Late on Monday afternoon, the Wisconsin Badgers football team officially announced that Bobby Engram will be the team’s new offensive coordinator. While this news had been confirmed over the weekend, the team didn’t announce the news on their social channels until Monday.
Excited to announce Bobby Engram as our offensive coordinator! #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/b12IykhC45
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) January 31, 2022
We won’t rehash all of Engram’s accomplishments and whatnot, but here are some quotes from the official UW press release.
- “I’m really excited for our players and for our program,” said head coach Paul Chryst. “Bobby is a great person who has tremendous knowledge of the game. I’ve seen first-hand the impact he can have on players and there’s no doubt in my mind that he will help our program both on and off the field. He knows this place and is aligned with our culture, and I think that’s important. With his experience, he brings a fresh perspective that will help our program moving forward.”
- “This is a tremendous opportunity for me to join a proven program, a consistently successful program, one that I’ve admired for a long time,” Engram said. “The tradition at Wisconsin is a big deal to me. Being able to join a special program, impact our young men and contribute to winning championships is why I’m here.”
"I believe in Wisconsin and our philosophies are the same — I appreciate the way this program runs the ball, I love the way they play defense — and my focus will be on doing everything I can to elevate the offense and help our team win games." - Bobby Engram
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) January 31, 2022
- “Running the football well is important, using the play-action pass, being multiple and doing a lot of different things offensively, but doing them well. For me, it’s bringing a fresh look and my own sense of creativity to what’s already been proven successful here. I’ve been fortunate to be around some great coaches and players in the NFL, and I want to bring the best of what I’ve learned to the Badgers,” Engram said.
- “I think Paul’s a great offensive mind and that part of working with him again is certainly exciting,” Engram said. “But what really comes through with Paul is that he truly enjoys being around the players and making sure everything we do is about them. He loves to work hard, knowing that it’s going to produce results, and everyone feeds off that.”
- “My approach is to have a team that plays hard and physical and is fundamentally sound in everything we’re doing. I think that aligns perfectly with what Paul and this coaching staff are all about,” Engram said. “I’m a big guy on technique. I love individual drills in practice. Being able to have an impact on young men this age — as they grow both on and off the field — is important to me and a huge reason why I’m excited for this opportunity.”
Buried deep in the press release is the note that Engram’s son, Dean Engram, who played defensive back for the past three seasons in Madison, is switching sides of the ball and will be a wide receiver this year.
“It’s going to be special, especially having this opportunity to be with my son at the collegiate level,” Bobby said. “I’ve never coached Dean in football. I coached him in basketball and in baseball, but this is going to be a unique experience — once in a lifetime. We both want to be the best we can be to help the team win.”
Dean Engram shifting from nickel to slot receiver makes some sense after the #Badgers added three SR cornerbacks via the transfer portal.
— Matt Belz (@savedbythebelz) January 31, 2022
Engram played both WR/CB in high school. Staff must think he can contribute more on offense in 2022.
This is also of note because Dean was one of Caleb Williams’ (who you may have heard is in the market for a new team) top targets in high school. What does it mean for Williams and Wisconsin? WHO KNOWS, BUT WE SURE ARE EXCITED AND READING TOO MUCH INTO IT!!