Badgers’ Max Stienecker named as one of top rising staffers in CFB

The Wisconsin Badgers underwent a significant coaching overhaul after the end of last season, hiring established head coach Luke Fickell over program legend Jim Leonhard, which in return resulted in a completely new staff onboard.

One of the changes during that coaching overhaul? The hiring of Max Stienecker, who became the Director of Player Personnel at Wisconsin, and immediately went to work upon Fickell’s arrival in coordination with fellow staff member Pat Lambert, who was hired as the Director of Recruiting.

Stienecker’s efforts were immediately seen, as the Badgers still managed to get 15 recruits in their 2023 class, and has aided in the school’s strong 2024 class, which currently ranks 23rd in the 247Sports composite.

As a result, the Director of Player Personnel earned some appreciation for his talents, as 247Sports named Stienecker as one of the coaches/off-field staffers on their annual “30Under30” list, which points out the top 30 college football coaches or personnel staffers in the nation.

Stienecker originated as a student assistant at Cincinnati, en route to being the director of on-campus recruiting in 2022 at just the age of 22.

Then, joining the Badgers this offseason, Stienecker became the youngest director of player personnel in Power Five history, further marking his impressive resume at the collegiate ranks.

Here’s what 247Sports had to say about Stienecker being a member of their “30Under30” list for 2023.

“The youngest director of player personnel in the Power Five, Stienecker has emerged as an impact behind-the-scenes player in Fickell’s organization. A student assistant at Cincinnati starting in 2018, Stienecker worked his way up to director of on-campus recruiting the same year he graduated from Cincinnati. Stienecker is considered a rising star by several sources in the industry and a Badgers source said of him: “He’s amazing. His ability to build relationships is unreal. He can do it all.”

This isn't the first time that Stienecker, a rising star in the recruiting world, has been mentioned amongst the lead personnel and recruiting staffers in the nation, as On3 listed the current Director of Player Personnel as a name to watch last August, back when he was the Director of On-Campus Recruiting at Cincinnati.

The Badgers are experiencing new waves, both on the field with their coaching changes, and off the field with their newfound recruiting prowess, and Stienecker appears to be at the forefront of the action.

Wisconsin’s efforts in the 2024 recruiting class are well noted, and now, the focus goes toward the 2025 class, where they’ve already seen two recruits commit in quarterback Landyn Locke and defensive back Remington Moss.