Gary Andersen’s sudden move to Oregon State from Wisconsin came as a shock to many, but a deeper look at the situation could explain why he felt like making a change.
According to a few different reports, Andersen was frustrated with the admissions standards at Wisconsin. Apparently they were strict, which made it difficult for the coach to get in players he wanted. Additionally, Andersen was frustrated by the lack of pay to his assistant coaches. At the top-level schools, it’s imperative not only to pay good money for a quality head coach, but also for the rest of the staff.
ESPN’s Travis Haney reported last week that Andersen was afraid of losing his defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, who probably could get a $1 million-a-year job in the SEC. As it is, Andersen only makes a little more than $2 million a year as the head coach.
These were many of the same issues Bret Bielema experienced in Madison, which led him to take the Arkansas job in 2012.
Athletic director Barry Alvarez acknowledged in his press conference Wednesday that Wisconsin is not a destination job, but will he battle the school regents in order to give his coaches more support? If not, he can probably expect the next coach he hires to experience similar levels of frustration as the previous two who left.
