduated from UW in 1995 and later earned a master’s degree in business administration from Carnegie Mellon University. A native of Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, he was a member of Barry Alvarez’s first recruiting class at Wisconsin and twice earned All-Big Ten honors as an offensive lineman.
In 1993, he helped the Badgers claim the Big Ten championship with a 10-1-1 record, including a win in the Rose Bowl. As a senior, he captained the UW squad that went 8-3-1 and won the Hall of Fame Bowl. He went on to play two years in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers.
“I’ve worked with Joe for a number of years and have witnessed first-hand how good of a coach he is,” Chryst said. “He is very detailed oriented and has a terrific offensive mind. He preaches a tough, physical, smart brand of football that I believe is the foundation of the Wisconsin program. Being a graduate and having played and coached at UW, he truly knows what it means to be a Badger.”
Wisconsin will have all three coaches available to the media at 10:30am CT, and we’re likely to have more on the full makeup of the Badgers’ coaching staff at that point in time.
(photo courtesy Badger247)
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