I don’t disagree with Marks point that there might be a culture issue, but I think that culture issue is more glaring on the administration and more directly the administration of the football program. Sorry for the long post but the points but Khalif’s points show a deeper issue
First the administration
In AD “search” Rebecca Blank was clear it was her call, well the more I hear the more I question that. #1, why was Alondo Tucker on the committee after the being basically let go from the program? Was he tight with McIntosh? Just an odd add to the committee when he was no longer part of the university. #2 I don’t think that there was much of an open search or for that matter even a “final candidates” list. This IMO the more I hear was more about Barry than Becky. Again not just the UW Way but the Alverez Way
Now the Football Administration
After Saeed Khalif left the program and went to Michigan State he gave an interview for The Athletic. It was pointed and not flattering in many ways to the program, especially the administration of the program, some excerpts, and some telling things as “chain of command”, resources and recruiting
You mentioned before the importance of having resources. While you were here, did you ask for more resources?
Every year.
What was the answer?
“We’re working on it. We’ll get back to you. I need more time.” It was always one thing or another. And I’m transparent. I’m not trying to slam them or kill them. Every year, I was given the task of what do we need? And I would give a different structure every year. Sometimes, I’d give the same structure and just write it up differently just to get back to how do you say the same thing in multiple ways just to make it stick?
Now what I think going forward, ultimately, it’s going to adjust. And I think Coach Chryst is going to fight for what he wants and stand up and get what he needs in there structurally to have a competitive recruiting department. And you have to compete in recruiting.
When you would hear, “We’re working on it,” where did that come from? Outside the football program?
I asked my direct supervisors, and then they run it up the pole. I didn’t have direct access to the AD’s offices. I’d draft different proposals each year and submit them to my direct supervisor and wait for answers
Do you think you changed the way Wisconsin approached recruiting at all during your time?
I think so with some reluctance. I don’t think they fully embraced it. But it wasn’t breaking any rules and it wasn’t causing any additional strain on anybody. It was work that was coming out of my office, so it was kind of let go.
But I think it made them a little uncomfortable. We had to get them uncomfortable to stretch a little bit. That’s what we do with players on the field. We make them uncomfortable so they’ll strain. It’s the same thing in recruiting.
There was a level of complacency, a level of comfort with what was being done. And the championships still eluded them. So we’ve got to get uncomfortable to go to spaces we want to get at.
When you say uncomfortable, do you mean how the program had operated before in terms of speaking up more?
Yeah. You can’t pay lip service and say that recruiting is the lifeblood of your program if you don’t commit the resources to it or the time and the energy to it. It can’t just be words. You’ve got to do it. Nationally, the landscape, the recruiting offices are getting bigger. More people, more resources, higher budgets because it’s a competitive space.
What was the most significant challenge about recruiting at Wisconsin?
Resources. People. The people resources. For as big of a program as it is, the people resources were never committed to it. The best we got was I had a total of four full-time people in recruiting. And then we had our best year ever. And I know COVID hit. But we were the first department to get cut. And we were the only activity that was allowed to go on.
There was nothing going on. You couldn’t play games. You couldn’t do anything. You couldn’t practice football. But we were recruiting. We were doing virtual tours. We were doing virtual platforms. It was activity, activity, activity. The only thing that was going on was recruiting. We were the hardest hit department.
When you say hardest hit, did they eliminate people on your staff?
Cut. Eliminated. Yes. Cut them out. Furloughed them. Took money. I mean, it was a challenge.
With the way college football is, as the same programs get top players, do you think there’s a ceiling on what Wisconsin can achieve in a given class or how high the Badgers can go based on the academic standards, the types of players they recruit and the approach they have in general?
On the outside looking in, is there a ceiling? I would say it is self-imposed. Everybody preaches academic standards. Everybody has an academic standard. There isn’t a school that doesn’t say they’re not an academic school. Some have more challenges getting them in than others. But ultimately, coaches with good reputations for getting kids graduated can get kids in school that they need to get in school and that kid qualifies.
