Wisconsin football hiring Robert Steeples as its cornerbacks coach
Wisconsin football announces the addition of Robert Steeples as its new cornerbacks coach, moving Paul Haynes to oversee the secondary.
The Wisconsin football program continues to make adjustments on the coaching staff, this time focusing on the back end of the defense.
Luke Fickell and the program announced the addition of Robert Steeples as Wisconsin’s next cornerbacks coach in a move that also shifts Paul Haynes into an expanded role overseeing the Badgers’ entire secondary. The shakeup reflects a concerted effort to improve a unit that has shown flashes but lacked consistency, particularly in high-leverage moments.
“Bringing Robert Steeples to Wisconsin is a great addition to our coaching staff,” Fickell said. “He has seen the game at every level. Playing professionally, coaching at the high school and collegiate level. Our players will love working with him, and we’re excited to get him here.”
The configuration of the move matters. Rather than replacing Haynes altogether, Wisconsin is expanding the scope of responsibility within the secondary, a change made possible by NCAA changes that removed limits on the number of on-field coaches programs can employ.
Haynes, who has coached the cornerbacks since 2023, will now oversee the entire defensive backfield, while Steeples takes charge of the cornerback room.
“With the addition, we will be moving Paul Haynes to a role that will allow him to work with our entire secondary to strengthen our unit,” Fickell said.
Steeples has a resume that includes experience at nearly every level. Most recently, he spent two seasons as a senior offensive analyst for the Iowa State Cyclones, working primarily with the receivers. That role gave him daily exposure to receiver development, route structures, and offensive tendencies. Before that, Steeples coached cornerbacks for LSU, helping develop a pair of NFL Draft picks and working within a defensive system that demanded both versatility and discipline from its corners.
For Steeples, Wisconsin represents a fit rooted in identity.
“Wisconsin’s commitment to excellence and rugged style of play gives me the opportunity to work with the type of student-athletes that can benefit most from my style of coaching,” Steeples said in a press release. “The defensive structure and culture that Coach Fickell and Coach Tressel have implemented complements the guys on the island – the corners.
“The defensive staff is full of experience, great leaders, but most importantly, great human beings, which makes for a fantastic environment for growth. I’m excited to get into the trenches and do my part.”
That background is part of the appeal. Steeples played collegiately at both Missouri and Memphis, spent time in the NFL with the St. Louis Rams, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs, and Dallas Cowboys, coached high school football as a head coach, and later worked inside an NFL building with the Vikings as an assistant special teams coach.
Few assistants on Wisconsin’s staff bring that breadth of perspective.
The timing is notable, too, with Wisconsin set to overhaul the cornerback room this offseason as many of its experienced players exhausted their eligibility, forcing the Badgers’ staff to be aggressive in the transfer portal to replace defensive snaps and find some dependability on the outside.
“As a coach, I fall back on my experiences in the shoes of players and under that helmet,” Steeples said. “I try to be a source of poise and confidence for those I work with, and a communicator on a level that is processable by all and will make sure that my competitive passion for the cornerback position is infectious and challenges my players’ intensity — because being on that island as a defensive back is a lifestyle.”
For Wisconsin, the hire of Steeples signals a renewed emphasis on tightening coverage, improving communication, and clarifying roles in the secondary. It’s not a splashy move, but it’s a smart one. And for a defense looking to clean up the details on the back end, that intention matters.
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