A History of Wisconsin Badgers Football Coaches

The Wisconsin Badgers football team represents the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Big Ten Conference, as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. Since the team's inception in 1889, the program has seen 30 head coaches and 3 interim head coaches. This article delves into the history of these coaches, their tenures, accomplishments, and the impact they had on the program.

Early Years and Program Development

In its early years as a varsity program, the Wisconsin team operated under formalized oversight, evolving from student-led endeavors to structured head coaching roles starting in 1892. The early coaches played a crucial role in shaping the program's identity and establishing it as a competitive force in intercollegiate football.

Frank Crawford (1892)

Frank Crawford coached for a single season in 1892, contributing to the early development phase of the program. His record was 4 wins, 3 losses, and 0 ties, resulting in a .571 winning percentage.

Parke H. Davis (1893)

Parke H. Davis also had a brief tenure, coaching for one season in 1893. His record was 4 wins, 2 losses, and 0 ties, giving him a .667 winning percentage. His short tenure occurred during the Western Conference formation era.

Hiram O. Stickney (1894-1895)

Hiram O. Stickney coached for two seasons, from 1894 to 1895, achieving a record of 10 wins, 4 losses, and 1 tie. This resulted in a .700 winning percentage. He resigned to focus on academic duties.

Philip King (1896-1902, 1905)

Philip King is a significant figure in the early history of Wisconsin football. He coached for eight seasons across two stints (1896-1902 and 1905), achieving a record of 65 wins, 11 losses, and 1 tie. His .851 winning percentage is the highest in program history for coaches with at least 10 games. King was hired from Stanford and led the team to early successes, including conference titles.

Arthur Curtis (1903-1904)

Arthur Curtis coached for two seasons, from 1903 to 1904, with a record of 11 wins, 6 losses, and 1 tie, resulting in a .639 winning percentage. He was appointed after King's initial departure and resigned for health reasons.

Charles P. Hutchins (1906-1907)

Charles P. Hutchins coached for two seasons, from 1906 to 1907, achieving a record of 8 wins, 1 loss, and 1 tie. His .850 winning percentage is among the highest in program history. He was hired from Michigan but departed for a head coaching role at Navy.

Tom Barry (1908-1910)

Tom Barry coached for three seasons, from 1908 to 1910, with a record of 9 wins, 4 losses, and 3 ties, resulting in a .656 winning percentage. He resigned amid administrative changes.

John R. Richards (1911, 1917, 1919-1922)

John R. Richards had multiple non-consecutive stints as head coach, coaching in 1911, 1917, and from 1919 to 1922, for a total of six seasons. His record was 29 wins, 9 losses, and 4 ties, giving him a .738 winning percentage. His multiple stints were due to World War I interruptions, and he focused on player development.

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William Juneau (1912-1915)

William Juneau coached for four seasons, from 1912 to 1915, with a record of 18 wins, 8 losses, and 2 ties, resulting in a .679 winning percentage. He resigned after a scandal involving player eligibility.

Paul Withington (1916)

Paul Withington had an interim-like role during wartime in 1916, coaching for one season with a record of 4 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie, resulting in a .643 winning percentage. His military service ended his tenure.

Guy Lowman (1918)

Guy Lowman had a wartime appointment in 1918, coaching for one season with a record of 3 wins, 3 losses, and 0 ties, resulting in a .500 winning percentage. He later became the athletic director.

John J. Ryan (1923-1924)

After coaching at Marquette from 1917-21 and a brief stint at Dartmouth, John J. Ryan took the job at UW. After two years with the Badgers, he became an assistant at Northwestern. He later served on the Milwaukee School Board from 1940 until his death in 1950. His record at Wisconsin was 5-6-4.

George Little (1925-1926)

George Little came from Michigan and served as both the UW athletic director and football coach. After two successful seasons, he stepped down to focus on athletic director responsibilities but was later pushed out in 1931. During his time as coach, his record was 11-3-2.

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Glenn Thistlethwaite (1927-1931)

Glenn Thistlethwaite, arriving from Northwestern, spent five years at Wisconsin, achieving three winning seasons and one .500 year. His best team went 7-1-1 in 1928. He resigned after the 1931 season. His record at Wisconsin was 26-16-3.

Clarence Spears (1932-1935)

Clarence Spears, hired from Oregon, previously coached at Minnesota. He had one winning season in 1932 when his team went 6-1-1. He clashed with athletic director Walter Meanwell, and both departed after the 1935 season. Spears then became athletic director and coach at Toledo. His record at Wisconsin was 13-17-2.

Harry Stuhldreher (1936-1948)

Harry Stuhldreher, one of the "Four Horsemen" at Notre Dame, became Wisconsin's athletic director and head coach at age 35. He remained AD until 1950. His best season was in 1942, when the Badgers went 8-1-1 and reached No. 3 in the Associated Press ranking. His overall record at Wisconsin was 45-62-6.

Post-War Era

Ivy Williamson (1949-1955)

Coming from Lafayette College, Ivy Williamson led the 1952 team with Alan Ameche to the Rose Bowl. He led the Badgers to their first Big Ten title since the WWI era. He became the athletic director for 13 years at the school. His record at Wisconsin was 41-19-4.

Milt Bruhn (1956-1966)

Milt Bruhn was at the helm for two conference titles and appearances in two Rose Bowls. He recruited in-state stars Pat Richter and Ron VanderKelen, who helped turn the program into a national power. He implemented many of Vince Lombardi's tactics. His record at Wisconsin was 52-45-6.

John Coatta (1967-1969)

The former Badgers quarterback had more success as a player than a coach. His teams went 0-19-1 his first two years before registering three wins in 1969. His record at Wisconsin was 3-26-1.

John Jardine (1970-1977)

A former UCLA assistant coach, John Jardine was offered the Badgers job as his first head-coaching gig at age 34. His best year came with the 7-4 Badgers in 1974. He brought competitiveness back to the program. His record at Wisconsin was 37-47-3.

Dave McClain (1978-1985)

The former Ball State head coach oversaw a landmark moment in program history when the Badgers won their first bowl game in the 1982 Independence Bowl. His teams recorded winning seasons in five of eight years. His record at Wisconsin was 46-42-3.

Jim Hilles (1986)

Jim Hilles was technically the interim coach for a full year, replacing Dave McClain. Hilles was given the challenging task of replacing Dave McClain, who died suddenly after a heart attack. His record at Wisconsin was 3-9.

Don Morton (1987-1989)

Don Morton is often associated with the depths to which the program had drifted. He tried to implement a veer offense absent players who fit the scheme. His record at Wisconsin was 6-27.

The Alvarez Era and Modern Success

Barry Alvarez (1990-2005)

Barry Alvarez is by far the winningest coach in program history and is considered the "GOAT" by many Badger fans. He transformed a struggling program into a powerhouse, leading them to three Rose Bowl titles in 1993, 1998 and 1999. Alvarez injected swagger, discipline, and grit into the DNA of the program. He went 119-73-4 with a sterling 9-4 bowl record.

Bret Bielema (2006-2012)

As the hand-picked successor to Barry Alvarez, Bret Bielema won three Big Ten titles. Although his bowl record was subpar, his 68-24 record ranks #2 all time in Badger winning percentage.

Gary Andersen (2013-2014)

Hired after a successful run as head coach at Utah State, Andersen led the Badgers to a divisional title in 2014 but abruptly departed the program for Oregon State after the 2014 regular season. He was reportedly frustrated with the high admissions thresholds for student-athletes. His record at Wisconsin was 19-7.

Paul Chryst (2015-2022)

The Wisconsin native and university graduate had previously been the school's successful offensive coordinator and was hired away from Pittsburgh, where he was head coach. He enjoyed a stellar bowl game record, with a win in the Orange Bowl and narrow loss in the Rose Bowl counting as the only blemish on his 6-1 record in postseason games. He was fired after UW started 2-3 in the 2022 season. His record at Wisconsin was 67-26.

Jim Leonhard (2022)

Appointed on an interim basis after Wisconsin fired head coach Paul Chryst, the former Badgers star safety was widely seen as the favorite to land the full-time job before it went to Luke Fickell instead. Hailing from Tony, Wisconsin, Leonhard became a classic underdog story.

Luke Fickell (2023-Present)

Luke Fickell was named head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers football team. He is the current head coach and his tenure is yet to be fully assessed.

Conference Championships and National Recognition

The Wisconsin Badgers football program has secured 14 Big Ten Conference championships since joining the league in 1896, comprising seven outright titles and seven shared crowns. Early dominance came under Philip King, who coached the team to an outright title in 1897 and shared championships in 1896 and 1901. Despite these conference accomplishments, the Badgers have not won an official national championship in the modern era. However, a retroactive claim by the Helms Athletic Foundation has recognized the 1942 team for a national title.

Winningest Coaches and Program Milestones

Barry Alvarez holds the record as the winningest head coach in Wisconsin Badgers football history with 119 victories during his tenure from 1990 to 2005. His leadership transformed the program, establishing a foundation of consistent success that elevated the Badgers within the Big Ten Conference.

Philip King boasts the highest winning percentage among coaches with at least 10 games, achieving .851 over 77 games from 1896 to 1905 with a 65-11-1 record. King's era marked an early pinnacle for the program, introducing disciplined strategies that contributed to multiple undefeated seasons and laid groundwork for Wisconsin's competitive identity in intercollegiate football.

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