Badgers Retaining Staff Member as Offensive Analyst
The former Badgers star will be back on staff next season.
Wisconsin basketball head coach Greg Gard made it clear that the unexpected decision to move on from longtime assistant Dean Oliver and shake up his staff was his choice.
"It was my decision to make a change on the staff and move forward," Gard stated. "Coach Oliver did a good job for us, but I have to continue to move forward and push this thing forward. We're not gonna stay in maintenance mode. We're going to keep getting better and push it."
Many, myself included, thought that Oliver's logical replacement was already in-house. Badgers legend Kirk Penney spent last season as the Special Assistant to the Head Coach. However, Gard noted that Wisconsin basketball is seeking somebody else to fill Oliver's spot, stressing the importance of off-campus recruiting.
Further, Gard mentioned that Penney wouldn't be going anywhere and would transition to a full-time analyst role. Essentially, Penney will be the Wisconsin basketball offensive coordinator.