BREAKING: Badgers sign Kansas OC Jeff Grimes as next OC

According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the Wisconsin Badgers are hiring Kansas Jayhawks offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes to be the school’s next offensive coordinator.

Grimes was hired as offensive coordinator for Kansas when Andy Kotelnecki left for the Penn State Nittany Lions, and now another coordinator for the Jayhawks will be heading to the Big Ten.

He will replace former offensive coordinator Phil Longo, who was fired by the Badgers after just 23 games, and bring a new face to Wisconsin’s offense.

Grimes’ offense at Kansas in 2024 ranked 47th in the country with 410.9 yards per game, while his group really specialized on the ground with 201.3 rushing yards per game, good for 16th in the country country is.

It was Grimes’ first season at Kansas after three years at Baylor, where he was a finalist for the Broyles Award in his first year before ultimately being fired by head coach Dave Aranda following the 2023 season.

Grimes has coached at the collegiate level since 1995 and has also had stints at BYU (2x), LSU, Virginia Tech, Auburn, Colorado, Arizona State, Hardin-Simmons, Texas A&M and Rice.

He has a background on the offensive line, as Grimes was the offensive line coach throughout 2017 before landing his first job as offensive coordinator at BYU. Now in his fourth job as coordinator, Grimes fills a big hole in Wisconsin’s staff and answers an important question before the transfer portal window opens on Monday.