Alex Grinch is set to return to the sidelines and will be coaching in the Big Ten in 2024, after all. The Wisconsin Badgers are reportedly hiring the former USC Defensive Coordinator ahead of the 2024 season.
Grinch, 43, is set to be hired as the Wisconsin safeties coach under defensive coordinator Mike Tressel. He makes his return to the Big Ten and will face his former team in Week 4 when Wisconsin travels to USC on September 28.
Relieved of his duties with USC in November, Grinch has seen plenty of success when he’s in a similar role to what he’ll be asked to do with the Badgers this season. Grinch has spent
Previously, Grinch was the safeties coach at Missouri, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and USC while he oversaw coordinator duties at USC, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Washington State.
USC’s defense had allowed over 100 games in their previous two combined games, leading to his dismissal on November 5 of last season.
Despite his much-maligned tenure at USC, Grinch has seen much more success when in charge of just a singular unit. He takes over a safeties room in Madison that contains Austin Brown, Kamo’io Latu, Hunter Wohler, Preston Zachman, and more.
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The Badgers, known for both their offensive line and defensive prowess, will hope to see a bit of a career resurgence in Grinch under Tressel, who enters his second season as the team’s defensive coordinator.
With Grinch in the fold, Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell’s 2024 staff looks complete. Fickell hired Kenny Guiton as his wide receivers coach, replacing Mike Brown, as well as AJ Blazek as the team’s offensive line coach.
Wisconsin opens the season with two winnable games for Fickell, Tressel, and Grinch’s safeties group with Western Michigan and South Dakota coming to two in consecutive Saturdays to open the season.
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However, the Badgers play at USC in September, just two weeks after welcoming Alabama to Camp Randall Stadium on September 14. Wisconsin also plays potential offensive juggernaut Oregon in mid-November in what could be a heated and heavily-anticipated Big Ten matchup next fall.
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