When Gary Andersen moved to Oregon State many wondered if his defensive coordinator, Dave Aranda, would move a third time with him. That didn’t happen, and Aranda made it clear he wanted to stay in Madison no matter what.
It appears that Barry Alvarez’s pitch and Pau Chryst’s feel for the coach is paying off. As Andy Baggot of the Wisconsin State Journal is reporting Aranda will indeed be back to coach the Badgers defense next season.
Source said Dave Aranda will return as #Badgers defensive coordinator under Paul Chryst. Huge development.
— Andy Baggot (@AndyBaggot) December 18, 2014
This move marks a departure for Chryst, who’s defenses at Pitt were of the 4-3 variety. However, many see Aranda sticking around as a welcome move.
After all, Aranda has coached back-to-back top 10 national defenses all while still transitioning to the type of athlete he wants to play in his 3-4 scheme.
Players this season were not shy on heaping praise upon the 38-year old defensive coordinator. Many, including senior Warren Herring, see hm as a visionary on that side of the ball — pointing out his ability to see things no one else does on film.
Just as important as his role is in coaching players, he’s seen as a key cog in the recruitment for many defensive players. According to our recruiting partners at Badger247, Aranda is credited as the recruiter for five Badger commits in the 2015 class, all of them are of the linebacker variety. And, with the departure of both starting inside linebackers, the Badgers need a big class to get the depth and competition needed at the position.
His sticking around means big things for the likes of 3-star linebackers Jordan Griffin, Nick Thomas and potential sleeper 3-star defensive end Nate Howard. Keeping those three on board in this recruiting class could go a long way to establishing the best recruiting class in Wisconsin history (according to the rankings).
The combination of what Chryst did on offense while here at UW and what Aranda is doing on defense is likely to only increase expectations for the 2015 season. Now, Aranda can concentrate on showing some of the top SEC offenses what his defense has for him, with Auburn in the Outback Bowl and Alabama coming up first on the 205 schedule.
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