Wisconsin Badgers Coaching Candidates Might Include Mel Tucker, Darrell Bevell
By Josh Hill
The Wisconsin Badgers need to find a new head coach in wake of Gary Andersen leaving for Oregon State, and his successor may be coaching in the NFL right now.
Gary Andersen has bolted from Wisconsin to take the head coaching job at Oregon State, and that has left a massive void in the Big Ten that needs to be filled. The Badgers can’t be happy that Andersen has left them hanging, but after a 59-0 shellacking in the Big Ten title game, there was a ticking clock on Andersen already.
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With Michigan hunting for coaches as well, there will be competition for sillier candidates but Wisconsin has the upper hand. Not only is it a more prestigious program at the moment, but they have a strong alumnus pool to pluck from when it comes to finding Andersen’s replacement.
According to Jason La Canfora from CBS Sports, two names that we could see in the mix for the Badgers coaching job are Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and Chicago Bears defense coordinator Mel Tucker.
No shortage of coaches with Wisconsin ties, from Alvarez tree in NFL. Mel Tucker (CHI DC) and Darrell Bevell (SEA OC) spring to mind
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) December 10, 2014
Bevell used to play quarterback for the Badgers in the early 1990s while Tucker has ties to the school from his days as a defensive back. Tucker seems to be the most likely candidate as barring a huge turnaround for the Chicago Bears that probably won’t happen, he’s going to be fired. Bevell is very much not going to be fired as the Seahawks offensive coordinator and may even get NFL head coaching offers this spring form teams like the Jets, Raiders, 49ers and others.
There are other options too, as someone like Jon Gruden might like to come to the Big Ten where his style of football can flourish, but those are all long shots at the moment as right now the Badgers are licking their wounds in wake of losing Andersen.
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