List of Wisconsin Badgers head football coaches
The Wisconsin Badgers college football team represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the Big Ten Conference (Big 10), as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The program has had 30 head coaches, and 3 interim head coaches, since it began play during the 1889 season. Since November 2022, Luke Fickell has served as Wisconsin's head coach.[1] As of the end of the 2023 season, Wisconsin has an all-time record of 742 wins, 518, losses, and 53 ties (.585 all-time winning percentage).[2]
Eight coaches have led Wisconsin in postseason bowl games: Ivy Williamson, Milt Bruhn, Dave McClain, Barry Alvarez, Bret Bielema, Gary Andersen, Paul Chryst, and Fickell. Seven of those coaches also won conference championships: Philip King captured three, and Charles P. Hutchins and William Juneau each one, as a member of the Western Conference; Williamson captured one, Bruhn two, and both Alvarez and Bielema three as a member of the Big 10.
Alvarez is the leader in seasons coached, with 16 years as head coach and games coached (195) and won (119). King has the highest winning percentage at 0.853. Alvin Kletsch has the lowest winning percentage of those who have coached more than one game, with 0.000. Of the 33 different head coaches who have led the Badgers, King, George Little, Clarence Spears, Harry Stuhldreher, and Alvarez have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Key
[edit]| General | Overall | Conference | Postseason[A 1] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Order of coaches[A 2] | GC | Games coached | CW | Conference wins | PW | Postseason wins |
| DC | Division championships | OW | Overall wins | CL | Conference losses | PL | Postseason losses |
| CC | Conference championships | OL | Overall losses | CT | Conference ties | PT | Postseason ties |
| NC | National championships | OT | Overall ties[A 3] | C% | Conference winning percentage | ||
| † | Elected to the College Football Hall of Fame | O% | Overall winning percentage[A 4] | ||||
Coaches
[edit]| No. | Name | Season(s) | GC | OW | OL | OT | O% | CW | CL | CT | C% | PW | PL | PT | DCs | CCs | NCs | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alvin Kletsch | 1889 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 2 | Ted Mestre | 1890 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0.250 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 3 | Herb Alward | 1891 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0.700 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 4 | Frank Crawford | 1892 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0.571 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.500 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 5 | Parke H. Davis | 1893 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0.667 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.500 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 6 | Hiland Orlando Stickney | 1894–1895 | 15 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0.700 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
| 7 | Philip King† | 1896–1902 1905 |
78 | 66 | 11 | 1 | 0.853 | 17 | 8 | 1 | 0.673 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | — |
| 8 | Arthur Hale Curtis | 1903–1904 | 18 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 0.639 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0.071 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 9 | Charles P. Hutchins | 1906–1907 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0.850 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0.813 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | — |
| 10 | Thomas A. Barry | 1908–1910 | 16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 0.656 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0.545 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 11 | John R. Richards | 1911 1917 1919–1922 |
42 | 29 | 9 | 4 | 0.738 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 0.646 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 12 | William Juneau | 1912–1915 | 28 | 18 | 8 | 2 | 0.679 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 0.579 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | — |
| 13 | Paul Withington | 1916 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0.643 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0.375 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 14 | Guy Lowman | 1918 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0.500 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0.333 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 15 | John J. Ryan | 1923–1924 | 15 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 0.467 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 0.278 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 16 | George Little† | 1925–1926 | 16 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 0.750 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0.636 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 17 | Glenn Thistlethwaite | 1927–1931 | 45 | 26 | 16 | 3 | 0.611 | 10 | 14 | 2 | 0.423 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 18 | Clarence Spears† | 1932–1935 | 32 | 13 | 17 | 2 | 0.438 | 7 | 13 | 2 | 0.364 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 19 | Harry Stuhldreher† | 1936–1948 | 113 | 45 | 62 | 6 | 0.425 | 26 | 45 | 4 | 0.373 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 20 | Ivy Williamson | 1949–1955 | 64 | 41 | 19 | 4 | 0.672 | 29 | 13 | 4 | 0.674 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — |
| 21 | Milt Bruhn | 1956–1966 | 103 | 53 | 45 | 6 | 0.534 | 35 | 37 | 5 | 0.487 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — |
| 22 | John Coatta | 1967–1969 | 30 | 3 | 26 | 1 | 0.117 | 3 | 17 | 1 | 0.167 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 23 | John Jardine | 1970–1977 | 87 | 37 | 47 | 3 | 0.443 | 25 | 38 | 1 | 0.398 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 24 | Dave McClain | 1978–1985 | 91 | 46 | 42 | 3 | 0.522 | 32 | 34 | 3 | 0.486 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Int | Jim Hilles | 1986 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0.250 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0.250 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 25 | Don Morton | 1987–1989 | 33 | 6 | 27 | 0 | 0.182 | 3 | 21 | 0 | 0.125 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 26 | Barry Alvarez† | 1990–2005 2012[A 7] 2014[A 8] |
195 | 119 | 72 | 4 | 0.621 | 65 | 60 | 3 | 0.520 | 9 | 4 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | — |
| 27 | Bret Bielema | 2006–2012 | 92 | 68 | 24 | — | 0.739 | 37 | 19 | — | 0.661 | 2 | 4 | — | 2 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 28 | Gary Andersen | 2013–2014 | 26 | 19 | 7 | — | 0.731 | 13 | 3 | — | 0.813 | 0 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 29 | Paul Chryst | 2015–2022 | 93 | 67 | 26 | — | 0.720 | 43 | 18 | — | 0.705 | 6 | 1 | — | 3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Int | Jim Leonhard [A 9] |
2022 | 7 | 4 | 3 | — | 0.571 | 4 | 3 | — | 0.571 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 30 | Luke Fickell | 2022–present | 14 | 8 | 6 | — | 0.571 | 5 | 4 | — | 0.556 | 1 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Notes
[edit]- ^ Although the first Rose Bowl Game was played in 1902, it has been continuously played since the 1916 game, and is recognized as the oldest bowl game by the NCAA. "—" indicates any season prior to 1916 when postseason games were not played.[3]
- ^ A running total of the number of head coaches, with coaches who served separate tenures being counted only once. Interim head coaches are represented with "Int" and are not counted in the running total. "—" indicates the team played but either without a coach or no coach is on record. "X" indicates an interim year without play.
- ^ Overtime rules in college football were introduced in 1996, making ties impossible in the period since.[4]
- ^ When computing the win–loss percentage, a tie counts as half a win and half a loss.[5]
- ^ Wisconsin has been a member of Big Ten Conference since the 1896 season.
- ^ Statistics correct as of the end of the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season.
- ^ Alvarez served as interim head coach for the 2013 Rose Bowl after the resignation of Bret Bielema.[6]
- ^ Alvarez served as interim head coach for the 2015 Outback Bowl after the resignation of Gary Andersen.[7]
- ^ Leonhard served as interim head coach for the final seven regular season games in 2022 after Paul Chryst was fired.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ Thamel, Pete (November 27, 2022). "Wisconsin brings in Cincinnati's Luke Fickell as coach". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
- ^ "All-Time Results". uwbadgers.com. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
- ^ National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) (2011). Bowl/All-Star Game Records (PDF). Indianapolis, Indiana: NCAA. pp. 5–10. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 5, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
- ^ Whiteside, Kelly (August 25, 2006). "Overtime system still excites coaches". USA Today. McLean, Virginia. Archived from the original on September 6, 2010. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
- ^ Finder, Chuck (September 6, 1987). "Big plays help Paterno to 200th". The New York Times. New York City. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
- ^ "Barry Alvarez gets Rose Bowl raise". ESPN.com. December 11, 2012. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
- ^ "Barry Alvarez to coach bowl game". ESPN.com. December 11, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
- ^ Rittenberg, Adam (December 6, 2022). "Jim Leonhard will leave Wisconsin's staff after bowl game". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 7, 2024.