Wisconsin football RBs coach Devon Spalding leaving for Michigan State
Wisconsin football will need to replace running backs coach Devon Spalding, who is leaving the Badgers to join Michigan State’s staff.
The University of Wisconsin football program will need to find a new running backs coach.
Devon Spalding, who has held the position for the past three seasons, is leaving to take the same role at Michigan State under new head coach Pat Fitzgerald. The move, reported by Pete Nakos, among others, marks another staff shakeup in the Big Ten coaching landscape as Fitzgerald assembles his staff in East Lansing following his hiring this offseason.
Spalding’s career trajectory has been on a steady climb through the ranks of college football. A native of Westland, Michigan, he played at Central Michigan University from 2014 to 2018. Initially a running back, he transitioned to wide receiver in his final season with the Chippewas. His versatility on the field laid the groundwork for his coaching aspirations.
After graduating, Spalding entered the coaching profession at Youngstown State in 2020 as running backs coach under Doug Phillips. There, he played a key role in developing standout talent like Jaleel McLaughlin, who went on to sign with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent and has since emerged as a productive NFL back.
Spalding’s success at the FCS level caught the eye of Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell, who hired him in 2023 to join the Badgers’ staff.
At Wisconsin, the high-end rushing production you’d expect from a program with a long, run-heavy identity never fully materialized. He worked closely with NFL-bound Braelon Allen during the 2023 season, helping the tailback eclipse 984 rushing yards before Allen declared for the draft.
Spalding also led veterans like Chez Mellusi, who battled injuries but showed flashes of explosiveness, and transfer Tawee Walker, who proved to be a reliable back in 2024 with 864 yards on the ground.
It’s also worth zooming out and looking at the broader trend in the Badgers’ run game under Spalding. The last three seasons fell short of expectations. Since he took over as running backs coach, Wisconsin’s rushing output has steadily declined year over year, both in raw production and efficiency.
Carries have dropped from 454 in 2023 to 422 in 2024 and 423 in 2025, while total rushing yards fell from 2,095 to 1,844 and then down to 1,400 this past season. Just as notable is the dip in yards per carry, sliding from 4.6 to 4.4 and then down to 3.3 in 2025.
Context matters, of course. Offensive line instability, injuries, and schematic changes all play a role. But when the volume stays relatively consistent and the efficiency craters, it raises fair questions about execution, player development, and how much stress the run game is actually putting on defenses. For a football program historically built on physicality and running the ball, those numbers underscore why the run game hasn’t been able to carry the offense the way it once did, and why improvement there remains a major point of emphasis moving forward.
Beyond day-to-day coaching, Spalding proved to be a solid recruiter. He played a big role in landing Wisconsin’s 2024 three-man running back class, headlined by four-star prospect Dilin Jones from, along with three-stars Darrion Dupree and Gideon Ituka. The trio brought a mix of speed, power, and vision, with all three seeing action during the 2025 season.
Spalding’s departure comes at a pivotal time for the Badgers, who finished the 2025 season 4-8 and are set to lose most of their key offensive contributors. Fickell and his staff will now turn their attention to filling the vacancy, hoping to hire a coach who can help bring the room back to the high-end ground production this program is accustomed to.
In an offseason that will be defined by evaluation and course correction, the running backs position now joins the list of areas under review.
Wisconsin’s identity has long been tied to its ability to run the football, and recent seasons have made clear how difficult life becomes when that foundation slips. As Fickell continues reshaping the roster and coaching staff, the next hire at running backs coach will be less about continuity and more about reclaiming a standard that once set the program apart.
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