One year in Madison was all that was needed for Wisconsin to offer a contract extension to head coach Gary Andersen. The schools announced the contract for their football coach was extended through the 2019 season on Friday. The announcement was made via Twitter, although a more formal announcement should be expected soon.
Anderson coached the Badgers to a 9-4 season in his first year n Madison after building up the Utah State program. Anderson replaced Bret Bielema, who left Wisconsin for Arkansas before taking he team to their third straight Rose Bowl appearance at the end of the 2012 season. Athletics director Barry Alvarez coached Wisconsin in the 2013 Rose Bowl. Bielema ended his first season at Arkansas with a 3-9 record.
The terms of Andersen’s new contract were not yet released. His contract with Wisconsin when he was hired paid him a base salary of $1.8 million with an annual raise valued at $100,000 over the course of his five-year contract.
Anderson has what it takes to keep Wisconsin in the thick of the Big Ten title hunt for years to come, so locking in Andersen is a solid move for the Badgers. What has hindered Wisconsin in the past has been providing enough incentive for assistant caches to stay in Madison.