Badgers hire Krabbenhoft as assistant coach
Krabbenhoft joining staff.
Madison — Wisconsin coach Greg Gard wasted little time in filling the lone vacancy on his coaching staff.
Gard announced Monday that former UW player Joe Krabbenhoft will replace Gary Close, who told the Journal Sentinel last week he was resigning.
“I am absolutely thrilled and thankful for the opportunity to return to Wisconsin,” Krabbenhoft, an assistant at South Dakota State for the past three seasons, said in a UW news release. “It really is a dream come true for me and my family. I’ve had conversations with Coach Gard about becoming a coach ever since my playing days.
“I have so many great memories from Madison and UW, and it’s an honor to be a part of the program that I played for and to be a part of something so special. It’s also extremely exciting to be a part of a new chapter under Coach Gard. I think the future is so bright for the Badgers, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Gard and Krabbenhoft are expected to meet with members of the media Tuesday afternoon.
“I’m really excited to welcome Joe back to our staff. In terms of what I was looking for, he fits every criteria,” Gard said in the release. “Having known him since his sophomore year of high school, this is the third time I’ve recruited him — as a player, video coordinator and now assistant coach.”
Krabbenhoft, a 6-foot-7 forward from Sioux Falls, S.D., played at UW from 2005-’09. He served as the video coordinator on Bo Ryan’s staff at Wisconsin during the 2012-’13 season and then moved on to South Dakota State.
He appeared in 136 games, with 70 starts, for UW. He helped the Badgers to a 100-36 record and four NCAA Tournament appearances. Krabbenhoft earned all-Big Ten freshman team honors in 2006 and a place on the all-Big Ten defensive team in 2008, when Wisconsin won both the Big Ten regularseason and tournament titles.
As a captain in 2009, Krabbenhoft finished his senior season with honorable mention all-Big Ten honors and was a recipient of the prestigious Big Ten Medal of Honor Award.
“He coaches how he plays,” Gard said in the release. “I’ve never been around a more fierce competitor than Joe and his toughness, personality and the fearlessness with which he played will be a great asset to our players.
“I believe there is a strong value in having former Badgers on our staff. He has walked in their shoes, sat in that locker room, studied in those classrooms and won championships. He is a tremendous addition to our program.”