Wisconsin hires Alex Grinch: Ex-USC, Oklahoma assistant joins Badgers in co-defensive coordinator role

Grinch's defensive units were often scrutinized during his time at USC and Oklahoma

By Will Backus Feb 1, 2024 at 2:06 pm ET• 2 min read

Wisconsin has hired former USC assistant Alex Grinch to serve as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach, the school announced Thursday. Grinch spent a majority of the last two seasons as defensive coordinator and safeties coach with the Trojans, continuing a partnership with coach Lincoln Riley that extended back to 2019 at Oklahoma. 

"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."  

Grinch followed Riley from Oklahoma to USC following the 2021 season despite growing scrutiny over his defensive scheme. That fire grew more intense during the 2022 season when USC gave up 136 points in its three losses, including a whopping 46 in its Cotton Bowl loss to Tulane. 

Despite a massive transfer portal haul on that side of the ball, USC's defensive numbers plummeted in 2023. At the time of his firing in November, the Trojans were near the bottom of the FBS statistical rankings (119th in total defense and 121st in scoring defense). Those numbers were, 14 and 30 spots lower than the year before, respectively. USC surrendered at least 40 points in five out of eight games against power conference teams with Grinch calling the defense. The Trojans didn't allow another opponent to eclipse that mark in three games following his ouster.