The Wisconsin Badgers football coaching staff is still in a state of flux. Barry Alvarez just led the team to a bowl victory in a one-game "reunion tour/last show ever" kind of deal and now Paul Chryst is finally taking the reigns. Chryst has a few open spots left to fill on his staff and it appears that familiarity will play a major role in who is offered those spots.
As we mentioned earlier, Rudolph is in Madison today talking with Chryst and a source told Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that "it looks like it's pretty much done," regarding Rudolph and the vacant Wisconsin offensive coordinator position. Rudolph attended the University of Wisconsin, captained the football team and worked at Wisconsin from 2008-2011 as the Badgers tight ends coach, so you could say he is familiar with the culture at UW. He also played in the NFL for the Eagles, and later the 49ers, but I think I could probably win any obscure jersey contest at an Eagles bar if I get a personalized Rudolph one. *is shocked by Mike to get back on track*
Rudolph left the program in 2012 to follow Chryst to Pitt and take the assistant head coach/offensive coordinator/tight ends coach/right hand man position with the Panthers. After Chryst took the UW job, Rudolph was named interim coach at Pitt where he had a disappointing 0-1 career record. He and Chryst have a close relationship and it is thought that Rudolph will be offered to offensive coordinator position with the Badgers.
The same source that talked to Potrykus about Rudolph also hinted that Tennessee Titans offensive line coach Bob Bostad could be the next guy that Chryst brings to Madison. From 2005-2011, Bostad was the o-line coach/running game coordinator in Madison before leaving in 2012 with, you guessed it, Chryst to take a job as the OC at Pitt. Bostad didn't stay at Pitt long, as the NFL came calling and the Bucs offered him their vacant o-line coach position. Bostad was in charge of some pretty lethal rushing attacks during his time in Madison and his coaching along the offensive line cemented Wisconsin as an NFL linemen factory.
Richie Walsh of KDKA in Pittsburgh also passes along this information about how Wisconsin's staff may shake out.
Matt House and Troy Douglas expected to meet with Chryst and Wisconsin DC Dave Aranda tomorrow
— Rich Walsh KDKA (@RichieWalsh) January 5, 2015
House has been the defensive coordinator for Pitt the last two seasons (on the staff for three) and also coached their linebackers last year and the secondary the previous two years. Douglas was hired last year to be the secondary coach at Pitt. If you read the replies to Walsh's tweet, it appears that Pitt fans are ready to pay for House's ticket out of town, even though his defense's the last two years ranked in the top-35 in total yards allowed. Obviously Dave Aranda is the defensive coordinator next year, but House could be a valuable addition on the recruiting trail as he is a Michigan native and Michigan State grad.
Douglas has been coaching collegiately for 27 years and brings up a logjam at the defensive backs coach position, with Ben Strickland still on staff. Is this just Chryst extending an interview to a guy he just hired at Pitt as a formality or is Strickland taking on a different position at UW while Douglas coaches the defensive backs? We'll update when we know more.