Should Wisconsin Consider Russell Wilson Before Another Program Hires Him?

Russell Wilson might be looking to get into coaching, and the first school to show interest isn't Wisconsin.

Wilson reportedly interviewed for the head coaching job at NC State, where he played before transferring to Wisconsin in 2011. That's an interesting development considering he doesn't have any college coaching experience. Apparently, NC State is at least willing to hear what he has to say.

It's a name Wisconsin fans know pretty well. Wilson only played one season in Madison, but he helped deliver a Big Ten championship. Now he's reportedly talking to another school about becoming its head coach.

Wilson Made His One Year at Wisconsin Count

Russell Wilson spent one year at Wisconsin. That's all it took for him to throw 33 touchdown passes, win a Big Ten championship and lead the Badgers to the Rose Bowl. He had transferred from NC State just months earlier.

Montee Ball had a remarkable season of his own, scoring 39 touchdowns. But Wilson wasn't just along for the ride. Wisconsin trusted him to throw the football, and he delivered when the Badgers needed more than their running game.

He completed nearly 73% of his passes and threw just four interceptions that season. Those aren't numbers Wisconsin fans have seen very often from their quarterbacks, especially with that many touchdown passes.

Wisconsin has been searching for that kind of production at quarterback for years. The Badgers have tried different starters without getting anything close to Wilson's 2011 numbers. It's easy to understand why his name still comes up when people talk about Wisconsin football.

Fickell Still Has Plenty to Prove at Wisconsin

Luke Fickell was brought to Wisconsin to get the Badgers back into the Big Ten championship conversation. That hasn't happened yet. The 4-8 finish last season only made things worse, especially with the expectations surrounding his arrival in Madison.

There have been some encouraging moments this year. Beating Penn State and USC gave Wisconsin fans something to feel good about, but getting shut out 30-0 by Iowa brought back plenty of frustration. It's hard to get excited about the direction of a program when the results change that much from one Saturday to the next.

Fickell deserves credit for the wins, but the losses can't be ignored either. Wisconsin has spent too much time trying to figure out what kind of team it wants to be. The Badgers used to make opponents earn everything, particularly when they came to Madison.

Bringing Wilson into the picture wouldn't necessarily solve those problems. Fickell still has a job to do, and Wisconsin needs to decide whether he's the right person to lead the program before getting caught up in the possibility of hiring a former quarterback.

Should Wisconsin Should Keep Wilson in Mind for the Future?

There's no telling whether Russell Wilson will end up coaching at NC State or somewhere else. Just getting an interview is interesting, though, especially for somebody who hasn't spent any time coaching at the college level.

The Badgers have no reason to get involved in NC State's coaching search. Wilson has ties to both schools, but that doesn't mean Wisconsin needs to compete for his attention. There's still plenty to sort out in Madison before another coaching change should even be discussed.

Wilson's connection to NC State throughout its hiring process, however, is interesting. His lone season in Madison is what propelled him to the NFL. Now a CBS Sports NFL analyst, there was never so much as a whisper of Wilson returning to the college coaching ranks.

Wilson might get an opportunity and surprise a lot of people. He knows the game, and there's no questioning what he accomplished as a player. Whether that carries over to coaching is something that will have to play out.

For Wisconsin, the focus should stay on fixing what's happening on the field. If Wilson eventually shows he can build a winning program, there could be a reason to talk about bringing him back, although head coach might be a little rich given his lack of experience.

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