Alex Grinch is returning to the Big Ten.
Wisconsin hired the former Ohio State co-defensive coordinator, who was most recently USC’s defensive coordinator, as its new safeties coach on Thursday, according to multiple reports.
Breaking: #Badgers set to hire Alex Grinch as safeties coach. Grinch was the DC/safeties coach under Lincoln Riley at USC and Oklahoma. https://t.co/BJ6ZaYnZBj
— Colten Bartholomew (@CBartWSJ) January 25, 2024
Grinch replaces former Wisconsin co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Collin Hitschler, who left to take on the same role on Kalen DeBoer’s new staff at Alabama.
While Grinch was viewed as a rising star in the industry when he arrived at Ohio State, his defenses haven’t had much success over the past six years. Ohio State’s defense in 2018, his only year with the Buckeyes, was statistically the worst in school history. His defenses as Oklahoma’s defensive coordinator from 2019-21 repeatedly struggled in big games while his defenses as USC’s defensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023 both ranked outside the top 100 nationally in yards allowed per game; he was ultimately fired by USC in November after a 52-42 loss to Washington.
Grinch won’t be calling the defensive plays at Wisconsin, where Mike Tressel is entering his second season as defensive coordinator under Luke Fickell. However, he was named a co-defensive coordinator by the Badgers.
Welcome to Wisconsin, @CoachGrinch!#OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/YkHd9Gtpv9
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) February 1, 2024
He’ll go against his former team on Sept. 28 when Wisconsin plays USC at the L.A. Coliseum in the Badgers’ Big Ten opener.
Grinch is just one of several coaches on Wisconsin’s staff with Ohio State ties. Fickell is a former Ohio State player and assistant coach while Tressel is the nephew of former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel. Wisconsin hired former Ohio State quarterback Kenny Guiton in December as its new wide receivers coach while former OSU defensive backs coach Paul Haynes is the Badgers’ cornerbacks coach.
