There have been a great deal of changes involving Wisconsin Badgers coaches over the past month. After Luke Fickell was hired as the program’s new head coach, there were a great deal of new coaches hired while others have accepted jobs elsewhere. Most notably, Jim Leonhard decided not to return to the program following the 2022 season. Additionally, outside linebackers coach Bobby April III accepted the defensive coordinator position at Stanford. Two other Wisconsin Badgers coaches who were not going to be retained by Coach Fickell are now reportedly following April to Stanford to serve on his defensive staff.
Related: Jim Leonhard Has Interesting Connections to Several Current and Former Packers Coaches
Badgers Coaches Ross Kolodziej and Mark D’Onofrio Head West
Stanford University, like Wisconsin, is going through some drastic coaching changes. Troy Taylor was recently hired as head coach to replace David Shaw (who had coached Stanford for the past 12 seasons). Taylor hired Bobby April III as his defensive coordinator, and now has added two more former Badgers coaches to his staff.
Ross Kolodziej
The first former Badgers coach that Stanford announced as a new hire was Ross Kolodziej.
Welcome to The Farm, @CoachKolodziej and family! @TroyTaylorStanU announced our new defensive line coach this morning!#GoStanford https://t.co/d7mA0DAjQN
— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) December 29, 2022
Kolodziej will be the defensive line coach for Stanford, the same position which he held for the last two seasons at Wisconsin. Prior to coaching the defensive line, Kolodziej was the program’s strength and conditioning coach. In a statement, Kolodziej said:
“When I spoke with Coach Taylor, I was impressed with his mindset and approach, how much he cares about the players, staff, and families, and how genuine he is. I’m also excited to continue having the opportunity to coach alongside Coach April. I’ve learned a lot from him and look forward to that continuing. This profession is all about the people you work with and for, and when you have great people who are focused on a common objective, you can achieve great things.
“I also need to thank everyone at Wisconsin, including Coach Chryst, Coach Leonhard and all of the student-athletes I’ve had the opportunity to coach. UW will always hold a special place in our hearts, but me and my family are excited for this next chapter at Stanford!”
Prior to coaching at Wisconsin, Kolodziej was a starter for the team in the late 90s and early 2000s. He enjoyed a seven-year NFL career during which he played for New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, and Minnesota Vikings.
Mark D’Onofrio
The second former Badgers coach that Stanford hired on Thursday was inside linebackers coach Mark D’Onofrio:
Welcome to The Farm, @CoachDOnofrio and family! @TroyTaylorStanU announced veteran collegiate defensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio as our inside linebackers coach today!#GoStanford https://t.co/LBfw7IbsrI
— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) December 29, 2022
A former second round draft pick of the Green Bay Packers, Mark D’Onofrio coached inside linebackers for the Wisconsin Badgers this year after Bill Sheridan resigned. Prior to joining the Badgers coaching staff, D’Onofrio had not coached for three years. He previously had been the defensive coordinator at Temple, Miami, and Houston.
In his statement, D’Onofrio thanked former Wisconsin Badgers coaches Paul Chryst and Jim Leonhard, and also had some flattering praise for the 2022 Badgers defense:
“I’m excited and truly grateful to join Coach Taylor’s staff at Stanford and work alongside Coach April and the tremendous staff that is being put together. The student-athletes at Stanford are special and I know they will love playing in the scheme and system that Coach April and our defensive staff will implement. My family and I look forward to this next chapter on The Farm!
“I also want to give a special thanks to everyone at Wisconsin, led by Coach Chryst and Jim Leonhard. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to coach the 2022 Inside Linebacker group! Every coach should have the opportunity to work with young men like you and I am thankful to have had the privilege to coach this special group.”
Along with Bobby April, both coaches helped guide the Wisconsin Badgers to victory in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl Game earlier this week. The Wisconsin Badgers football website does not have any updates on who will be taking their roles on Fickell’s staff.
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