Budmayr’s road back to UW was long
MADISON – Jon Budmayr’s vision when he enrolled at Wisconsin in the winter of 2009 was to eventually win the starting quarterback job, play that game he loved for as long as his body allowed and then discover if he could share his wisdom and experience as a coach.
“Coach Chryst and I had those conversations early in my career here,” Budmayr said Thursday, referring to then-offensive coordinator Paul Chryst. “It was something I wanted to do once I was done playing because it was my passion. I didn’t know what I was going to do without football.”
Budmayr’s vision came true, though much more quickly than anyone could have anticipated because his body broke down and eventually forced him to quit playing after three years and three games.
“I love the game of football a ton,” said Budmayr, preparing for his first season as UW’s quarterbacks coach. “And now it is the ability to teach it instead of playing it. It is very rewarding.”
Budmayr’s journey is a reminder of the power of perseverance.
He was a decorated prospect from Marian Central Catholic High School
in Illinois when he arrived at UW.
After redshirting in 2009, Budmayr played in three games as a reserve in 2010 behind Scott Tolzien and Curt Phillips.
Persistent nerve issues that first appeared in his throwing arm and eventually moved to other parts of his body forced Budmayr to miss the 2011 season. The nerve issues led to a string of surgeries, anti-inflammatory medications and rehab sessions.
“The surgeries were so on top of each other – nine in two years,” Budmayr said. “You’re constantly in a weird flux of diet and medications. I lost a ton of weight.”
Budmayr finally made the decision to quit playing and served as a graduate assistant at UW in 2012 and ’13 under
Bret Bielema. He joined Chryst at Pittsburgh as a graduate assistant in 2014, and then returned to UW with Chryst in 2015.
After serving as a graduate assistant in ’15 and two seasons as a quality control assistant (‘16 and ’17), Budmayr was hired full-time in January after the NCAA allowed teams to add a 10th assistant.
Budmayr acknowledged Thursday he didn’t stop dreaming about finding a way to get back onto the field until the fall of 2014 at Pittsburgh.
“I was holding onto it throughout my time as a student assistant here,” he said. “I wanted to get healthy.
“I had all of these thoughts and they lasted for a while because I love playing the game. And to give that up was a very difficult decision but one that I think was right. …
“It was a really tough transition. The hardest thing about it was that you put a ton of work into something and for that to be gone fairly quickly, it is hard digest that in as quick of a manner as you have to.”
Budmayr also noted he still can make only 15 to 20 throws before experiencing discomfort in his right arm and tingling in his fingers.
However, being able to coach, particularly at the school he chose to attend, has finally eased his pain. Although his salary has increased to $150,000, his work ethic and self-expectations remain the same.
“The expectations don’t change,” he said. “As you start out, one of the best things you learn early on in this profession as a graduate assistant or as quality control assistant is the value of work and preparation.
“That is a foundation that I learned from Coach Chryst early on – a lot of smart work and preparation pays off.
“And now that I get into this role, I’m not done learning. I’ve got one of the best mentors in the country to learn from and that will never stop. It would be pretty ignorant to say I know this as well or better.”
Budmayr’s football IQ as a player impressed Chryst. His knowledge of the game and ability to articulate his thoughts to others led Chryst to hire Budmayr at Pittsburgh in 2014 and bring him back to UW. When schools were allowed to add a 10th assistant, the obvious choice was Budmayr because he already had been working closely with the quarterbacks.
“I was excited when he first wanted to get into coaching and fortunately was around him to see his growth,” Chryst said. “He has been around other good coaches who helped him. And he’ll continue to grow in the profession.”
That growth started earlier than Budmayr envisioned when he arrived at UW in 2009, but he appears happy and content today.
“This is awesome,” he said. “I love being here.”