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MADISON, Wis. - The next step in the search for the next head coach of the University of Wisconsin-Madison men's basketball team was taken on Friday morning when the position was officially posted online.
The posting detailed that applications must be received by March 3, with an anticipated start date of March 8.
As acting interim head coach, Greg Gard has had a jump-start on the competition, with his application including a current 11-5 mark with this year's team, a record that consists of three victories over AP top-10 teams.
Following Friday's practice, Gard and Badgers players reacted to the news of the job posting.
"You knew it was coming at some point; it doesn’t really impact me," Gard said of the posting. "Like I said from day one, we knew this was part of the process and whatever part of the process they tell me I need to go through, we’ll do that when that time comes."
When asked if he would be applying for the full-time job, Gard jokingly said, "I think I might."
The timing of the job posting - with three regular-season games remaining - seems to favor Gard, but the Cobb, Wis. native isn't concerning himself with any subliminal messages that may or may not be sent by the dates surrounding the application process.
"I’ve never had a sense of non-relief; I’m just taking it day-by-day," Gard said. "Nothing gets me too tip-sided one way or another; I’m just worried about coaching this team and trying to get these guys better and helping them have a good season, which hopefully we’re on our way to having.
"This just gives (the university) options to do whatever they want to do…and that’s up to the administration on why they decided to do that at this point in time," Gard continued. "I have no problem with whenever they did it – I’m locked in to this team and (am) just worried about our next game, our next practice, and trying to move these guys forward."
And Gard has moved his guys forward as the Badgers currently sit at 18-10 (10-5) and are in a two-way tie for fourth place in the Big Ten as the final week of the regular season approaches.
Wisconsin has improved its field goal percentage from 41.2 percent under Bo Ryan to 43.1 percent under Gard, and has improved its three-point field goal percentage from 32.9 percent to 35.8 percent under Gard.
Additionally, players like Jordan Hill, Khalil Iverson, Aaron Moesch, and Charlie Thomas have seen their roles off the bench increase under Gard.
It's no wonder why the Badgers are making their votes known for who they think should be hired as the new head coach.
"Everybody on our team loves him, and I think he’s doing a really good job as everyone else can see," Bronson Koenig said of Gard.
"Coach Gard has done a great job of putting pressure on us a little bit more and making sure that we work hard in practice everyday. Coach Gard has been doing great, and that’s all we care about. He’s really got us to gel better, and that’s helped us a lot," Vitto Brown said. "I support coach Gard. We don’t know what’s going to happen obviously, and it’s out of our control, but whatever happens, we know that he did the best he could."
"Everything will work itself out the way its supposed to be, but…of course we want him to have the job; he deserves the job; he should have the job; and he’ll probably get the job," Nigel Hayes said. "He’s been here long enough and he embodies Wisconsin basketball and everything that it stands for."
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