Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard has made a few changes to his coaching staff over the past few seasons, hiring former players like Kirk Penney and Greg Stiemsma, while also bringing in Isaac Woodajo as the Director of Recruiting.
Now, he could possibly face a departure.
The Drake Bulldogs are reportedly set to hire South Dakota State head coach Eric Henderson as their next head coach. Why does that relate to the Badgers?
Well, assistant head coach Joe Krabbenhoft could very well hear his name in the mix for the new opening, as he coached at South Dakota State as an assistant from 2014-16 before returning to his alma mater in Madison.
Krabbenhoft, who played for the Badgers from 2005-09, has been with Wisconsin for the past nine seasons, being promoted to associate head coach in 2022 as Greg Gard’s lead assistant.
He’s been tied to head coaching opportunities in the past, generating interest for Southern Illinois’s vacancy last offseason before staying put at Wisconsin. Now, a prime opportunity could open up for Krabbenhoft that could be too good to pass up.
Named to ESPN’s 40-under-40 back in 2020 as one of the top young assistants in college basketball, Krabbenhoft has been on the national radar and has strong ties to the Midwest.
“A former Wisconsin forward, Krabbenhoft played professionally for a couple of seasons before returning to the Badgers as a video coordinator under Bo Ryan,” ESPN’s Jeff Borzello wrote in the 40-under-40 article. “He cut his teeth as an assistant coach at South Dakota State but was back in Madison under Greg Gard in 2016. Krabbenhoft is key in player development and is an active recruiter.”
Could he be the first major assistant under Greg Gard to earn a head coaching job? We’ll see if that comes to fruition this offseason
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