Current Kansas coach and former Jefferson athlete, UW-Whitewater football coach Lance Leipold thinks that Wisconsin鈥檚 new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes can help the Badgers reestablish their physical, running identity. Grimes was the 2024 OC for the Jayhawks before being hired by UW.
Current Kansas coach and former Jefferson athlete, UW-Whitewater football coach Lance Leipold thinks that Wisconsin鈥檚 new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes can help the Badgers reestablish their physical, running identity. Grimes was the 2024 OC for the Jayhawks before being hired by UW.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Lance Leipold found a few minutes Wednesday afternoon to discuss the University of Wisconsin鈥檚 new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes.
Grimes was the offensive coordinator for Leipold on this past season鈥檚 Kansas University football team. The Badgers hired Grimes to replace Phil Longo, who was hired two seasons ago by then new UW coach Luke Fickell to revamp the Badgers鈥 offense, which had relied for decades on running the football.
Longo鈥檚 air-raid offense, that had produced points at North Carolina University with now New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye running it, never got going at Wisconsin. After two seasons that produced 12 victories and 13 losses and just 68 total points in this season鈥檚 final five-game losing streak, the Badgers are turning to Grimes to help turn around their offensive fortunes.
This season鈥檚 Jayhawks did not fare any better record-wise than the Badgers with a 5-7 overall record. After two straight years of going to the playoffs, Kansas is sitting on the sidelines this bowl season with the Badgers.
But the Jayhawks did have a three-game Big 12 Conference winning streak when they beat then No. 17-ranked Iowa State 45-36, then No. 7-ranked BYU 17-13 and then No. 16-ranked Colorado 37-21.
Leipold, who led UW-Whitewater to six NCAA Division III national championships from 2007 to 2014 and went 109-6 in that span, said Grimes can help Wisconsin. Leipold said Grimes agreed to use the same terminology on play calls that the Jayhawks had been using previously, which help the offense adapt to him.
鈥淚 think we were making good strides,鈥 Leipold said of the 2024 Jayhawks offense. 鈥淗e鈥檚 excellent in the run game; mixes up the screen game really well as well as play action.
鈥淔rom what I can tell, I think he will be a really good choice to get the Wisconsin offense back to where they what it to be.鈥
Before going to Kansas, Grimes spent three seasons each at Baylor and BYU. He devised the nation鈥檚 No. 3 scoring offense at BYU in 2020 and help lead Baylor to the Big 12 championship in 2021.
The 56-year-old Grimes also has been an offensive line coach and was a finalist for the Broyles Award in both 2021 and 2022 that goes to college football鈥檚 top assistant.
鈥淗e should be able to blend in what they want to accomplish both in scheme and philosophy,鈥 Leipold said of Grimes. 鈥淗e鈥檒l be able to blend in what they want to accomplish.鈥
Leipold, like all college coaches, is busy. He not only had to replace Grimes鈥攍ong-time Leipold assistant Jim Zebrowski was promoted鈥攂ut he also had to replace long-time friend and defensive coordinator Brian Borland who resigned from the position on Sunday after spending 18 consecutive seasons on Leipold鈥檚 staffs.
Combine the coaching changes with the constant flow of players to and from the team through the transfer portal and one can see the different directions Leipold is pulled.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like 2007 being at Whitewater between coaches and players and all that but mega-time by 100,鈥 Leipold said.
The transfer portal, where every player on the roster can leave for greener鈥攑un intended鈥攑astures, has driven coaches like Nick Saban out of the business and added hours of work to those who stayed.
鈥淚t鈥檚 changed so much,鈥 Leipold said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 even know my full job description anymore.鈥
That is the modern-day life of an NCAA Division I football coach.
Sign up for our Sports Update email newsletter!
Get the latest sports news delivered right to your inbox six days a week.
