Part 1

Wisconsin Basketball has been one of the most consistent programs in the past 3 decades. With 3 different head coaches, Wisconsin has been to all but 3 March Madness tournaments since 1997 (not counting 2020). In that same time frame, Wisconsin has won 6 Big Ten regular season titles, 3 Big Ten tournament titles, been to 3 Final Fours, and almost a national title (Winslow touched it). Dick Bennet and Bo Ryan account for all the Final Fours, all the Big Ten tournament titles, and 4 of the regular season titles while only accounting for one of the missed March Madness tournaments (1998). Greg Gard accounts for only 2 Big Ten regular season titles with 2 missed March Madness tournaments and quite a few early exits. That brings me to the subject of today’s Wisco Wednesday: “Fire Gard”, a phrase I have heard from many Wisconsin faithful. Originally, this article was going to assess the merits of the Fire Gard crowd. But after last night’s win against Illinois, I think it’s best to start with why Greg Gard deserves to stay as Wisconsin’s head coach going forward.

Before we go into Greg Gard’s recent success, let’s start with Greg Gard’s first two years as Wisconsin’s head coach. Both years he took underdog teams to the Sweet Sixteen with some clutch basketball against teams that should have beat Wisconsin. As a lifelong Wisconsin Basketball fan, 3 of my favorite moments are from those Sweet Sixteen years. Bronson Koenig’s iconic corner 3 against Xavier, Nigel Hayes’s clutch layup against Villanova, and even though it was in a loss, Zach Showalter’s clutch play against Florida will always have a sweet spot in my heart. There are arguments that these were teams recruited by Bo Ryan and Greg Gard benefitted from that fact. I disagree. Greg Gard coached those moments and got the best from his players. Especially considering the 2016 team only made the tournament because the team rallied around Gard and tore through the Big Ten to make the tournament.

Let’s skip to the 2023-24 basketball season. From 2018 – 2023, Greg Gard’s Wisconsin teams were up and down with two different outcomes: Either miss the tournament, or collapse at the end of the season and lose early in the March Madness tournament. (2020 was the exception. Wisconsin was starting to heat up before a certain pandemic canceled everything. ESPN had us winning the tournament in their projection, hang the banner.) Unfortunately, 2024 was more of the same. Wisconsin started hot, beat initial predictions, and then fell flat on their face at the end of the regular season. They were able to at least beat Purdue before losing to JMU in a 5-12 matchup. However, this is where Greg Gard started to learn something Bo Ryan never did before him: How to adapt. He did this on two accounts. First, AJ Storr was an initially under-appreciated transfer who managed to play himself into an All-Big-Ten second team. Second, the Badger offense started to play a tad quicker and more efficient. That team had the best offense on a per-game basis since 1993. Sadly, AJ Storr was a sophomore and stopped caring once he had played well enough for a big payday from Kansas.

Enter John Tonje, another under-appreciated Greg Gard transfer. He was the lowest-rated of the three transfers that Gard brought in for the 2024/25 season. And now, he’s a strong contender for Big Ten Player of the Year. He leads a Wisconsin offense that makes last year’s offense look like peak Virginia. Last week, I talked about how historic this offense is, and since then they dropped 94 and 95 against two of the best teams in the Big Ten. This year really points to where Greg Gard has excelled as a head coach: Adapting in the new Wild West of College Sports while finding diamonds in the rough. If he can continue this success and constantly beat out expectations, maybe we can start viewing Gard in the same light as some of the other great coaches currently in the Big Ten

However, no matter how historic this season has been, the only thing he’ll be judged on is his March Madness success. Now, I’m a Greg Gard fan, but if he falls flat and loses in the first round yet again, you might hear me join in the chants of “Fire Gard”. 

Want more Walk On Fan?
Check out our analysis of Wisconsin’s incredible offense this season from last week’s Wisco Wednesday.
Follow us on Bluesky here!

This article was written by Jordan Longseth and edited by Hayden Breene.