The Wisconsin Badgers have officially hired interim head coach Greg Gard to what is reported to be a five-year contract worth nearly $10 million. This deal will make Gard the 16th head coach in program history after Bo Ryan’s 15 years in charge.
After Bo Ryan abruptly retired in December after a win versus Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Greg Gard was thrust into the head coaching chair. Since then, the Badgers are 13-6 under Gard, an overall record of 20-11 and seem to be a lock for their 18th straight NCAA Tournament bid.
Greg Gard had been a long time assistant under Bo Ryan, going all the way back to Ryan’s days at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. He has been instrumental in game-planning under Bo, and also plays a key part in recruiting for the Badgers. Throughout the season you could see the improvement of the Badgers, including key freshman players Khalil Iverson, Jordan Hill, and newly named Big Ten Freshman of the Year Ethan Happ. Many pundits speculated that the Badgers should have removed the interim tag earlier, but due to state law, Wisconsin needed to post the job online and conduct three formal interviews before they can make an official hiring.
ICYMI, #Badgers name Greg Gard as the 16th head coach in program history. Learn more: https://t.co/IajEDEVKa8 pic.twitter.com/AjKFpAzw5d
— Wisconsin Badgers (@UWBadgers) March 8, 2016
It’s official: Greg Gard is the head coach of @BadgerMBB https://t.co/LkSrQHNBwM
— FOX Sports Wisconsin (@fswisconsin) March 8, 2016
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