It was about seven years ago to the day that legendary Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan abruptly announced his retirement. Ryan went 364-130 in his time at Wisconsin and lead the Badgers to many Final Four appearances. He announced his retirement midseason and Greg Gard took over. This was a rough situation for Gard to be put in. He followed a legendary coach and took over midseason. However, Greg Gard has handled it better than anyone and is already making Badgers history.
Seven years ago today, Greg Gard became interim coach of Wisconsin basketball after Bo Ryan's abrupt retirement. Tonight, he improved to 153-80 (.657) – the third-best winning percentage in #Badgers history.
— Benjamin Worgull (@TheBadgerNation) December 16, 2022
Greg Gard Is Already Making Badgers History
Since he took over, Gard has a record of 153-80 as the head coach of the Badgers. That is a .657 winning percentage. This puts him third in Badgers history. Not many people talk about his winning percentage because of who he followed. Bo Ryan had a .737 winning percentage at Wisconsin which is way higher than Gard. However, Ryan is a legendary coach. Gard is still an above-average coach with an above-average winning percentage.
This Season Is Off To A Great Start
This season, Gard is continuing his winning ways. With a win versus Lehigh last night, the Badgers move to 9-2 on the season and are winners of four straight. The defense has been elite, especially on the road and players are starting to find their offensive groove. Gard is pushing all of the right buttons and is putting his team in positions to win. With how many close games the Badgers have played, it is a credit to Gard’s coaching that he has his players ready to execute in the late game.
Greg Gard is already making Badgers history. For the Badgers to find another great head coach is huge for the program. Wisconsin looks to make some noise in the Big Ten this year and is already looking like a force to be reckoned with this season.
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