WBB Coaching Hot Board 1.1
Who should Wisconsin hire to lead the Badgers into the 2025-26 season?
Now that the Wisconsin Badgers women’s basketball team is in the market for a new head coach, it’s time to spin the Wheel of Coaches and speculate wildly on who will be on the bench for UW to start next season. Marisa Moseley reportedly resigned on Sunday after her fourth year at the helm in Madison and now Wisconsin will face another program rebuild.
What makes a coach successful? Well,,,it’s hard to say. When Moseley was hired most thought it was a smart hire, especially given her pedigree as a successful head coach at Boston University and her lengthy stint as an assistant at perennial power UConn. Turns out…that wasn’t enough!
Coaching, especially in college, is a difficult job and there is no exact equation that results in a coach having success at a particular stop. There are certain characteristics that UW should still take into account, however. Here is a brief list of what I would look for in a new coach:
clear communicator
tireless salesperson
preaches ball security, defensive effort, and rebounding tenacity
adaptability, both in-game and from season to season
doesn’t need to be from Wisconsin, or a Wisconsin alum, but should be familiar with the upper Midwest and the immediate recruiting area
embraces analytics but understands to use them as a tool in their tool box and not the end-all be-all of decision making
Now, here is Part 1 of coach names that I think Wisconsin should at least consider for the head coaching position. We are going to start with the long shots aka D2 and D3 coaches. Strap in, folks, because I found a lot of names interesting and I’m including ALL of ‘em.
(The names are listed alphabetically by division.)
D2 Coaches
Amanda Johnson, Concordia-St. Paul head coach
two-time NSIC Player of the Year at CSP; second all-time leading rebounder in school history
started career at Winthrop
played professionally in Australia, winning the 2010 Big V League MVP award
in 10 years (9.5 years technically as she was named interim head coach halfway through the 2015-16 season) as head coach at CSP she has amassed 170 wins and a 0.637 winning percentage; won regular season title in 2018-19 and 2024-25; won NSIC Tournament this year too
named NSIC Coach of the Year this season
native of the Twin Cities (don’t know exact hometown)
Janay Morton, Minnesota State assistant coach
spent the past four seasons as assistant at Minnesota State
won 2023-2024 D2 National Championship
specializes in guard play
played three years at Eastern Michigan; MAC All-Freshman Team (2014), MAC All-Defensive Team (2016), All-MAC Third Team (2016); finished her career with one season at Nebraska
from Brooklyn Park, Minn.
I would like her to be a package deal with the next coach on the list
Emilee Thiesse, Minnesota State head coach
won 2023-2024 D2 National Championship; had 4th best scoring offense in the nation and ranked second nationally in steals per game and turnovers forced while being first in turnover margin
has won over 66% of her games in 13 years as the head coach at MSU; five NCAA Tournament berths
her first year as head coach (2012-13) saw her lead MSU to the second most wins (26) in a season in program history
served as recruiting coordinator at South Dakota State for three years before going to Minnesota State; also an assistant coach at Drake
played collegiately at Nebraska-Kearney
her sister, Amy Williams, is the women’s basketball head coach at Nebraska
native of Spearfish, S.D.
Mike Williams, Grand Valley State head coach
in 10 years at GVSU he has a record of 272-49 (0.847)
won the GLIAC regular season title four years in a row (five times total) and the GLIAC tournament championship three years in a row
has been named GLIAC Coach of the Year four years running (and five times total)
made the Final Four twice; won the national title in 2005-06 as an assistant at GVSU
currently coaches Rylie Bisballe (back-to-back GLIAC Player of the Year) and MacKenzie Bisballe (GLIAC Freshman of the Year) who are the sisters of Wisconsin Badgers forward Alie Bisballe
went 130-11 (0.922) in four years at NAIA Davenport where he won WHAC (Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference) Coach of the Year thrice
spent four years as an assistant coach at Michigan under Kevin Borseth
graduated from UW-Stevens Point in 1987; hometown is Antigo, Wis.
D3 Coaches
Brad Fischer, UW-Oshkosh head coach
13 seasons as head coach for UWO
285-75 record (0.792 winning percentage) with the Titans
5x WIAC Coach of the Year; 5x WIAC regular season champions; 6x WIAC Tournament champions
currently in the D3 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 (the seventh of his career at Oshkosh); made the Elite 8 in 2022
top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at D2 UW-Parkside (2006-2011); assistant coach at UW-La Crosse (2003-2006)
general manager of Wisconsin GLO pro women’s basketball team in 2019 and 2021 (2020 season cancelled due to COVID) winning the league title both years
graduate of UW-La Crosse (2002 bachelors; 2005 master’s)
Laurie Kelly, Gustavus Adolphus head coach
13 seasons as head coach for the Gusties
head coach at Northern Arizona from 2003-2012; head coach at SUNY-Binghamton from 1998-2003; assistant at Minnesota State from 1996-1998
current back-to-back-to-back MIAC regular season champions; current 4x MIAC Tournament champions; currently in the Sweet 16 of the 2025 D3 NCAA Tournament
254-83 record (0.754 winning percentage) at Gustavus
compiled 117 wins at NAU (program record) while leading team to first ever Big Sky Tournament title and NCAA Tournament berth in 2005-06
turned Binghamton into a D2 powerhouse before helping them transition up to D1 in 2001-02; won four conference titles in five years
played at St. Thomas (Minn.) and is considered one of the finest players in D3 history; 3x All-American; National Player of the Year (1992-93); 3x conference MVP; set 22 conference record and 24 school records; one of five players named to the NCAA D3 25th Anniversary Team in 2006
native of Rochester, Minn.
I will have a Part 2 with D1 assistant coaches who could move up to be a head coach and then a Part 3 with current D1 head coaches later this week.