The Wisconsin football program announced the hiring of Bob Bostad as the inside linebacker coach Friday, a position opened when Justin Wilcox left to coach at California.
Bostad will become the third inside linebacker coach in as many years for the Badgers, with former coordinators Wilcox and Dave Aranda filling the position for the past two seasons. His hiring represents another stage of the revolving door that the Wisconsin coaching staff has become since the departure of former head coach Bret Bielema in 2012.
Bostad has deep ties to the UW system, having played and coached at UW-Stevens Point, as well as being a six-year tenure with the Badgers from 2006-'11 before going on to coach in the NFL. In his time in Madison, Bostad coached tight ends for two years, overseeing the careers of future NFL players Travis Beckum, Garrett Graham and Owen Daniels, and then coached the offensive line, tutoring the likes of Travis Frederick, Gabe Carimi and Kevin Zeitler.
After a 27-year coaching career on the offensive side of the ball, he will now transition back to the defensive side. Bostad was a four-year starter at linebacker for the Pointers, and earned all-conference honors all four of those seasons, so he comes to the program with plenty of experience at the position.
Bostad’s first chance to coach with the team will come March 14 as the team begins spring practice, which culminates April 21 during the team’s annual spring game.
