2024 Wisconsin Offseason Thread

[ELA]

As a position coach I guess it's fine

[847badgerfan]

[FearlessF]

need to do better

[MarqHusker]

Sandbaggers.

[847badgerfan]

This is too weird. People are saying Michigan hired Greg Scruggs, but no official announcement has been made.

And then there is this:

Greg Scruggs | Football Coach | Wisconsin Badgers (uwbadgers.com)

And this:

Greg Scruggs (@G_Scruggs) / X (twitter.com)

That these pages exist is enough to tell me that this is not a done deal.

[Temp430]

He's our spy in the Badger's hole.

[847badgerfan]

Well, that's good if you want to go 7-6 next year.

[847badgerfan]

MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin football officially announced the hiring of defensive line coach E.J. Whitlow on Monday morning. Whitlow joins the Badgers' staff after two seasons in the same position at Air Force and 14 seasons as a collegiate coach.
 
"I'm excited to have E.J. join our staff," said head coach Luke Fickell. "E.J. is a fantastic coach and person, and he has Midwest ties that will help our recruiting and player development efforts."
 
Last season, Whitlow helped manage a defense that ranked No. 7 nationally in rushing defense (90.9) and No. 20 in passing defense (186.8). The Air Force defense totaled 30 sacks for just the second time since 2017. By the end of Whitlow's tenure, the Falcons' defense had allowed 21 points or fewer in 15 of the last 20 games.
 
In 2022, his first season leading the defensive line at Air Force, Whitlow helped the Falcons become the No. 1 defense in the country (254.5 yards per game). Whitlow's defensive line helped hold opponents to 95.3 rushing yards per game, the sixth-fewest in college football.

"I'm fired up to be joining Coach Fickell's staff at Wisconsin," said Whitlow. "It's a fantastic opportunity to work with a great staff and at a program with plenty of tradition."
 
Prior to his two-year stint at Air Force, Whitlow spent four years at Miami University (Ohio) from 2018-21. He developed several All-MAC performers and helped the RedHawks claim the MAC Championship in 2019. In the conference championship season, Miami recorded 38 sacks, 28 of those coming from the defensive line.
 
At Miami, Whitlow helped develop Dominique Robinson, a fifth-round draft pick by the Chicago Bears in 2022, and Doug Costin, a first team All-MAC performer who joined the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019. He also coached Ivan Pace Jr., an eventual Cincinnati Bearcat and Minnesota Viking. Pace tallied six sacks in a game in 2019 as a freshman at Miami. Lonnie Phelps, who earned a roster spot with the Browns in 2023, also played under Whitlow at Miami before finishing his college career at Kansas.
 
From 2014-17, Whitlow coached the defensive line at Grand Valley State under then-head coach Matt Mitchell, who now coaches the Badgers' outside linebackers.  Under Whitlow, GVSU's defensive line turned into one of the top defensive lines in the country annually. He tutored nine All-GLIAC honorees in four years, watching the Lakers record 144 sacks in that span.
 
In 2017, Whitlow's defensive line had three players earn all-conference honors, including a pair of first team award winners. As a team, the Lakers allowed just 13.0 points per game, and due to the pass rush, gave up just four touchdown passes all season.
 
In 2016, the Lakers limited opponents to 134.3 rushing yards per game, recording 40 quarterback sacks and 96 tackles for loss. In 2015, Whitlow coached Matt Judon (New England Patriot), who went on to win the Gene Upshaw Award, given to the nation's top interior lineman. With Judon's help, GVSU would lead the nation in sacks with 49.
 
"Coach Mitchell was a great person and coach to work with at Grand Valley State," said Whitlow. "I'm excited to join a staff with plenty of recruiting, coaching and player development experience."
 
Prior to joining Grand Valley State, Whitlow spent four years at Notre Dame College (Ohio) and was a part of the program from its beginning as the Falcons initial season playing football was in 2010. Whitlow was a graduate assistant in 2010 and 2011 but became the full-time defensive line coach in 2012.
 
Whitlow played collegiately at Findlay from 2006-10, where he was twice an All-GLIAC performer as a defensive tackle and was named the Oilers' 2009 Team MVP. He recorded 44 total tackles and 5.0 tackles for loss en route to earning All-GLIAC honors as a junior, followed by senior season in which he tallied career-highs in total tackles (60) and tackles for loss with six and was named First Team All-GLIAC and team MVP.
 
Whitlow and his wife, Kierre, are the parents of Emily and Emmanuel II.

[847badgerfan]

I like this hire. I liked Scruggs too, on the recruiting trail, even though he lost a couple of top targets to Michigan and Washington. He hit on four really nice ones - all 4 STARZ.

He didn't have much to work with last season in Madison and the DL was the weak link for the defense. He'll have a ton to work with in Ann Arbor next season.

This new hire for UW is proven as a developer of talent, which is what UW is all about. It's a good fit.

[847badgerfan]

[847badgerfan]

Direct shot at Miami. I like it.

[bayareabadger]

If only I still lived there

[847badgerfan]

If only I still lived there

You mention that a lot. What's keeping you from going back?

[bayareabadger]

You mention that a lot. What's keeping you from going back?

I mean, that was more "it would be convenient" not necessarily longing for the place. But I'll share.

There's a few reasons. First is probably that its expensive. I like being able to save more money and I've never dealt with those prices, and thus the shock of that feels like a barrier of sorts. For a while, jobs dictated my geography, though that ended a few years ago. I could transfer and just make less relatively.

I have a smattering of friends back home, but the group is small (we're over 15 years not living there). I have folks in this part of the country. So that's sort of a push. Especially with some good friends getting busier with kids and such. 

I suppose some health things with family could pull me back. But up to this point, nothing has strongly pulled me back, and its easier to not move across the country than to do it.