As many now know, legendary Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan has announced that he will retire at the conclusion of the 2015-16 season. I knew that Ryan was going to retire relatively soon, but I was still in shock about it. It just seemed like Bo was going to coach forever.
Ten years ago, football head coach Barry Alvarez announced that he would retire at the end of the end of the 2005 season. This is a similar situation this year with Ryan. Alvarez hand picked his successor in Bret Bielema. He was (and still is) the Badgers AD, so he could do that without going through a coaching search. Ryan stated his support for Associate Head Coach Greg Gard to be his successor.
Back in 2001, I remember coming home from school and being so upset upon hearing Wisconsin, led by Brad Soderberg, losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Georgia State. I had no idea who would take over the team. Wisconsin was a decent program. but far from the force it became under the direction of Ryan. The Badgers had gone to the Final Four in 2000, but most consider that a fluke. Wisconsin decided to hire Ryan, who had gone a modest 30-27 in his two seasons at Milwaukee, but it was major progress for a program that had not had back-to-back winning seasons in nearly a decade.
Nobody thought that the Badgers would be where they are today back 15 years ago. Nobody. But that is exactly what he did. He has won four Big Ten championships, including winning his first year when the Badgers had eight scholarship players. Wisconsin had not won a Big Ten championship since 1947, but Ryan won it in each of his first two seasons.
But Ryan was always considered "underrated" by many up until the 2013-14 season. Wisconsin was always considered a good program under Ryan, but never a top program. The Badgers had only made the Elite 8 once in Ryan's 12 years at Wisconsin. The Badgers had consistently made the Sweet 16, but could not get over the hump. Most people thought Wisconsin would have a typical Wisconsin year in 2013-14.....a nice season, finish about fourth in the Big Ten and then lose in the Sweet 16. Then Frank Kaminsky came along. Wisconsin started out 16-0, but lost five of six and many thought the Badgers would struggle to make the tournament. But Bo turned that team around en route to a matchup with Arizona in the Elite 8.
Prior to the season, Bo Ryan's father Butch passed away. Every year, Bo and Butch went to the Final Four. But in the first season following Butch's death, Wisconsin had a chance to go to the Final Four on March 28. That day would have been Butch's 90th birthday. Wisconsin won 64-63 to give Bo Ryan his first Final Four appearance.
I did not think in my lifetime that the Badgers would play in a college football or basketball national championship game, but that is exactly what happened this past season. Wisconsin knocked off Arizona once again to get to the Final Four, which set the table for the arguably the biggest win in school history. Kentucky was 38-0 and Wisconsin was 35-3. Sam Dekker drained a step back 3-pointer to put the Badgers ahead for good to end Kentucky's undefeated run and get revenge for the Final Four game the year before.
When I was 12 years old, there was no way I thought the Badgers would make it to the championship, but that just shows how far Bo has brought this program.
In this day and age when one-and-dones are the way to go, Ryan has had two players in his tenure leave early, Devin Harris and Sam Dekker, who both left after their junior years. But for the most part, Ryan has done it the old fashioned way, with player development. Kaminsky is a prime example. He started two games in his first two years, and in neither year did he average more than five points per game. He improved to become a first team All-Big Ten player his junior season and was the West Regional's Most Outstanding Player. Then came his senior season. Kaminsky averaged 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in becoming the first Wisconsin player to ever win the Naismith, Wooden and Oscar Robertson Awards. For as much as he improved from his sophomore to junior years, he improved even more between his junior and senior years. He helped the Badgers reach the NCAA title game for the first time since 1941.
Jordan Taylor is another player who improved greatly, and ended up becoming an All-American his junior season at Wisconsin. There are numerous other examples, but these two are probably the most prime examples.
And finally, he is great at turning teenagers who come into Wisconsin as freshmen into men by the time they leave school. Player after player is coming up and telling how Ryan has influenced them and helped them become the man they are today. That is even more important than how he is as a coach on gamedays.
There are so many great memories with Bo. It is incredible how far the program has come since he took over the program. I do not know how the Badgers can sustain the success, but I have a feeling Greg Gard (if he is indeed hired) will be up to the challenge. With all of the success and accolades on and off the court, one thing is for sure: He will certainly be missed. Not only at Wisconsin, but in the Big Ten and the country as well...
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