The Wisconsin women’s basketball team needs a new coach, and the Badgers cannot afford to flop this time around.
The Wisconsin opening quickly became available this week after former coach Marisa Moseley resigned from her role as the security of her job continues to fade this season. Moseley now exits the program without ever bringing the Badgers to a better conference finish than tenth, and just one postseason appearance in the WNIT last season.
Wisconsin Women’s Basketball Coaching Search Underway Following Moseley Resignation
The Badgers are now back to square one after hiring Moseley to bring the program into a much better territory than where the program currently sits amidst the Big Ten Conference.
Wisconsin quickly designated Margaret McKeon as the interim head coach with the looming postseason selections and a possibility of the Badgers extending the season.
After that, however, there could also be serious roster changes as the Wisconsin women’s basketball program will usher in a brand-new chapter, moving on from the four-year tenure of Moseley. With a coaching search under way for the Wisconsin Badgers, there is already a handful of candidates that stick out in terms of what the program is truly looking for moving forward.
Wisconsin Basketball Candidate #1: Carrie Moore, Harvard Head Coach
Wisconsin is looking for a coach that came enter into the program and immediately win games, and a perfect candidate to achieve this would be Harvard Crimson coach Carrie Moore.
Moore started off as an assistant coach for Creighton before really making a name for herself as an assistant coach for Michigan. The coach previously spent time as a recruiting coordinator, developing an excellent background when it comes down to motivating players and finding the right system fits.
Moore won 20 games during her first season as the Harvard head coach last season, driving the team to a WNIT Great Eight run. In two full season as the coach, Moore has compiled a record of 36-24 with a conference record of 18-10, finishing top three in the Ivy League in each season. Currently, Moore is coaching the best she has to date, with a record of 22-4 and wins over Indiana, Northwestern, and Boston College outside of the Ivy League.
Moore could be the top candidate that is currently at the Division I level for the Wisconsin Badgers due to the location of the school. Moore is originally from Michigan and played for Western Michigan during her collegiate career as well serving as an assistant coach for the Michigan Wolverines.
Moore was previously offered a job promotion she could not refuse which led to her exit, but that does not necessarily mean the coach wanted to move miles away from home.
Wisconsin Basketball Candidate #2: Aaron Roussell, Richmond Head Coach
Another aspect in the next coach the Wisconsin Badgers are looking for is a certain level of experience and success, which current Richmond coach Aaron Roussell would offer the program.
Roussell has been a head coach at the collegiate level for the last 20 season, amassing a record of 137-63 in conference games, with 90 of those wins occurring in the Patriot League. The talented coach successfully turned Bucknell into a winning machine for a four-year span during his seven-year tenure with the program. Roussell earned conference coach of the year honors twice during his time with Bucknell, and has since brought Richmond into a similar category after the program hit a rough stretch.
The coach not only earned the first conference crown since 1991, but also coached program legend Addie Budnik to the first ever A-10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors in program history. Roussell finds ways to win games and has produced some serious collegiate talent along the way as well.
Luring Roussell away from Richmond would be rather difficult for the Wisconsin Badgers to accomplish, however, as the coach has fought to put resources into the program. Walking away from Richmond at this point in time seems very unlikely for the coach unless an exceptional offer or promises to invest in the program have been made.
Wisconsin Basketball Candidate #3: Brad Fischer, UW-Oshkosh Head Coach (D-III)
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Another candidate that the Wisconsin Badgers may lean towards currently coaches within the state at UW-Oshkosh as Brad Fischer is someone who could fill the void in Madison.
Fischer is a well respected coach who has collected at least 20 wins in each of his 11 full season with the program, making the Division III Championship in nine of the past ten tournaments. Fischer might not have the same high-level track record the other candidates have, but what Fischer does have is an incredible ability to evaluate talent and get players to absorb what he is coaching.
The coach was responsible for recruiting Mackenzie Hunter at UW-La Crosse, who went on to become the second-leading scorer in program history. Fischer spent five seasons as the recruiting coordinator for the UW-Parkside, compiling a winning record each season and overseeing the Rangers entering the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll for the first time.
The reality of the coaching search is that Fischer is likely the candidate that Wisconsin can secure for the coaching vacancy due to his background as a recruiter and coach. Fischer has worked in the lower collegiate levels his entire career and has long dealt with shoestring budgets yet still found great amounts of success along the way. The coach is an excellent talent evaluator and knows how to land great players without having to break the bank or make outrageous playing time promises along the way.
Fischer is very much a “buy in” type of coach who can squeeze the most out of every player on the roster, and that style of coaching will not require the Wisconsin Badgers to spend more money than the administration has committed to spending.
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