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http://www.jsonline.com/sports/badg...r-share-of-coaches-b99549448z1-321152961.html
Quarterback Joel Stave rebooted his personal computer more times than he preferred during his first four years at Wisconsin.
When Paul Chryst was hired as UW's head coach in December, it meant Stave would enter his final season on his third head coach and third position coach.
2011: Bret Bielema was in his next-to-last season as UW's head coach. Chryst was in his final season as offensive coordinator. Stave was a freshman who eventually redshirted.
2012: Bielema hired Matt Canada to replace Chryst.
2013: Gary Andersen replaced Bielema and Andy Ludwig replaced Canada.
2014: Andersen left for Oregon State after the Big Ten title game and Ludwig eventually went to Vanderbilt, leading to the return of Chryst.
2015: Chryst will call the plays and oversee the quarterbacks, along with graduate assistant Jon Budmayr.
Stave, who enters camp Monday No. 1 on the depth chart, chuckled when asked about the changing of the guard.
"I learned Coach Chryst's offensive system in 2011," he said recently at the Big Ten preseason meetings. "Then I kind of flushed it all and learned Canada's offensive system in 2012.
"Then I flushed that and learned Ludwig's offensive system in 2013 and '14. Now I'm flushing that and going back to Coach Chryst."
Safety Michael Caputo and Corey Clement, who joined Stave at the Big Ten preseason meetings last month, have endured similar experiences.
Clement is on his second head coach and third position coach — first Thomas Hammock, then Thomas Brown and now John Settle.
Caputo, like Stave a fifth-year senior, is on his third head coach and fourth position coach. DeMontie Cross coached safeties in 2011, followed by Chris Ash in '12, Bill Busch in '13 and '14 and now Daronte' Jones.
Despite the near-constant change in position coaches, Caputo improved each season and developed into an integral part of the defense.
He finished last season with a team-high 106 tackles, including 64 solos. Always comfortable closer to the line of scrimmage, he improved his work in pass coverage and finished with a personal-best six passes broken up.
"You would think that there is some difficulty to it," Caputo said when asked about the change in position coaches. "But the older I get the more I realize how grateful I am to just get the experience. I can actually contribute a lot of what I learned from them to how I play now.
"That is the one thing you've got to preach to the younger guys. Because if a coach leaves they don't know what to do. They're down. They don't know what's going on.
"You tell them: 'It's OK. It's still football. It's the same game you grew up playing and you love.'"
Clement showed on his first day of practice at UW — before the players could go in full pads — that he was prepared to contribute immediately.
Hammock publicly downplayed that thought because he didn't want Clement to get too comfortable but privately acknowledged UW had a budding star.
Clement responded by rushing for 547 yards (8.2 yards per carry) as the No. 3 back as a freshman and for 949 yards (6.5) as the No. 2 back last season.
"You had to earn his respect," Clement said of Hammock. "That is what I always wanted as a coach. I didn't an easy welcome."
Clement described Brown as more laid back. He noted Settle has been constantly testing him mentally, knowing he is UW's lone experienced tailback.
"Coach Sett is allowing me to correct myself and he is asking me a lot of questions," Clement said. "What is this front? What is this defense? He is picking my brain a lot more."
Stave's uneven course at UW has been chronicled.
After redshirting in 2011, Stave started six games in '12 under the tutelage of Canada. He suffered a broken collarbone in a loss to Michigan State and missed the final three regular-season games and the Big Ten title game before getting in for two plays in the Rose Bowl. As a redshirt sophomore in 2013, Stave started 13 games and completed a personal-best 61.9% of his passes for 2,494 yards.
However, too many interceptions (13) and too many missed opportunities played roles in Stave losing his starting job in camp last season. He regained the job after Tanner McEvoy struggled in the Big Ten opener, but Stave's final numbers — 53.4% completion rate, 10 interceptions and nine touchdowns — weren't up to par.
"I've learned a ton," Stave insisted. "I've learned different passing concepts, things that I like and things that I don't like.
"Every coach has got their different style, different philosophy. It has been fun learning from all the different professionals."
As Stave reflected upon the changes, he noted UW has enjoyed more triumph than tribulation through the transitions.
The Badgers upset Nebraska, 70-31, in the 2012 Big Ten title game to secure a berth in the Rose Bowl. They finished 9-4 in Andersen's first season, though losses in the regular-season finale and bowl game stung. Then last season with Barry Alvarez on the sideline, they rallied to defeat Auburn in overtime in the Outback Bowl to finish 11-3.
"The whirlwind that we've been through for the past few years has been pretty crazy," Stave said. "But I think the way we've been able to battle through it, produce good teams, win a Big Ten championship and go to good bowl games year after year is really a testament to the players that we've got and the way that we prepare."
Quarterback Joel Stave rebooted his personal computer more times than he preferred during his first four years at Wisconsin.
When Paul Chryst was hired as UW's head coach in December, it meant Stave would enter his final season on his third head coach and third position coach.
2011: Bret Bielema was in his next-to-last season as UW's head coach. Chryst was in his final season as offensive coordinator. Stave was a freshman who eventually redshirted.
2012: Bielema hired Matt Canada to replace Chryst.
2013: Gary Andersen replaced Bielema and Andy Ludwig replaced Canada.
2014: Andersen left for Oregon State after the Big Ten title game and Ludwig eventually went to Vanderbilt, leading to the return of Chryst.
2015: Chryst will call the plays and oversee the quarterbacks, along with graduate assistant Jon Budmayr.
Stave, who enters camp Monday No. 1 on the depth chart, chuckled when asked about the changing of the guard.
"I learned Coach Chryst's offensive system in 2011," he said recently at the Big Ten preseason meetings. "Then I kind of flushed it all and learned Canada's offensive system in 2012.
"Then I flushed that and learned Ludwig's offensive system in 2013 and '14. Now I'm flushing that and going back to Coach Chryst."
Safety Michael Caputo and Corey Clement, who joined Stave at the Big Ten preseason meetings last month, have endured similar experiences.
Clement is on his second head coach and third position coach — first Thomas Hammock, then Thomas Brown and now John Settle.
Caputo, like Stave a fifth-year senior, is on his third head coach and fourth position coach. DeMontie Cross coached safeties in 2011, followed by Chris Ash in '12, Bill Busch in '13 and '14 and now Daronte' Jones.
Despite the near-constant change in position coaches, Caputo improved each season and developed into an integral part of the defense.
He finished last season with a team-high 106 tackles, including 64 solos. Always comfortable closer to the line of scrimmage, he improved his work in pass coverage and finished with a personal-best six passes broken up.
"You would think that there is some difficulty to it," Caputo said when asked about the change in position coaches. "But the older I get the more I realize how grateful I am to just get the experience. I can actually contribute a lot of what I learned from them to how I play now.
"That is the one thing you've got to preach to the younger guys. Because if a coach leaves they don't know what to do. They're down. They don't know what's going on.
"You tell them: 'It's OK. It's still football. It's the same game you grew up playing and you love.'"
Clement showed on his first day of practice at UW — before the players could go in full pads — that he was prepared to contribute immediately.
Hammock publicly downplayed that thought because he didn't want Clement to get too comfortable but privately acknowledged UW had a budding star.
Clement responded by rushing for 547 yards (8.2 yards per carry) as the No. 3 back as a freshman and for 949 yards (6.5) as the No. 2 back last season.
"You had to earn his respect," Clement said of Hammock. "That is what I always wanted as a coach. I didn't an easy welcome."
Clement described Brown as more laid back. He noted Settle has been constantly testing him mentally, knowing he is UW's lone experienced tailback.
"Coach Sett is allowing me to correct myself and he is asking me a lot of questions," Clement said. "What is this front? What is this defense? He is picking my brain a lot more."
Stave's uneven course at UW has been chronicled.
After redshirting in 2011, Stave started six games in '12 under the tutelage of Canada. He suffered a broken collarbone in a loss to Michigan State and missed the final three regular-season games and the Big Ten title game before getting in for two plays in the Rose Bowl. As a redshirt sophomore in 2013, Stave started 13 games and completed a personal-best 61.9% of his passes for 2,494 yards.
However, too many interceptions (13) and too many missed opportunities played roles in Stave losing his starting job in camp last season. He regained the job after Tanner McEvoy struggled in the Big Ten opener, but Stave's final numbers — 53.4% completion rate, 10 interceptions and nine touchdowns — weren't up to par.
"I've learned a ton," Stave insisted. "I've learned different passing concepts, things that I like and things that I don't like.
"Every coach has got their different style, different philosophy. It has been fun learning from all the different professionals."
As Stave reflected upon the changes, he noted UW has enjoyed more triumph than tribulation through the transitions.
The Badgers upset Nebraska, 70-31, in the 2012 Big Ten title game to secure a berth in the Rose Bowl. They finished 9-4 in Andersen's first season, though losses in the regular-season finale and bowl game stung. Then last season with Barry Alvarez on the sideline, they rallied to defeat Auburn in overtime in the Outback Bowl to finish 11-3.
"The whirlwind that we've been through for the past few years has been pretty crazy," Stave said. "But I think the way we've been able to battle through it, produce good teams, win a Big Ten championship and go to good bowl games year after year is really a testament to the players that we've got and the way that we prepare."