Wisconsin Basketball Coach Moves on From the Badgers Program

Dean Oliver announced Wednesday night that he is moving on after seven seasons as an assistant coach for the Wisconsin basketball program.

“Today I informed coach Gard that I am moving on from the University of Wisconsin,” Oliver wrote. “It was an honor and a privilege to have coached here, and while I am excited to take the next step in my career, I know that my experience as a Badger will stay with me forever.

“Most of all, thank you to the incredible student-athletes, coaches, and staff that helped make my time here such a great experience.

“On Wisconsin.”

 

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Oliver played an important role in the Badgers’ success, contributing to two Big Ten Conference regular-season titles in 2019-20 and 2021-22. He joined the Wisconsin basketball team as an assistant coach in 2017, making him the second-longest tenured assistant on Greg Gard‘s staff.

Before his time at Wisconsin, Oliver had assistant coaching stints at North Dakota from 2011-2013 and Illinois State from 2014-2016.

Oliver’s departure leaves Joe Krabbenhoft and Sharif Chambliss as the remaining assistants on Coach Gard’s staff. Former Wisconsin basketball guard Kirk Penney served as a Special Assistant to the Head Coach in the 2023-24 season and could be a potential replacement for Oliver.

As a former star at Iowa, Oliver brought valuable playing experience to his coaching role. Badgers backcourt players often praised him as a pivotal reason for their development. He also played in the NBA for two seasons with the Golden State Warriors and was named to the All-Big Ten third team three times during his four seasons.

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