All Badgers

Greg Gard adds beloved former player to coaching staff in 'special assistant' role

Greg Gard made a change to his Wisconsin Badgers coaching staff Monday and brought back one of the program's most beloved recent players in the process.
Lorin Cox|
Jan 9, 2018; Lincoln, NE, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard (right) talks to guard Brad Davison (34) during the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the first half at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Jan 9, 2018; Lincoln, NE, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard (right) talks to guard Brad Davison (34) during the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the first half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. | Bruce Thorson-Imagn Images

In this story:

Wisconsin Badgers

Greg Gard made a change to his Wisconsin Badgers coaching staff Monday and brought back one of the program's most beloved recent players in the process.

The school announced the departure of Kirk Penney, who had served as Special Assistant to the Head Coach since 2023. His replacement is another former Badgers guard, Brad Davison.

“Our entire team and staff are grateful for the two seasons Kirk was able to spend with us and I thank him for his impact on Wisconsin Basketball,” Gard said in a statement. “He is a legend of this program and it was fun to see him extend the impact he had as a player to then a coaching role."

Gard indicated that Penney will be going back to his home country of New Zealand and spending more time with his family and other business interests.

He is the all-time leading scorer of New Zealand's national team and a member of the UW Athletics Hall of Fame.

His replacement, Davison, returns to the program after four years away playing professional basketball overseas.

"He has a terrific basketball mind, one of the best leaders I’ve ever coached, and we know we are adding someone who will dedicate every ounce to this team," Gard said. "He’s a winner and will not only add valuable perspective, but he will also have the ability to connect with the guys in our locker room from day one. We can’t wait to have Brad back on the court and in our program with us.”

Davison holds the school record for most three-point shots made, and he is one of five players in program history to reach 1,500 points, 500 rebounds and 300 assists in his career.

He played the last four seasons in Lithuania and Spain, but he returns to Madison now to start his coaching career with his alma mater.

More Wisconsin Badgers News:

Published
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.

Home/Basketball