Just two days after the Wisconsin football team took down USC in the Holiday Bowl, defensive coordinator Dave Aranda decided to move on to the SEC and accepted the same position at LSU.
Aranda served as the team’s defensive coordinator for the past three seasons, and coached them up to be a top-five defense in scoring, total yards, passing yards and rushing yards. From 2013-15, the Aranda-led unit allowed an average of 289.4 yards per game, ranking first in the nation.
In the 2015 season, UW’s defense gave up a nation-best 13.1 points per game and capped off the year by holding a USC team that averaged 34 points per game to just 21 points.
Football breakdown: Wisconsin overcomes all odds to take Holiday Bowl
Wisconsin’s defense will be returning seven of its 11 starters next season — four of which were recognized as All-Big Ten performers this season — so whoever does take over for Aranda will have plenty of talent to work with in their debut season.
This is the third major coach the Badgers have lost since 2012, as head coaches Bret Bielema and Gary Andersen left for Arkansas in 2012 and Oregon State in 2014 respectively.
The Badgers will face LSU in their 2016 season opener at Lambeau Field on September 3.
