MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin head basketball coach Greg Gard announced on Monday the addition of former Badger standout Joe Krabbenhoft to his staff as an assistant coach.
“I am absolutely thrilled and thankful for the opportunity to return to Wisconsin,” Krabbenhoft said. “It really is a dream come true for me and my family. I’ve had conversations with Coach Gard about becoming a coach ever since my playing days. I’ve watched him work as a player, as a staff member and from afar now that he has become a head coach and I’ve always been impressed with him.
“I have so many great memories from Madison and UW and it’s an honor to be a part of the program that I played for and to be a part of something so special. It’s also extremely exciting to be a part of a new chapter under Coach Gard. I think the future is so bright for the Badgers and I can’t wait to get started.”
“I’m really excited to welcome Joe back to our staff. In terms of what I was looking for, he fits every criteria,” Gard said. “Having known him since his sophomore year of high school, this is the third time I’ve recruited him – as a player, video coordinator and now assistant coach. He checks all the boxes in terms of knowledge of the program, mind for the game, work ethic that’s second to none, experience as an assistant at South Dakota State and how well connected he is in areas that we want to stay active.
“He coaches how he plays. I’ve never been around a more fierce competitor than Joe and his toughness, personality and the fearlessness with which he played will be a great asset to our players. I believe there is a strong value in having former Badgers on our staff. He has walked in their shoes, sat in that locker room, studied in those classrooms and won championships. He is a tremendous addition to our program.”
A key player for the Badgers from 2005-09, Krabbenhoft returns to Madison after spending the past three seasons as an assistant coach at South Dakota State. With Krabbenhoft on the bench this season, the Jackrabbits earned a No. 12 seed in the NCAA tournament after clinching an automatic bid by winning The Summit League Tournament.
Prior to his time at South Dakota State, Krabbenhoft served as the video coordinator on Bo Ryan’s staff at Wisconsin during the 2012-13 season.
Krabbenhoft appeared in 136 career games and made 70 starts for the Badgers, leading UW to a record of 100-36 and four NCAA tournament appearances. He earned All-Big Ten Freshman Team honors in 2006 and a place on the All-Big Ten Defensive Team in 2008, when Wisconsin won both the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles. As a senior captain in 2009, Krabbenhoft capped his career in Madison with honorable mention All-Big Ten honors and was a recipient of the prestigious Big Ten Medal of Honor Award.
Krabbenhoft finished with 827 points, 756 rebounds and 273 assists as a Badger, making him the only player in Wisconsin history to post at least 750 boards and 250 assists, and just the fifth player in Big Ten history to reach those milestones.
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history, Krabbenhoft embarked on a professional playing career that included stints with the Portland Trailblazers in the NBA Summer League (2009-10) and with the NBA Development League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce (2009-10), where he averaged 13 points and 6.9 rebounds in 21 games with 13 starts.
Krabbenhoft also appeared in 23 games during the 2009-10 season with the South Korea Knights in the Korean Basketball League, where he averaged 11.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
He also played for Forca Lleida in the Spanish LEB Gold League and with the Panellinios Basketball Club in Greece. Krabbenhoft’s final season as a professional was in 2011-12 with Leche Rio Breogan Lugo in the Spanish LEB Gold League.
A native of Sioux Falls, S.D., Krabbenhoft and his wife, Sara, have two sons, Joe and Tristan.
