Wisconsin Badgers lose a key front office staffer for second straight offseason

After losing their GM in 2024, the Wisconsin Badgers are now tasked with replacing their director of player personnel this offseason

Camp Randall Stadium before the game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Staffers and assistant coaches from winning programs are often poached by other programs for larger positions.

Wisconsin under Luke Fickell certainly hasn't been a winning program. Yet, for a second straight offseason, they'll have to pivot after losing a key part of their front office.

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Wisconsin Director of Player Personnel Ethan Russo hired away by Oklahoma State

After one season with the Badgers program, Ethan Russo will be leaving Madison to link back up with new Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris, whom Morris worked with at North Texas in 2023 and 2024.

Oklahoma State is hiring Wisconsin director of player personnel Ethan Russo as executive director of player personnel, sources tell me and @chris_hummer.

Before Wisconsin, worked under Eric Morris at North Texas. Now joining Morris at Oklahoma State. pic.twitter.com/jVd354IdUj

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 15, 2025

Morris was hired this offseason and is also bringing along North Texas General Manager Raj Murti and Chief of Staff Rolando Surita in their same roles, making Russo's arrival even more of a UNT reunion.

Oklahoma State football coach Eric Morris has added Rolando Surita and Raj Murti as front office personnel for Cowboy Football.

🔗: https://t.co/4Y9IFHoRKL pic.twitter.com/1UEvcSxJCb

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) December 11, 2025

Russo served as the director of player personnel for Wisconsin and will hold the title of executive director of player personnel at his new stop.

His departure from Wisconsin leaves a hole in the staff, one that they'll have to fill for a second straight year.

Related: Luke Fickell fires Wisconsin OL coach, replacing him with respected SEC coach

When Russo was hired in March of 2025, he was brought in to replace Max Steinecker, who bolted for USC to fill the same role Russo is slated to receive at Oklahoma State.

Before North Texas, Russo had spent time at UNLV, Utah and Rice, while also having brief NFL stints with the Colts and Browns.

Brandon Rose currently serves as one of Wisconsin's three Assistant Directors of Player Personnel, and he's been on staff for the past two seasons after a three-year stretch as a recruiting specialist at Alabama. He appears to be a possible in-house candidate to replace Russo

Wisconsin is expected to hire Alabama recruiting specialist Brandon Rose as an assistant director of player personnel, sources tell @247sports/@CBSSports.

Rose, the grandson of former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, had worked at Bama since 2021.… pic.twitter.com/YFd8I8TSgt

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) July 24, 2024

Director of Recruiting Pat Lambert is another possible solution. He's served in that position since 2023, when he came over from Cincinnati, where he also served as the Bearcats' director of recruiting under Luke Fickell.

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