The people and students of Wisconsin pride themselves as hard-working individuals who are down to earth and take pride in what they do.
No one exemplifies the Wisconsin work ethic more than men’s basketball head coach Bo Ryan.
Ryan, one of the winningest coaches currently leading a college program, remains as one of the most popular and respected coaches in college basketball. The reason he has the support of so many fans is because they can relate to both the way Ryan was brought up in Chester, Penn., and the way his team plays.
Ryan’s coaching style demands solid fundamentals from his team. Instead of opting for a showy offense, he installed the swing, which spreads the ball around and relies on everyone to play well and play every position.
The necessity for sound fundamentals and a lack of a showy offense, in my opinion, connects well with the people of the state. Wisconsinites understand and appreciate hard-working players and their determination for success, which matches the demeanor of Ryan and his players; they can relate well with those who feel the same way about their work, no matter the occupation.
Unlike many coaches, Ryan does not see himself above the rest. Sure, he does have the second-highest winning percentage of any active NCAA coach with more than 500 wins.
But he doesn’t act like it.
He still holds practices that are open to the media and answers questions honestly, almost to a fault. His ability to connect with people while not seeming like he is above anyone else gives him a connection to both the students and fans.
The best example of Ryan’s ability to make a connection with fans — especially with the student body — was when he made a video of himself doing the “Soulja Boy” dance last year. Not showing any reluctance to show a sense of humor made Ryan as likable as ever.
Showing a sense of humor and opening up to the media has allowed fans to get an insight into their team’s head coach many others do not get. When Bo showed the nation how to do the “Hambone,” it showed his lighter side and, more importantly, showed he grew up just like many people in Wisconsin did.
Ryan’s connection with people outside of athletics also attracts respect. I have had friends who have met Bo once or twice years before, and he has still remembered their name and asks them how their family is doing. The connection he is able to make with fans, especially on a personal basis, makes him seem like just an average guy who happens to coach a basketball team.
Most importantly, the reason why Ryan gets a lot of respect from fans, students and coaches is that he wins, and he wins when people do not expect him to.
The best example of his ability to find victories when his teams is underappreciated was last year, when the Badgers won the Big Ten Championship. In both the AP and USA Today polls, Wisconsin wasn’t ranked, mostly due to the fact they had lost the core of their team in Alando Tucker and Kammron Taylor from the season before.
But as the season progressed, the Badgers gained momentum, thanks in large part to a big victory over then-No.7 Texas in Austin. No one expected the Badgers to win, especially after losing big at Duke and falling in a nail-biter at home against Marquette.
Ryan’s ability to win when it is unexpected has given him the most respect above his other qualities. It’s not only the fact that he did win, but also how he did it. The Badgers did not have a definitive star or go-to man, but they were able to win with good hustle and defense.
As the Badgers near their 2008 tip-off, all eyes will be on Ryan to see if he can lead another under-the-radar team to the Big Ten Championship. Fans will have a chance to see if Ryan puts together another hard-working, scrappy group which, like the people of this state, continue to perform at a championship level.
Ben is a senior majoring in journalism and history. If you feel like you know Bo, contact him at [email protected].
