Not Good

neutral · January 02, 2016, 09:57:24 AM

Dave Aranda leaving UW to become defensive coordinator at LSU
Journal Sentinel - By Jeff Potrykus of the Journal Sentinel Jan. 1, 2016

Madison — Dave Aranda, the architect of Wisconsin's nationally ranked defense for the last three seasons, is leaving to run the defense at LSU.

A source close to the UW program confirmed the move late Friday, and LSU later announced the hire.

Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com first reported the move.

UW opens the 2016 season against LSU on Sept. 3 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

Aranda, who was pursued by LSU last year, replaces Kevin Steele. Steele left LSU to take over as Auburn's defensive coordinator.

Steele signed a two-year deal last January for $1 million per year.

Aranda is paid $520,000 annually, including a base salary of $300,000.

According to USA Today, Aranda entered the 2015 season 64th nationally in assistant pay, including 12th among Big Ten assistants.

Neither Aranda nor head coach Paul Chryst could be reached Friday.

"Dave's compensation is fair," UW athletic director Barry Alvarez told the Journal Sentinel last week, noting he has given Chryst more money to pay the assistants in 2016.

UW entered the Holiday Bowl allowing 16.9 points per game in three seasons under Aranda. That was the No. 2 mark among Football Bowl Subdivision programs, behind only Alabama at 15.7.

The Badgers held USC, which had been 30th nationally in scoring at 34.9 points per game, to 21 in UW's two-point victory in the Holiday Bowl.

UW entered the game allowing 289.4 yards per game in Aranda's three seasons, the No. 1 mark among FBS programs. UW held USC to 286 yards, well below the Trojans' season average of 449.6.

The news surely will be a blow to the UW players set to return in 2016.

One of those players is outside linebacker Vince Biegel, who has raved about playing under Aranda's tutelage.

"I want to finish out what I came here to do," Biegel said after the Holiday Bowl, when he announced he would return for his senior season. "To be able to put on the Wisconsin Badgers uniform and play in Camp Randall, you can't beat that.

"Coach Chryst, he is an offensive guru. You've got Coach Aranda, he is a defensive guru. It is a special team to be a part of.

"I've been known to say I'd take a bullet for him. I would take another bullet for him to stay."

Alvarez told the Journal Sentinel last week he was impressed by Aranda's creativity and versatility.

"Dave has brought a defense that really matches up well with all the spread offenses and can still hold up against the running teams," Alvarez said, noting Aranda uses so many personnel packages he has no true base defense. "Our guys don't flinch when teams come out and they are spread out all over the field."

Alvarez hated facing spread offenses during his time as head coach.

"That used to drive us crazy," he said. "We used to have a hard time matching up because of his personnel. That is part of his package.

"The way he matches up and still can pressure people and create problems, it is a very unique defense."

Now Aranda is taking his skills to LSU and he will be facing his former boss in the 2016 opener.

neutral · January 02, 2016, 10:05:26 AM

Definitely not good - but they've had good defenses before he got here too ... and there's no reason they can't again.

If he was doing his total job well ... he was also hiring good assistants - so the important part of a successful transition will be to retain the best of them. Otherwise - the transition might be a little more drawn out.

Does this affect Biegel's decision?

Ghetto · January 02, 2016, 10:53:51 AM

Quote from: neutral on January 02, 2016, 09:57:24 AM
"Dave's compensation is fair," UW athletic director Barry Alvarez told the Journal Sentinel last week, noting he has given Chryst more money to pay the assistants in 2016.

No Barry, you buffoon, it isn't "fair compensation". If you can move to another school and take the same position, and double your salary, you weren't being compensated fairly.

I don't think that this was a money grab for Aranda. Even though it is a step sideways in position, it's a step up for him in name recognition. He'll be on national TV more, be in big games more, and will work with athletes on a higher skill level. I don't know what his aspirations are in regards to the NFL, but working with LSU puts him on that track if he wants to go there.

imnofish · January 02, 2016, 09:34:15 PM

Quote from: neutral on January 02, 2016, 10:05:26 AM
Definitely not good - but they've had good defenses before he got here too ... and there's no reason they can't again.

If he was doing his total job well ... he was also hiring good assistants - so the important part of a successful transition will be to retain the best of them. Otherwise - the transition might be a little more drawn out.

Does this affect Biegel's decision?

So, how many of those assistants will he take with him? Inquiring minds will want to know.

maggie · January 03, 2016, 08:35:29 AM

ZERO!....

ramjet · January 03, 2016, 12:58:51 PM

Quote from: maggie on January 02, 2016, 09:50:56 AM
Rammy, all UW Schools will take huge cuts this yr...and of course, Sports will be the first to feel the pinch, from,wrestling to girls volleyball to all the all other sports in the UW system,as will as Wis Football....it very well may be the major Factor in why we can't keep Top Notch coaches In state...but more power to him!...hope he only suffers 1 LOSS next yr, to our BADGERS!...

Come on stop with the Democratic rhetoric that has zero to do with this guys choice to move on ZERO.

dad 2 5 · January 03, 2016, 02:20:54 PM

Bummer, he is an excellent coach and will be tough to replace but it is part of the coaching carousal - all roads lead to the SEC or NFL. It is a sad deal that the UW cannot pay coaches or professors like other schools.

Ghetto · January 03, 2016, 02:24:23 PM

I agree that it's tough. But UW, if it cares, only has to look at Michigan and Ohio State to see what big time football programs look like. Those two are destination jobs, not step up jobs. Coordinators I know are a different story, if they have ambitions of being head guys, but the blueprint is there.

I have to chuckle if Act 10 is really capping coaches salaries. Sorry.

dad 2 5 · January 03, 2016, 02:31:24 PM

i think this was posted before:
10 HIGHEST-PAID COLLEGE FOOTBALL ASSISTANTS, 2015*
Coach   School/Main Title   Salary
1. Will Muschamp   Auburn defensive coordinator   $1.6 million
T2. Kirby Smart   Alabama defensive coordinator   $1.5 million
T2. John Chavis   Texas A&M defensive coordinator   $1.5 million
T2. Cam Cameron   LSU offensive coordinator   $1.5 million
5. Todd Grantham   Louisville defensive coordinator   $1.4 million
6. Brent Venables   Clemson defensive coordinator   $1.35 million
7. Jeremy Pruitt   Georgia defensive coordinator   $1.3 million
8. Kevin Steele   LSU defensive coordinator   $1 million
9. Brian Schottenheimer   Georgia offensive coordinator   $950,000
T10. Bud Foster   Virginia Tech defensive coordinator   $900,000
T10. Mike Norvell   Arizona State offensive coordinator   $900,000

From SDS, this summer

dad 2 5 · January 03, 2016, 02:33:31 PM

also fun to look at:

http://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/football/assistant

http://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/

dad 2 5 · January 03, 2016, 05:06:53 PM

interesting Anderson and PC and staffs

imnofish · January 03, 2016, 05:11:38 PM

Interesting that Stanford's head coach makes less than our guy.

littleguy301 · January 03, 2016, 10:59:31 PM

Quote from: ramjet on January 03, 2016, 12:58:51 PM
Quote from: maggie on January 02, 2016, 09:50:56 AM
Rammy, all UW Schools will take huge cuts this yr...and of course, Sports will be the first to feel the pinch, from,wrestling to girls volleyball to all the all other sports in the UW system,as will as Wis Football....it very well may be the major Factor in why we can't keep Top Notch coaches In state...but more power to him!...hope he only suffers 1 LOSS next yr, to our BADGERS!...

Come on stop with the Democratic rhetoric that has zero to do with this guys choice to move on ZERO.

If the Badgers were able to pay Dave Aranda about 1 million to 1.2 million would he have left? Not sure on that but Ram you need to be realistic on this, the way ACT10 and the budgets are we are not going to be getting big name coaches into our system and we will have assistance leave if they get good because of this pay thing.

maggie · January 04, 2016, 08:15:40 AM

exactly LG, sports are always the first to suffer when money is lost, just the way it is, Booster can only do so much and a lot of there money goes to other areas of the institution as well as sports....yes, the pinch...oachhhhhh

DrSnide · January 04, 2016, 08:21:10 AM

So WI asst coaches were not underpaid before Walker?

It not political, it's cultural/priorities. Wisconsin does not value football in the same way as the SEC schools and is not going to pay a million for a coordinator regardless of who is in the governors mansion. If you look at the schools who are paying this money not exactly academic powerhouses