Badger coaching tree

Last week, when Purdue was pursuing Paul Chryst to be its next head coach, one thought that crossed my mind was that it would be a blow to the program, but it would extend the Wisconsin coaching tree. Coaching trees are such a strong indicator of a program's success - a strong coaching staff produces strong coaches, which then go build their own strong staffs elsewhere.

Think about the North Carolina basketball coaching tree. Or the Packers' staff under Mike Holmgren, which at times had Steve Mariucci, Jon Gruden, Dick Jauron, and others.

This also applies to former players. If your program is producing players who go on to become coaches, it is an indicator that you have intelligent athletes with leadership skills. That's why I have a soft spot for Tracy Webster, even if he was coaching at Illinois for four years before moving on to Kentucky.

Yesterday I read that Mel Tucker had been named defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns. Tucker will always be remembered as the defensive back who made the hit on a Minnesota tight end to secure Barry Alvarez's first road win as Wisconsin coach. After graduating from UW with an ag journalism major, Tucker coached under Nick Saban at Michigan State, then moved on to Miami (Ohio), LSU, and Ohio State before joining Romeo Crennel's staff. Here's hoping Mel gets the Browns' defense in shape and becomes a head coaching candidate.

This all got me thinking about other prominent coaches who played or coached at UW:

-Jay Norvell, just hired today as Oklahoma's co-offensive coordinator. As long as he keeps the Sooners' offense humming, he'll be a head coaching candidate next winter.

-Brad Childress, former UW offensive coordinator, head coach of the Minnesota Vikings.

-Darrell Bevell, former UW quarterback, Chilly's offensive coordinator.

-Jim Hueber, Chilly's offensive line coach. All the UW ties on the Vikings make me slightly nauseous.

-Bill Callahan, former UW offensive line coach, recently fired as Nebraska's coach. Led the Oakland Raiders to the Super Bowl.

-Jay Hayes, defensive line coach for the Cincinnati Bengals.

-Rob Ianello, Notre Dame's recruiting coordinator. As he did in Madison, Rob is tearing it up on the recruiting trail, as the Irish currently have the nation's #1 recruiting class.

-Ron McBride, head coach at Weber State.

-Packers special teams coordinator Mike Stock.

-Mike Cassity is Louisville's defensive coordinator.

-Jeff Horton, St. Louis Rams offensive assistant.

-Brian White, recently fired as Syracuse's offensive coordinator.

-Phil Elmassian, who seems to change jobs every year, was recently let go along with Callahan and is now interested in the defensive coordinator position at Louisiana-Monroe.

-Darrell Wilson, Iowa's outside linebackers and special teams coach.

-And last but not least, Bears coach Lovie Smith. Not kidding - he was a UW assistant in 1987. Perhaps the only coaching positive to come out of the Don Morton era.

That's all the energy I have to research tonight after a tough evening of shoveling in 25 mph winds. Please post a comment if you can think of anyone I'm forgetting here. Will try to tackle a Badger basketball coaching tree in the next couple days.

Links, links, links

It's a slow night in Badgerland, so I wanted to point out some of the links we've added to the right-hand column in the last month or so.

-The official uwbadgers.com basketball and football blogs. Some food stuff here from the UW sports information department. The basketball blog, from Brian Lucas, is obviously the more active of the two right now; he also does a daily email newsletter.

-The Wisconsin Basketball Recruiting board. Keep track of the Badgers' recruiting targets (Evan Anderson! Jamil Wilson! Tyler Griffey! Diamond Taylor!) and already-committed high school players. Lots of updates from Heavystarch, who originally turned me onto the site in a comment here.

-The Wisconsin Sports Network, a nice site on state preps sports. Not much on future Badgers (Flavien Davis?!?!), mainly because there's only so many of them.

-Camp Lambeau, a nice blog with an emphasis much like this one, only with more on the Packers and multiple contributors.

-The Chris West Basketball Journal - Chris is a basketball junkie and does a great job getting to a game whenever he can. Apparently he was also worried about the Penn State game.

-Hoopraker, a Big Ten basketball blog that's a good place for getting up to speed on conference opponents.

-Brewercentric, the best blog about the Milwaukee Brewers written by guys from West Bend on the World Wide Web! Stop by to see what these dudes think about Mike Cameron.

-Toohey's Randomania, where Tim Toohey writes about Maxim and brake pads. That dude needs to give me a permanent reciprocal link.

-Chris Earl Books. "You're in the Hot Box, hello! Buy my books!"

-Javier and the Bear, my cousin Dan Zima's band.

If you're looking to exchange reciprocal links, or if you just want to suggest a link to a good Badger-related site, please email me at scott_tappa@hotmail.com.

Wisconsin-Penn State thoughts

This evening I had intended to come downstairs and write a quick "this game scares me, wouldn't be surprised if we lost" post. But then Will and I got caught up wrestling or something and I didn't get around to making a horrible prediction.

Nice win. Really wish Geary Claxton hadn't hurt his knee so early, would have liked to so how we stacked up with Penn State at full strength. Here's hoping he's OK, LePay said the Penn State radio guys are reporting it's season-ending. Throw in their late-game collapse against Minnesota the other day and they were set to be blown out.

But that shouldn't diminish how well we played. Great passing, good rebounding, terrific shooting. Defense was OK, they just missed a lot of shots.

-Star of the game was Flowers. After he hit the 3-pointer to start the game, I jotted down "good-looking shot in rhythm, he needs to shoot more." Every time he lifted up tonight it looked like it was going in, and most times it did. he also did a nice job on Morrissey, who was 1-for-9. That two-handed steal he had was fun to watch, he just embarrassed that guy.

-Krabby's first shot looked terrible, but he followed up with two good-looking shots and played another nice all-around game. On the broadcast Jimmy Jackson correctly pointed out that when he's playing assertively like he was tonight, it adds a whole different dimension to our offense.

One other Krabby note: not sure where I heard or read it, but Bo compared him to former Illinois player Sergio McClain. Don't know if you remember him or not, but he was about a 6-3 forward who probably wasn't named all-conference but was just a winner - played good defense, got key rebounds, found the open man, made a shot when he had to. Apt comparison, and a high compliment.

-Stiemsma played really well tonight ... but every time I was about to write that down in the first half, he made a mistake - let his guy get open for a layup, committed a bad foul, turned it over. His second half was nice, especially that little left-handed half-hook from the right block. He's tried that a couple times this season, and it looks good, but never seems to go in.

-Landry had another good Landry game - taking what was there, including 3-pointers, and generally getting good shots. It was interesting to see him guard Cornley, who really only seemed to go all-out for about 10 minutes in the second half. I would have taken a couple steps back and let him beat me shooting 18-footers rather than letting him build up a head of steam on the dribble.

-Hughes' bank shot 3-pointer seems like a lark in retrospect, but at the time they had come out shooting well and had cut the lead to 11, and we weren't moving on offense. Much like the Illinois game, in which we never let them take the lead, never letting Penn State get the lead into single digits was important tonight, because a home team down less than 10 should always have a run in them.

-Butch and Hughes combined for 16 points, about half their average, and Leuer went scoreless, but we still scored 80 points easily. Shows the nice balance on this team. Trevon only played eight minutes in the first half because of foul trouble and we were still up 16 at the half. I thought his play was a little bit too cavalier at times tonight.

-I thought showing Andy North in the stands was only a prerequisite for ESPN. Forget Jessica Simpson or Eva Longoria, we've got Andy.

-Penn State took on the feeling of a hockey team, shuttling in interchangeable, anonymous guys, none of whom were scoring with regularity.

-Save some of those 3-pointers for a closer game against a better team!

-Jarmusz is the first of the non-regulars in. Nankivil doesn't look ready for the pace of the big time yet. Still waiting for Tanner to make one of those prayers he throws up.

Vote for Joe Thomas!

Joe Thomas had a great rookie season in Cleveland, helping the Browns into playoff contention and making their offense one of the best in the league.

Now we can vote for him in a Rookie of the Year competition. Realistically, he has no shot - Adrian Peterson is the overwhelming favorite, Patrick Willis had a great season, and Joe is an offensive lineman.

Last week it was announced he would be going to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl, good for him. The UW press release said he's the first Badger Pro Bowler since 2005, when Chris Chambers and Mike Schneck went. Really, Mike Schneck? Mamas, train your boys to be long snappers.

-On another note: did you see that Northwestern hired Mike Hankwitz to be their defensive coordinator? Interesting. Northwestern has never had a good defense, so we'll see if Hank can turn that ship around.

Will's so excited about the Giants' win

As much as I've tried, Will usually hasn't taken much of an interest when I watch sports on TV. Here and there he'll pound on the floor and yell during a Badger game, but for the most part he prefers to run around and do a million other things.

For some reason, during the fourth quarter of tonight's Giants-Cowboys game, he really got into it. Aside from the fact that he declared our unborn child's allegiance to the Cowboys ("because everyone wants to be a cowboy"), he was pulling for he Giants, so the Packers can return to Lambeau Field next Sunday, "because you'll see me out on the field, Daddy!" After Tony Romo's game-clinching interception, Will launched into this impromptu celebration - I swear there was no coaching involved.



Fun stuff. Should be a great game next Sunday. While Romo and Joe Simpson are sipping margaritas in Mexico we'll be playing the hottest team in football to go to the Super Bowl. Here's guessing he's not the only Will I know who's excited about today's outcome!

Badgers' future non-conference schedule

A comment from New England Badger following the last Paul Chryst post called into question our non-conference schedule, and a nice little discussion followed. Let's break it out into its own post.

Here's what we have booked for the next six seasons:

2008 - Akron; Marshall - remember Randy Moss, Chad Pennington, Byron Leftwich; Fresno State - a team Sporting News says should make the preseason top 25

2009 - Central Florida - a bowl team this year with the nation's leading rusher; Fresno State - see 2008; at Hawaii - a BCS team this year that will probably regress after losing June Jones

2010 - UNLV; San Diego State; Arizona State - a nice opponent, ranked in the top 10 late this season

2011 - UNLV; Oregon State - played in a BCS game recently, a TSN dark horse in the Pac-10 next year; Northern Illinois

2012 - San Diego State; Arizona State

2013 - Oregon State

That's not too bad, all things considered. Oregon State and Arizona State are about our equivalent in the Pac-10, and Fresno, Hawaii, and Marshall have been the cream of the non-BCS crop at one point or another in the last decade.

But with a nod to New England Badger, look at these 2008 non-conference games and tell me you don't feel jealous we don't get one like these:

Illinois vs. Missouri (annual rivalry game)
Tennessee vs. UCLA (Vols always seem to play a game like this)
Auburn vs. West Virginia
Miami vs. Florida (looked better when they scheduled it)
Ohio State vs. USC (wow! kudos to both schools for having the cajones for scheduling this one)
Arkansas vs. Texas (old rivalry)
Georgia vs. Arizona State

Hopefully one of our upcoming games will take on the stature of these big ones. Time will tell.

Denver clock operators beat Badger hockey team

We haven't talked as much about the Badger hockey team here as I had anticipated, partly because their games aren't on TV as much anymore, partly because the team isn't as good as I thought it would be. But this morning at Pick 'n Save in Waupaca, where Will and I go every Saturday morning to read the Journal Sentinel, drink coffee, and eat muffins, I ran into John, a fellow Badger fan and Focolare Cafe regular who follows the hockey team much more closely than I do.

(To reference an early post, John is the one whose son was agonizing over committing to a holiday trip to Puerto Rico with the family or holding out to follow the Badgers to a BCS bowl. He chose his family and they all had a nice time over Christmas - good call.)

I had just got done reading about how the Badger hockey team got had a game-tying goal at the buzzer overturned last night in Denver. Apparently the refs looked at Matt Ford's goal and said it happened after the period had ended. John said that UW coaches immediately received text messages that it was a blown call, just as he had. This after the home-ice clock operators at Magness Arena had apparently shaved seconds off the clock twice in the final minute.

There was talk Wisconsin would appeal the decision and try to force an extension of the game preceding tonight's game, but it seems like it will be fruitless. Our friend Todd Milewski has done a nice job following the situation on his Cap Times blog.

Hopefully this doesn't end up costing the Badgers home-ice in the WCHA tournament, or an NCAA bid. The more you look at it and read about it, the bigger the travesty it is.

Here's another slow-mo look of just the final part of the sequence.



-In Badger hockey news local to me, a Waupaca kid, Craig Johnson, has started getting some playing time for the Badgers on defense. In true college hockey fashion, Craig is a 21-year-old freshman after playing a couple years in the NAHL. It's a testament to the job Bob Johnson and Jeff Sauer did building interest in the program around the state that there are now so many Wisconsin natives on the roster. When we first got good, it was mostly Minnesotans and Canadians doing the heavy lifting. Now there are a lot more home-grown players, which only builds more interest when the team has success.

My Office fix: Kevin sings!

Here's when you know you're missing original episodes of The Office: when you desperately seek video like this one of Brian Baumgartner, aka Kevin Malone, and watch it several times.



He's got a good voice, but I'd rather hear it singing for Scrantonicity than "The Impossible Dream." Thanks to Mr. Austin for sending this one over.

Wisconsin-Illinois thoughts

Earlier today, the prospect of a 10-point win over Illinois would have inspired a shrug and a grin from me. After watching tonight's 70-60 win, I'm feeling a lot happier, the result of my rekindled contempt for the Illini.

Realistically, these guys have just north of zero talent, and were lucky to score 60 points. Can't stand Meacham or Brock, both weenies. Pruitt ran down the court screaming after every shot he made. Randle has been around too long, he reminds me too much of the painful loss to Illinois at the Kohl Center two years ago. That alley-oop at the end of the game (the reverse of Alando's "I'll remember that" dunk for Izzo). They'll do well to make the NIT this year.

This is probably the adrenaline of a win over a conference rival talking, but I'm happy with the win.

The thoughts:

-Good start, and while they got back into the game, we never let them take the lead, which was key. We have some nice momentum-changers this year - Leuer against Michigan, Butch against Iowa, Hughes tonight. Last year it was Alando and Kam, who were great at that, but this year we have more options.

-Thought the officiating in the first half was horrible.

-Butch for 3! Like I said, just keep jacking them up! ;) Another solid game scoring and rebounding in front of his biggest broadcasting fans, but make the front ends of those one-and-ones.

-What a great game for Pop. The 22 points were nice, and big for giving us breathing room, but I think he also had five assists and six steals, which were more impressive. It was important for him to have another 20-plus scoring night, so he remembers he can do it. Did think he took some bad shots, some shots too quickly, but he made a couple of them. Can't wait to see him get even better over the next 2-1/2 years.

-The crowd seemed fairly restrained during some pivotal moments, maybe a sign of how Illinois is now perceived - a rival, but a team we should definitely beat.

-As much as I don't have time for most of that team, I love Chester Frazier, he's all guts. The time he dove into the crowd for the loose ball, I almost wanted to applaud. Not much on offense, but a nice defender and character guy.

-Flowers has to stop getting into foul trouble, we don't have enough guys who can check scoring guards. Trent Meacham and Calvin Brock shouldn't combine for 28 points against the St. Frances Cabrini seventh graders, let alone a top defensive squad like ours.

-Early on I wrote down "great rebounding," then crossed it off emphatically as Illinois did a job on us on the offensive glass. Credit their effort.

-Came in on the conversation late, but I believe Brent Musberger and Steve Lavin were talking about Erin Andrews when Musberger said something to the effect of "When she goes to meet Hugh Hefner, I want to go with her." Yeah, me too Brent! Should be cause for some awkwardness among co-workers. Or did I hear that wrong?

Update: Check out the exchange on YouTube.



-Speaking of the announcing team, I started a drinking game where every time Musberger or Lavin commented on Illinois's newfound "bounce" or "step" or "wind in their sails," and I am totally hammered now.

-Did you see St. Louis scored 20 points tonight? And Brad Soderberg isn't even their coach any more!

-Lastly, kudos to UWM for knocking off Valparaiso tonight. Apparently Rob Jeter's formula for success is to kick your leading returning scorer off the team, same for this year's leading scorer, wave goodbye to a starting guard, and leave your top two freshman in street clothes. I don't get how it's working, but the Panthers are winning now, which is terrific, wish them nothing but the best.

Chryst not headed to Purdue

The State Journal is reporting that Paul Chryst has withdrawn his name from consideration for the Purdue job, as many insiders have speculated. Is it because he doesn't like recruiting? Was there not a spot on the Purdue staff for him to bide his time as Tiller-successor-in-waiting?

Don't know, don't care. I'm just glad that after a week of turmoil that some semblance of stability has returned to the program. To recap:

-Bob Palcic left for UCLA. Not altogether surprising or disturbing - he wanted to work with Rick Neuheisel, a close friend. This kind of thing happens in coaching. I'm confident we'll find a solid replacement.

-Bret Bielema fired co-defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz. This was a little surprising and a little disturbing. Is BB throwing Hank under the bus for an underachieving defense? Remember, in 2005 BB followed up a super defense by coordinating the worst unit in team history, and it's unlikely he would toss the coordinator after one subpar year. That would indicate lack of a conscience. My guess, based on pure speculation, is that it was a personality clash issue. When Palcic and Hankwitz were named as part of Bielema's first staff, it surprised me, but his attempt to balance youth and experience seemed sound. As has been pointed out, maybe he's now looking for climbers and not lifers for assistants. Let's hope Dave Doeren is up for the defensive coordinator by himself.

-Even though many things pointed toward it, I actually didn't think Ike would leave for the NFL just yet. My hunch was that he would be left feeling unsatisfied after his inconsistent season. But you know what? He's got to look out for his best interests, and if he's a top three round projection, that money can set him up for life. Obviously very concerned about the cornerback position without him, with Henry and Langford coming off knee injuries. We'll really need a better pass rush next year to give these guys some help.

-Let's not forget about the loss of Wes Kemp to Missouri. Probably not a bad move for him, staying close to home and playing for a pass-happy program that's riding high right now. Yes, we have some nice receivers right now, but not enough that we can just lose talented 6-4 guys without having a replacement. On paper, this is shaping up to be a mediocre recruiting class, which we all know means nothing, but I'd rather have a ton of four- and five-star guys.

My friends and I engaged in a nice back-and-forth yesterday about what all this means, and they made some good points. Here's the one that was the most interesting: what if our record gets worse the next two years? As my buddy pointed out, it's entirely possible, with the recent defections and a difficult schedule, to project 12-1 and 9-4 continuing on to 7-6 and 5-7 after graduation guts the 2008 team.

Look at next year's schedule. The game at Fresno State seems like a trap. We open the Big Ten season at Michigan, home against Ohio State and Penn State, at Iowa, and home against Illinois. That's a rocky road, folks.

If that happens, then what? It's not like the start of Barry Alvarez's tenure, when the program was in shambles and he slowly built from 1-10 to 5-6 and 5-6 before busting through. There aren't many places for Bielema to go but down after starting 12-1. How patient will Barry be if that downward swing dips below .500?

My thought on that was that just about every Big Ten program not named Ohio State and Michigan goes through something like this from time to time. Ours did in 1995 and 2001. In both cases we rebounded and built toward another pinnacle. How will we handle adversity when it inevitably comes?

The nice thing is, there's still a lot to like about this team heading into 2008, and the season may end up being special, like a 1998 or 2006. The last eight days have kind of made it hard to feel that way.