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Wisconsin Badgers have multiple direct connections to both Patriots and Seahawks in Super Bowl 60

The Wisconsin Badgers don't have any big-name former players participating in Super Bowl 60 on Sunday, but UW still has multiple direct connections to both the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks.
Lorin Cox|
Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell (center) has a long relationship with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel (right) from their time at Ohio State
Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell (center) has a long relationship with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel (right) from their time at Ohio State | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Wisconsin BadgersSeattle SeahawksNew England Patriots

The Wisconsin Badgers don't have any big-name former players participating in Super Bowl 60 on Sunday, but UW still has multiple direct connections to both the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks.

Neither roster has a Badgers alumnus suiting up for the big game, but both coaching staffs and front offices have key figures who are either from Wisconsin or coached at the school.

Keller Chryst

This past summer, the Seahawks hired Keller Chryst as a "special projects" analyst, and he remains on staff.

He is the nephew of former Badgers head coach Paul Chryst, and Keller himself was on the sidelines in Madison as a graduate assistant in 2021 and 2022.

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John Schneider

Seattle's long-time general manager John Schneider was born and grew up in De Pere, Wisconsin near Green Bay.

He got his start in the NFL as a scout with the Packers under general manager Ron Wolf, who is the father of Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf.

Eliot Wolf

The younger Wolf is the de-factor general manager for New England and is credited for building their Super Bowl roster.

He was not born in Wisconsin, but he went to high school at Notre Dame Academy in Green Bay before eventually starting his NFL career with the Packers.

Thomas Brown

The Patriots coaching staff includes passing game coordinator and tight ends coach Thomas Brown, who was previously the Badgers running backs coach in 2014.

That was the season Melvin Gordon led the NCAA with 2,587 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns while being snubbed for the Heisman Trophy. His backup, Corey Clement, rushed for almost 1,000 yards that season as well.

Related: How former Badgers coach Jim Leonhard impressed Buffalo Bills to become new defensive coordinator

Mike Vrabel

The other Super Bowl connection for the Badgers isn't through Wisconsin specifically, but Luke Fickell has a long-standing relationship and close bond with Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.

They both played college football together as teammates at Ohio State from 1993 to 1996.

They later coached together on the Buckeyes staff from 2011-2013, when Fickell was co-defensive coordinator and Vrabel coached linebackers and defensive line.

The Fickell household will certainly be cheering for New England on Sunday, but Badgers fans more broadly have connections on both sides to choose from.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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