Wisconsin football is one step closer to filling out it’s coaching staff after it was announced earlier today that Bret Bielema has hired Mike Markuson as the new offensive line coach. Markuson is well immersed in the SEC way of life having coached the Arkansas and Ole Miss offensive lines for the past 14 years.
His experience and a relationship with former coach and now Athletic Director Barry Alvarez helped get Markuson the job with Wisconsin. Sometimes connections are everything and Markuson was a graduate assistant on the 1989 Notre Dame team, a team that had Barry Alvarez as its defensive coordinator.
“Mike brings experience of having success at the highest levels of college football,” Bielema said in
a statement. “The production of his offensive line units and the offenses he has been associated with is very impressive.” He went on to say, “Being from Minnesota, he brings the Midwest values that we’re looking for and he’s very excited about the opportunity to be the offensive line coach at the University of Wisconsin.”
Markuson, a Farmington, MN native has always had eyes of working for the Badgers and with Alvarez from that time together at Notre Dame on. “I’m very thankful to two people, Coach Bielema and Coach Alvarez.” Markuson said in a statement. “I go back with Coach Alvarez to 1989 when I was a graduate assistant at Notre Dame and when I was interested in the job I had Coach (Houston) Nutt call him and that really got the ball rolling.”
The list of players he’s coached to the highest levels is long and distinguished, with perhaps the most famous of the names being All-American and an NLF 1st round draft pick, Michael Oher (Ole Miss). He’s also coached John Jerry to an All-American season the next year in 2009 at Ole Miss.
Before his days at Ole Miss he coached for a decade at Arkansas, coaching Jonathan Luigs who earned the 2007 Rimington Award as the nations top interior lineman.
Overall Markuson has coached 6 All-American offensive lineman in his career and has also been a part of the running game coordination for backs like Darren McFadden, Felix Jones, and Dexter McCluster. All have gone on to success in the NFL.
After losing a guy like Bostad, who recruited Wisconsin and Minnesota well for the Badgers it is clear they hit a home run here with this hire. Markuson has a great track record on the field and his connections to the Midwest (Wisconsin and Minnesota in particular) are huge. I doubt you’ll see a drop-off in the level of play from this offensive line and who knows, this could even help in the case of one Jordan Diamond, who comes to campus on January 27th and could be a huge get for an already impressive group of o-lineman in 2012 class.
Look for us to discuss the staff hiring and preview National Signig Day this coming week on Badgers Power Hour.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
