TRENDING: Wisconsin Badgers hires ex-USC defensive coordinator Alex Grinch as safeties coach

The university announced on Thursday that Alex Grinch, a former USC assistant, has joined Wisconsin as a co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach. Grinch, who began working with coach Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma in 2019, has been the Trojans’ defensive coordinator and safeties coach for the most of the last two seasons.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Coach (Luke) Fickell’s staff at Wisconsin,” Grinch said in a press release. “I’ve admired Coach Fickell’s coaching and leadership style from afar for a while and I can’t wait to enter a new era of Big Ten football on his staff at Wisconsin.”

Following the 2021 season, Grinch, despite facing increasing criticism for his defensive strategy, trailed Riley from Oklahoma to USC. The scrutiny escalated in 2022 when USC conceded 136 points in three losses, including a staggering 46 points in the Cotton Bowl defeat to Tulane.

Even with a substantial influx of transfers on the defensive side, USC’s defensive performance took a nosedive in 2023. By the time of Grinch’s dismissal in November, the Trojans ranked near the bottom in FBS statistical rankings, specifically 119th in total defense and 121st in scoring defense. These figures represented a significant decline of 14 and 30 spots, respectively, compared to the previous year. Under Grinch’s defensive leadership, USC allowed at least 40 points in five out of eight games against power conference teams. However, in the three games following Grinch’s removal, the Trojans did not permit any opponent to surpass that scoring threshold.

Riley concluded the 2023 season with the poorest record of his career, going 8-5, as the defense struggled. Additionally, USC failed to capitalize on what could have been a remarkable final year with former Heisman Trophy winner and anticipated No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick Caleb Williams at quarterback.

Grinch exhibited significant potential in his coaching career, particularly during his tenure as Washington State’s defensive coordinator from 2015 to 2017 under former coach Mike Leach. In just two seasons, he propelled the Cougars’ total defense ranking from 60th to an impressive 16th.

Following this success, Grinch spent a year as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Ohio State before joining Oklahoma as defensive coordinator in 2019. While the Sooners boasted a top-30 defensive unit in 2020, Grinch’s subsequent defenses have failed to crack the top 50.

It is anticipated that Grinch will collaborate closely with Mike Tressel, Wisconsin’s current defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach. Tressel made the move to Wisconsin from Cincinnati alongside Luke Fickell before the 2023 season and led a defensive unit that secured the seventh position in the Big Ten in total defense.