A mix of youth and experience will be added to the University of Wisconsin football coaching staff with the hires of three assistant position coaches Thursday.
Badgers coach Luke Fickell is adding longtime offensive coach Blake Rolan as an assistant receivers coach, Joe Ludwig as assistant tight ends coach and promoting Tuf Borland to assistant linebackers coach.
The additions continue Fickell’s approach since the NCAA lifted the cap on allowed on-field coaches. He told BadgerExtra last summer that having more contact points and coaching for younger players was crucial to hastening their development, something that Fickell believes is essential in the current era of college football in which the trend is players don’t stick around a program long if they’re not playing.
“You talk about this in true learning,” Fickell said last summer, “you put all these guys that are not on the same level of learning, whether it’s whatever grade they’re in or not and you put them all in the same classroom, you have to sometimes unfortunately go to slower pace because you’re trying to bring people up to speed.
“So, if done the right way, we can separate some of that as you can give a faster progression to the younger guys or the guys that maybe you don’t get as many of the reps, but you also give a greater progression to the older guys because now there can be a greater focus on those guys, especially what we do. If you’re going to really be a developmental program and build those relationships, you don’t want to shortchange your young guys. So, it’s always a little bit of a tougher balance. This, I think, can help us out.”
Rolan has been the offensive coordinator at Southern Illinois the past six years, but he has experience as an analyst at Kentucky, as a receivers coach at Cincinnati and spent time at Tennessee and Auburn, too. Rolan also served as the OC at Division-II Dixie State (now Utah Tech) in 2018.
SIU ranked 50th in the FCS in total offense per game (378.7) and 30th in that subdivision in passing offense (234.6 yards per game) this season. Rolan coached former Wisconsin receiver Keontez Lewis this fall when Lewis had 49 catches, 813 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games. Lewis has since transferred to Oklahoma.
Rolan worked at Cincinnati before Badgers coach Luke Fickell took over that program in 2017.
Wisconsin has been aggressive in adding players from lower levels of college football via the transfer portal. Seven players from the FCS or D-III levels are set to join the Badgers in January.
Rolan will team with new receivers coach Jordan Reid and assist new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes.
This will be Ludwig’s second stint living in the Madison area, as he’s the son of former Badgers offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig (2013-14). Joe Ludwig graduated from Middleton High School and walked on to play football at Iowa for three years, but transferred to Utah where he played fullback for his father’s team and graduated in 2021.
He was a quality control coach working with inside linebackers for Baylor last season after spending two years as a graduate assistant for Bears coach Dave Aranda, a former Badgers defensive coordinator.
He’ll work with Badgers tight ends coach Nate Letton to lead a group that features returning contributors like Tucker Ashcraft and a transfer in Tanner Koziol who was one of the most productive pass-catching tight ends in the nation last fall.
Borland has been on the Badgers staff as a graduate assistant since Fickell took over. He’ll continue to work closely with Badgers defensive coordinator Mike Tressel and the team’s inside linebackers. Borland was a three-time captain for Ohio State from 2016-20, playing for Fickell his first two seasons in college.
Adding more assistants is a bit of a departure from how Fickell handled things last year when he brought on three such coaches: assistant offensive line coach Casey Rabach, assistant DBs coach Jack Cooper, who was promoted to safeties coach this offseason, and assistant special teams coordinator Eric Raisbeck.
“I’ve always envisioned too many is not always better,” he said. “It’s more about the quality of what it is that you can do, so that’s what we’re trying to find out.”
David Edwards gallery 1
David Edwards gallery 1
Wisconsin quarterback Bart Houston throws a pass on a 2-point conversion attempt while offensive lineman David Edwards blocks Northwestern’s C.J. Robbins during their 2016 game at Ryan Field Evanston, Ill. M.P. KING, State Journal archives
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David Edwards gallery 14
Wisconsin right tackle David Edwards looks around during a 2018 game against Northwestern in Evanston, Ill. NAM Y. HUH, Associated Press
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David Edwards gallery 13
Wisconsin offensive lineman David Edwards blocks Iowa defensive end Chauncey Golston as Badgers quarterback Alex Hornibrook throws a pass during their 2018 game in Iowa City, Iowa. MATTHEW PUTNEY, Associated Press
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David Edwards gallery 12
Wisconsin offensive lineman David Edwards blocks Iowa defensive end Chauncey Golston during their 2018 game in Iowa City, Iowa. MATTHEW PUTNEY, Associated Press
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David Edwards gallery 11
Iowa defensive end Anthony Nelson works to fend off Wisconsin offensive lineman David Edwards during their 2018 game in Iowa City, Iowa. MATTHEW PUTNEY, Associated Press
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David Edwards gallery 10
Wisconsin’s David Edwards warms up before facing New Mexico in their 2018 game at Camp Randall. MORRY GASH, Associated Press
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David Edwards gallery 9
Wisconsin’s David Edwards warms up before a 2018 game at Camp Randall. MORRY GASH, Associated Press
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David Edwards gallery 8
Wisconsin offensive lineman David Edwards blocks a Western Kentucky defender during their 2018 game at Camp Randall. ANDY MANIS, Associated Press
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David Edwards gallery 7
Wisconsin offensive lineman David Edwards cools off between reps during the team’s first fall practice of 2016 at Camp Randall. M.P. KING, State Journal archives
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David Edwards gallery 6
Wisconsin quarterback Alex Hornibrook and offensive lineman David Edwards celebrate with fans as they walk off the field after their 2017 win at BYU. M.P. KING, State Journal archives
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David Edwards gallery 5
Wisconsin offensive lineman David Edwards and wide receiver A.J. Taylor celebrate Taylor’s touchdown catch against BYU during their 2017 game at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah. M.P. KING, State Journal archives
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David Edwards gallery 4
Wisconsin quarterback Alex Hornibrook, left, walks off the field with offensive lineman David Edwards after their 2017 win over BYU at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah. M.P. KING, State Journal archives
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David Edwards gallery 3
Wisconsin offensive lineman David Edwards answers questions during the 2018 media day at Camp Randall. STEVE APPS, State Journal archives
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David Edwards gallery 2
Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor celebrates a touchdown with linemen David Edwards and Tyler Biadasz during their 2018 game against New Mexico at Camp Randall. STEVE APPS, State Journal archives
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David Edwards gallery 17
Wisconsin offensive lineman David Edwards runs a drill during the 2019 NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. DARRON CUMMINGS, Associated Press
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David Edwards gallery 16
Wisconsin offensive lineman David Edwards runs the 40-yard dash at the 2019 NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. MICHAEL CONROY, Associated Press
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David Edwards gallery 15
Wisconsin offensive lineman David Edwards runs a drill at the 2019 NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. MICHAEL CONROY, Associated Press
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