The Wisconsin Badgers have struggled at times under Greg Gard this season, but even still, Wisconsin basketball remains one of the better programs in the country. Recently, USA Today ranked the top head coaches in NCAA Basketball in terms of their school’s financial commitment. The Wisconsin Head Coach found himself among the top 25 coaches in the country.
The Wisconsin Badgers Under Greg Gard
This season has been a rollercoaster for Wisconsin Basketball, with Greg Gard catching much of the heat from analysts and fans alike. Some were even at the point where they wanted Gard fired for the poor stretch of basketball that ended their season.
The Wisconsin Badgers were once ranked sixth in the nation this season but have since dropped out of the rankings entirely due to a poor run toward the end of the season.
However, there has been some shift in the landscape with the team’s tenacity once the Big Ten Tournament started and the lights shined a little brighter.
The first shift came with the absolute drubbing of Maryland in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. The team followed that up with a gutsy win over Northwestern. The team learned shortly before tipoff that Chucky Hepburn wouldn’t be available.
Running on a short turnaround, Chucky Hepburn returned, and Tyler Wahl was unaffected by a collision from the Northwestern game. They pulled out all the stops to defeat the No. 1 seed in Purdue 76-75, and Greg Gard seems to have steered the ship in the right direction and pulled all the right levers along the way.
Unfortunately, they could not take down Illinois, as they lost 93-87 in a hard-fought game, but are still poised to make some noise.
They’re looking for a potential Sweet 16 appearance in the March Madness NCAA Tournament, their first since the 2016-17 season. If the Wisconsin Badgers can return from the struggles that plagued them in the season, this could further solidify Gard’s standing and quell some recent criticism, spotlighting the cyclical nature of success and scrutiny in college basketball. It will also go a long way in Greg Gard returning next season.
Where Does Greg Gard’s Salary Rank?
Greg Gard is ranked 22nd nationally in terms of compensation, which includes a salary of $3,765,875 and a substantial buyout clause of $12,000,000. These figures underline his importance to the Wisconsin program and place him in the upper echelon of college basketball coaches. He sits just below Andy Enfield of USC and just above Juwan Howard of Michigan.
Despite the recent ups and downs, Gard’s overall record of 183-105 speaks to a tenure marked by significant achievements and the ability to guide his team through the turbulent waters of college basketball.
The Full Top 25:
- 1. Bill Self of Kansas
2. John Calipari of Kentucky
3. Tom Izzo of Michigan State - 4. Bruce Pearl of Auburn
- 5. Rick Barnes of Tennessee
- 6. Scott Drew of Baylor
- 7. Dan Hurley of UConn
- 8. Brad Underwood of Illinois
- 9. Kelvin Sampson of Houston
- 10. Nate Oats of Alabama
- 11. Buzz Williams of Texas A&M
- 12. Eric Musselman of Arkansas
- 13. Mike Woodson of Indiana
- 14. Mick Cronin of UCLA
- 15. Tommy Lloyd of Arizona
- 16. Tony Bennett of Virginia
- 17. Dennis Gates of Missouri
- 18. Dana Altman of Oregon
- 19. Kevin Willard of Maryland
- 20. Jamie Dixon of TCU
- 21. Andy Enfield of USC
- 22. Greg Gard of Wisconsin
- 23. Juwan Howard of Michigan
- 24. Matt Painter of Purdue
- 25. Jeff Capel of Pittsburgh
