Report: Wisconsin basketball makes final call on Greg Gard's future

The Badgers fanbase is split on Greg Gard.

Ever since the Wisconsin Badgers basketball team's disheartening first-round exit against James Madison in the NCAA Tournament, there has been nonstop discourse surrounding whether or not Greg Gard should keep his job.

However, Jim Polzin of BadgerExtra reported that athletic director Chris McIntosh gave Gard a vote of confidence and announced that he would continue to lead the program next season.

"I think Greg puts us in the best position to be successful into the future," McIntosh said. "I think Greg has a great understanding of what's needed in the continued evaluation of our program to get there. It's a program that's been evolving with the times that we live in, and I'm excited about some of the things that he and I talked about for the future and the evolution of our program."

Greg Gard Returning as Wisconsin’s Head Coach

Here's the harsh reality: the Wisconsin men's basketball team fell flat against James Madison in a one-and-done style matchup and failed to make the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the seventh straight season. 

That's tough to accept when considering how many bites at the apple the Badgers have had — and it's a valid excuse for frustration. But let's not make this into something it isn't. 

I won't ever tell someone how to fan because it's all a matter of opinion. Still, I struggle with people who use tournament success as their only argument for why Wisconsin should move on from Gard while ignoring any meaningful context that doesn't fit their narrative. 

Maybe I'm in the minority, and it's okay if I am, but I believe that the NCAA Tournament is often overvalued as the sole measure of a successful season. Unless your team's in the running for a national title, it seems shortsighted to evaluate an entire season based on March performance alone while dismissing four months' worth of data.

"Everyone understands what the expectation is at Wisconsin: It's championship-level basketball," McIntosh said. "That's what we're striving for, and that's what we're working toward.

"That's the goal, but you're not invited to play in those six games unless you do well in the Big Ten regular season. You've got to make it through that season, and you have to position yourself coming out of the Big Ten regular season in a way that gives you the best chance in the tournament.

"You can help yourself by being highly competitive or striving for championships in the regular season, and it can put you in a better position going into the tournament. But the two aren't mutually exclusive."

The athletic director himself suggests that striving for success in the regular season and performing well in the tournament are not mutually exclusive. In other words, a team can pursue both goals simultaneously, and success in one aspect can complement success in the other. It's not an earth-shattering perspective—but a level-headed one that somehow leaves us divided.

Now, don't get me wrong. NCAA Tournament success does matter. It's a big deal. But sometimes, I feel like fans put too much emphasis on it. For those eager to make a change, I caution them not to take the Wisconsin basketball program's sustained success for granted. 

Thoughts on the Badgers Basketball Program 

Some vocal Wisconsin Badgers fans are advocating for a major overhaul due to the program's limited success in a postseason format that’s characterized by single-elimination, high variability, and considerable randomness. 

Call me crazy, but that way of thinking is lazy, narrow-minded, and isn't a sustainable way to run a college basketball program.

All it takes is one lousy matchup or an off night, and your tournament run is over. Take, for instance, the Wisconsin basketball team's loss to Iowa State in the Round of 32 a few years ago. Are we really suggesting that the Cyclones had a better season because they played one more game? Clinching a Sweet 16 berth shouldn't overshadow winning a Big Ten championship. 

Questioning whether or not Greg Gard is the man to lead the Wisconsin Badgers long-term is fair. But can we stop acting like the program is in shambles under Gard? He doesn't have to be your cup of tea, but to say he's not a good head coach is objectively wrong and without merit.

Under his leadership, Wisconsin has achieved the third-best record in the Big Ten during his tenure and holds the eighth-best winning percentage in conference play among all coaches over the last four decades. Gard has also clinched two conference titles, received the Big Ten Coach of the Year award twice, earned a Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award, and has a pair of Sweet 16s on his resume.

So, for those who criticize Gard for leading a 'mediocre' program, I recommend referring to the definition of that term in the Merriam-Webster dictionary: "of moderate or low quality, value, ability, or performance" because the definition itself contradicts those assertions.

Judging a program's condition based solely on a few isolated outcomes in the tournament overlooks the broader picture of sustained success. Just as criticism of Bo Ryan in the early 2010s proved premature before his subsequent Final Four appearances, the same applies here.

Despite the differing opinions amongst the Wisconsin fanbase, I firmly believe that two realities can coexist. Greg Gard is a damn good coach who shouldn't be dismissed, but it's valid to ponder whether he can push the Badgers to greater heights and want more. 

By now, I've accepted that my perspective won't sway anyone's opinion on this topic because it's become too toxic and polarizing within the Badgers community, but I needed to vent.

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