A familiar face will be returning to Madison next season.
Head coach Greg Gard has hired former UW player and current South Dakota State assistant Joe Krabbenhoft to replace Gary Close on his staff, the school announced Monday.
“I am absolutely thrilled and thankful for the opportunity to return to Wisconsin,” Krabbenhoft said in a statement. “It really is a dream come true for me and my family. I’ve had conversations with Coach Gard about becoming a coach ever since my playing days. I’ve watched him work as a player, as a staff member and from afar now that he has become a head coach and I’ve always been impressed with him.”
Krabbenhoft played for the Badgers from 2005 to 2009, during which he appeared in 136 games and made 70 starts. During his career at Wisconsin, Krabbenhoft recorded 827 points, 756 rebounds and 273 assists. He remains the only player in program history with at least 750 rebounds and 250 assists.
Following his time in Madison, he played professionally overseas for a few years before retiring and moving into coaching. After ending his playing career, he returned to Wisconsin to serve on Bo Ryan’s staff as a video coordinator during the 2012-’13 season.
For the past three seasons, Krabbenhoft has been an assistant with South Dakota State under head coach Scott Nagy, who earlier Monday was officially announced as the new head coach at Wright State. During Krabbenhoft’s stint, the Jackrabbits posted a 69-32 record, including an NCAA Tournament appearance this season.
Now, he will return to his alma mater to replace Close, who announced his resignation last week.
“I’m really excited to welcome Joe back to our staff. In terms of what I was looking for, he fits every criteria,” Gard said in the same statement. “He coaches how he plays. I’ve never been around a more fierce competitor than Joe and his toughness, personality and the fearlessness with which he played will be a great asset to our players. I believe there is a strong value in having former Badgers on our staff. He has walked in their shoes, sat in that locker room, studied in those classrooms and won championships. He is a tremendous addition to our program.”
