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ESPN recently released a rising stars in the coaching ranks article that highlighted the top-40 coaches who are under 40 years old. While many head coaches congregated the list at the top, a familiar name in Wisconsin circles also found his way onto the list of up and comers at No. 30, Joe Krabbenhoft.
After a stellar career at Wisconsin from 2005 to 2009 and a brief stint playing professionally, Krabbenhoft (33 years old) went into the coaching fraternity. First as a video coordinator with the Wisconsin Badgers under Bo Ryan, and then as an assistant with the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. Greg Gard brought the alumnus back to Madison in 2016 as an assistant, where he has since grown a strong reputation in the coaching ranks.
As a coach, Krabbenhoft is known for his ability to develop, as well as the strong relationships he builds with the players he coaches, but his biggest asset thus far may be his ability on the recruiting front for Wisconsin.
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A native of South Dakota, Joe Krabbenhoft ended up playing AAU with Howard Pulley, one of the bigger AAU programs in the Midwest that draws from the Minnesota area. His relationships with Howard Pulley, as well as the Minnesota AAU scene have helped bolster the Wisconsin roster over the past four seasons.
Krabbenhoft has had a major hand in recruiting Brad Davison (also a former Howard Pulley player), Joe Hedstrom, Tyler Wahl, Ben Carlson, Johnny and Jordan Davis, Steven Crowl, Matthew Mors (a fellow South Dakota native) and Chucky Hepburn since rejoining the staff.
At only 33 years old, Joe Krabbenhoft is a valuable commodity for the Wisconsin coaching staff, and he is starting to get some early recognition around the college basketball community.