Sources: Badgers hiring Grinch as safeties coach

Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior WriterJan 25, 2024, 03:16 PM ET
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- College football reporter.
- Joined ESPN.com in 2008.
- Graduate of Northwestern University.

Wisconsin is hiring Alex Grinch, who was fired as USC‘s defensive coordinator this past November, as its new safeties coach, sources told ESPN.

Grinch oversaw USC’s defense after previous coordinator stints at Oklahoma, Ohio State and Washington State. USC coach Lincoln Riley fired him Nov. 5 after the defense had surrendered 101 points during its previous two games. Riley, who brought Grinch with him from Oklahoma to USC, stuck with him despite the defense’s struggles toward the end of the 2022 season.

Grinch, 43, an Ohio native, returns to the Big Ten after spending the 2018 season as Ohio State’s co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach alongside primary coordinator Greg Schiano. He has coached defensive backs throughout his career and worked with the safeties at Missouri, Ohio State, Oklahoma and USC.

Grinch played safety at Mount Union and won three Division III national titles. He has worked under Chip Kelly at New Hampshire, Mike Leach at Washington State, Urban Meyer at Ohio State and then Riley.

The Wisconsin State Journal first reported Wisconsin’s hiring of Grinch.