Before the 2026 season even kicks off, Wisconsin football already looks different on the coaching side. Luke Fickell’s staff has gone through plenty of churn in Madison, and this year’s version includes five new position coaches. That matters, because position coaches are the ones shaping recruiting, development and the day-to-day tone inside each room.
When you strip away the coordinators and focus only on the coaches tied to specific position groups, the confidence picture in Madison starts to take shape pretty quickly. Some hires already look like wins. Others are still waiting to prove it on the field.
At the top of the list is defensive line coach Bryan Whitlow, who helped transform Wisconsin’s front last season. The Badgers went from a middling run defense to a top-15 unit nationally, and Whitlow did it by bringing in big, experienced defensive linemen through the portal. He’s kept that momentum going this offseason, and in the class of 2027 he already has verbal pledges from Yahzeen Zion and David Hill, both considered four-star prospects by at least one of the two major recruiting sites.
Right behind him is offensive line coach A.J. Mateos, and even though he hasn’t coached a snap in Madison yet, the early signs are strong.
His approach fits cleanly with offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes, and the two go way back. Offensive tackle Kevin Heywood said Mateos “lit a spark” in the offensive line room, and Grimes said he’s already seeing improvement this spring.
Mateos has also made noise on the recruiting trail, landing five verbal commitments in the 2027 cycle.
Another newcomer drawing plenty of optimism is cornerbacks coach Kerry Steeples. He hasn’t coached a down for Wisconsin yet either, but the praise around him has been loud.
Secondary coach Paul Haynes called him a “Very very sharp individual, very good young football coach,” and also pointed to his ability to teach man coverage, something Wisconsin has badly needed. The cornerback group he’s working with this fall looks like the program’s most talented since I began covering the team.
Outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell has been in Madison since day one with Fickell, and that familiarity shows. His room hasn’t always been a consistent producer, but it took a real step forward last season.
If Sebastian Cheeks develops the way Darryl Peterson did in his final year, Wisconsin should be in good shape off the edge again in 2026. Mitchell’s background as a D-III head coach also gives him a different way of seeing the game.
Tight ends coach Nate Letton has also earned plenty of trust. He’s another Fickell holdover who has been steady in Madison, and his players clearly respond to him.
Grant Stec called him the “greatest coach in the country” this offseason. Letton also got real production out of an FCS transfer last year, turning Lance Mason into Wisconsin’s leading receiver.
With a more balanced room in 2026, his group looks set up for another solid fall.
Running backs coach Devon Everett is harder to peg because he’s new to Madison, but he’s not new to coaching backs. He’s been doing it since his JUCO days in 2011. Wisconsin’s projected RB1, Abu Sama, likely doesn’t come out of the transfer portal if Everett isn’t part of the equation, and the room he helped assemble for this season looks strong.
Quarterbacks coach Kenny Guiton is another tricky evaluation. He spent his first fall in Madison coaching receivers before moving over to quarterbacks.
Wisconsin’s quarterback play was rough last season, though the room was also hit hard by injuries. What he does with Old Dominion transfer Colton Joseph this fall should say a lot.
Inside linebackers coach Alex Borland got an internal promotion ahead of the 2026 campaign, giving defensive coordinator Mike Tressel the chance to focus fully on his own role. Borland may have one of the best linebacker rooms in the country this season if Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano play the way people expect. The one thing he still hasn’t done is make a major recruiting splash.
Safeties coach Van Cooper enters year two in Madison with more questions than answers. Last season’s secondary had its rough stretches, and Cooper also lost Preston Zachman, arguably his best and most cerebral player, to a season-ending injury after three games.
That forced him to lean on D-III transfer Matt Jung, who needed time to adjust to the Big Ten level. The jury is still out.
At the bottom of the confidence list is wide receivers coach Jordan Confessor, though the situation around him is worth noting. He joined the staff in March, after the transfer portal dust had already settled, so he can’t be blamed for how the room was built.
He brings four years of D-I receivers coaching experience, including three at Air Force and one at Wake Forest, plus a season with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a coaching fellow. Even so, he inherits an underwhelming receiver group in year one at Wisconsin.
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