UPDATE: Monday, March 7, 5:45 PM. Early Monday evening, Greg Gard was officially named Wisconsin’s head coach in a release from the team. Gard is the 16th head coach in Wisconsin Badgers history.
The UW Board of Regents approved his contract, which is reportedly for five years, ranging around $2 million per year.
UPDATE: Monday, March 7, 2:30 PM. The Wisconsin State Journal is reporting that Greg Gard will be named head coach Tuesday afternoon during a press conference. According to a UW official we reached out to, nothing has been schedule yet, but I would expect an announcement to come tonight or tomorrow morning. ESPN’s Jeff Goodman is reporting Gard will receive a five-year deal, to be finalized tonight at UW Board of Regents meeting at 5:00 PM.
UPDATE: Monday, March 7, 10:00 AM. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is now reporting that Greg Gard will indeed be picked to replace Bo Ryan. The UW Board of Regents will be discussing the contract tonight at 5:00 PM with a likely announcement coming tomorrow, when the position can officially start. The Board will meet by telephone conference tonight.
Post below from original story that broke.
According to Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the University of Wisconsin-Madison athletic department are preparing to offer Greg Gard a long-term contract.
“Two sources close to the program agreed UW officials have been blown away by the work of Gard,” Potrykus reported early Thursday morning.
Applications are due today (Thursday) at 4:30 PM. According to state law, multiple candidates must be interviewed (three to be exact) and the hiring must be approved by the UW Board of Regents. Gard may be hired as early as next week, as the board will reportedly meet next Thursday.
Gard and his staff have turned around the Badgers’ season, leading the team to a 12-5 record since Gard took over. We detailed the turnaround earlier this week, in which Gard has re-built the Badgers’ locker room and chemistry on the floor. It has always been about the players, and that may have been the key to him getting this long-term job.
“This will always be about and always has been with me, regardless of where I’ve coached, about the players first; those are the heartbeat of our program,” Gard said on December 16, the morning after he was given the interim tag.
“I’ve always had a one-year contract in 26 years of coaching,” he said. “My job is to help these guys become the best team they can be this year.”
It looks like the Greg Gard Era has just begun, this time with an official multi-year contract.