Varsity Magazine

CONTENTS FEBRUARY 4, 2015 ■ VOLUME 5, ISSUE 24 DAVID STLUKA DAVID THE FIRST 50 DAYS LIVING IN FAST FORWARD From building a staff to a recruiting race that saw him cover the country, Paul Chryst’s first 50 days as Wisconsin’s head coach went by in a blur. Let him tell you all about it. FEATURES QUARTERBACKS IN [FOCUS] BROTHERS IN ARMS The week's best photos LUCAS AT LARGE DAVID STLUKA DAVID Mid-year enrollees Alex Hornibrook and Austin Kafentzis took different Philosophy guides recruiting paths but are happy to have reached BEHIND THE DESK the same destination at Wisconsin. Take time in grading class THE VOICE Super Bowl’s ups and downs CLASS OF 2015 BY THE NUMBERS Facts and figures on UW GET TO KNOW ’EM WHAT TO WATCH Hockey, hoops and more An in-depth look at each of the DAVID STLUKA DAVID ASK THE BADGERS Badgers’ newest additions from Signing Day memories National Signing Day, including bios and highlight videos. BADGERING Lauren Chypyha (W. Tennis) -SCROLL FOR MORE INSIDE MEN’S BASKETBALL Badgers master Ryan system Wisconsin Athletic Communications Kellner Hall, 1440 Monroe St., Madison, WI 53711 VIEW ALL ISSUES Brian Lucas Director of Athletic Communications Julia Hujet Editor/Designer Brian Mason Managing Editor Mike Lucas Senior Writer Matt Lepay Columnist Drew Scharenbroch Video Production Amy Eager Advertising Drew Pittner-Smith Distribution Contributors Paul Capobianco, Tam Flarup, Kelli Grashel, A.J. Harrison, Brandon Harrison, Patrick Herb, Diane Nordstrom Photography David Stluka, Neil Ament, Greg Anderson, Steve Gotter, Jack McLaughlin, Cal Sport Media, Icon Sportswire Cover Photo: David Stluka Problems or Accessibility Issues? [email protected] © 2015 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. All rights reserved worldwide. LUCAS AT LARGE BY MIKE LUCAS » UWBADGERS.COM Chryst’s philosophy shapes recruiting hen outsiders marvel Dan Voltz and Ray Ball will have players, young and old alike, at Wisconsin’s abili a role in the mentoring process than Joe Rudolph’s classroom/ W ty to annually field a of the freshmen and the other meeting room. Rudolph will quality offensive line, regard returning O-linemen that will be serve as the offensive coordina less of its experience level, Paul counted on to fill the holes in tor and coach the offensive line. Chryst suggested that there’s of the depth chart left by the grad Joining him will be grad assis ten the tendency to be flippant uation losses of starters Rob tant Josh Oglesby and quality with the remark, “there must be Havenstein, Kyle Costigan and control assistant Bill Nagy. something in the water” to ex Dallas Lewallen. Rudolph and Oglesby were plain the consistent results and It’s hard to image a better former All-Big Ten linemen for success. learning environment for these the Badgers, while Nagy was “You do hear people say that, versatile enough to play multi but it’s not that easy, it’s not by ple positions up front and end CHRYST ON RECRUITING: accident, it doesn’t just hap ed up starting four games as a I’M MORE CONFIDENT IN pen,” said Chryst, UW’s first-year rookie with the Dallas Cowboys THAT PHILOSOPHY THAN head coach. “We’ve been fortu before an injury cut short his I PROBABLY WAS nate here to have a ton of great NFL career. Together, they repre linemen for a long time and, (BEFORE). ALWAYS TALK sent a wealth of knowledge. ABOUT KNOWING WHAT when you look back, there have “ “We have tremendous resourc been a number of great offen AND WHO WISCONSIN IS. es because when you talk about sive line coaches. those three guys, they’ve all “Yet, I do feel really confident done it (on the field) and done it whether it’s with recruiting (of at a high level,” said Chryst, who fensive line prospects), or more has worked on staffs with veter importantly with the guys who an technicians like Bob Bostad are already here, that you can ” and Jim Hueber. “And Joe is as look them in the eye and tell good of a teacher as I’ve been them, ‘If you put the time in, around.” if you work and work together There are a number of familiar with these coaches, great things faces running around the UW can happen.” football offices these days; for The Badgers have landed mer Badgers players who have three future building blocks/ returned to their college roots blockers in their 2015 recruiting in a variety of capacities, rang class: Jon Dietzen, an early en ing from old quarterbacks (Jon rollee and 330-pound Cheeseh Budmayr), linebackers (Ethan ead from Black Creek, a small Armstrong) and kicking special village outside Green Bay; Kevin ists (Taylor Mehlhaff). Estes from San Marcos, Califor In balancing recruiting and nia, and David Moorman from assembling his coaching staff, Northville, Michigan. MEDIA CAL SPORT Chryst pointed out that it all DAVID STLUKA DAVID As upperclassmen, Tyler Marz, worked out for the best in terms LUCAS AT LARGE BY MIKE LUCAS » UWBADGERS.COM of fostering some chemistry. “It prospects who had already ver ter in the community.” was good for the guys (the assis bally committed to the Badgers How then have the last three tants) to be able to roll up their when Chryst replaced Gary An years impacted his recruiting sleeves and dive in and kind of dersen. approach? “Your seat is differ attack this past month togeth “The strength in our recruiting ent,” he said of running his own er,” he said. is truly knowing not just who program at Pitt. “But it reaf “What better way to get to the player is but who the person firmed the philosophy. It has know the staff than evaluat is, and that takes time,” Chryst reinforced a lot of things I’ve ing film together or being on allowed. believed in. And I’m more con the road together and talking But it was unavoidable, he fident in that philosophy than I through scenarios. It was really conceded, and a hurdle that had probably was.” good that way. And that part to be cleared. And it was. To which, he added, “I always was fun. I certainly appreciated “We’re adding a group of guys talk about knowing what and the effort of everyone because who will add value to this team,” who Wisconsin is.” it was such a different year of he said. “They can help you be Must be in the water, because recruiting.” better on the field. They can a lot of people are believing in It was different or, at the very help you be better in the locker the same things since he re least, unique because of the room. They can help you be bet turned.” ■ DAVID STLUKA DAVID DAVID STLUKA DAVID -PAGE 2 OF 2 BEHIND THE DESK BY BARRY ALVAREZ » UW DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS Signing Day success measured later on was talking with Paul Chryst them because they’re going to him to make up his mind. and he was telling me about get better. That’s what we made I remember all the traveling I some of the walk-on players a living on. and going from Ohio into Penn that are coming aboard, and he Our first priority is always to sylvania, and then I would end sounded as excited about them comb the state of Wisconsin up in Jersey. It’s not like it used as some of the signees. and find the good ones, along to be. Now you have a dead pe That’s important to me. I know with making sure we have a riod leading up to signing day. the formula to win here. Every nice group of athletic walk-ons. The most important thing is place has a little different for You’re hoping a good portion of still to keep everything in per mula and it’s based on where them pan out. spective. I think it’s hilarious you can recruit and the type of One of the first things that when people overreact to how players that you have consistent Paul did when he got the job many stars are by a player’s access to. was to get on the phone with name. Not one 5-star started in We’re a program that is going Dan Brunner, who’s the execu the Super Bowl. to develop people, and walk- tive director of the Wisconsin Don’t get me wrong. You’d ons have been a lifeline. It’s no Football Coaches Association. like to get some 5-stars, a lot of secret the success we’ve had You have to cater to the state them are legitimate. You’d like with guys like Joe Panos, Jimmy high school coaches. They’re to get some of those guys, and Leonhard, J.J. Watt and Jared the ones who are going to en we have. But we never really Abbrederis. courage kids to come here. And cared about rankings. We’re not a place that’s going they’re going to expose their Someone asked me, “When do to have access to an overabun kids to Wisconsin football. you know that you’ve got a good dance of skill players. That’s not I’m sure Paul will give them recruiting class?” I told them, to say they can’t be found in the total access to his program. He “When they’re finished with state. Melvin Gordon is a prime will allow them to come down their eligibility.” example of that. But we will get here and watch practice and vis I remember how Bret Biele tough linemen and linebackers it with our assistants.

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