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Why new Wisconsin OL coach chose Badgers over offers from more successful programs

New Badgers offensive line coach Eric Mateos interest from other schools "on more perceived solid ground" but chose Wisconsin anyway.
Lorin Cox|
Jan 1, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Wisconsin Badgers offensive line and Auburn Tigers defensive line on the line of scrimmage during the first quarter in the 2015 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium.
Jan 1, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Wisconsin Badgers offensive line and Auburn Tigers defensive line on the line of scrimmage during the first quarter in the 2015 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

When new Wisconsin Badgers offensive line coach Eric Mateos wasn't retained on his previous coaching staff at Arkansas, he had interest from a number of schools that wanted to hire him.

A phone call from his old boss Jeff Grimes, now the Badgers offensive coordinator, greased the wheels, and before he knew it, Mateos was on his way to Madison.

He met with reporters for the first time this week and detailed his path to Wisconsin.

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His Razorbacks team was 2-10 this season, but their offensive line was lauded as one of the best in the SEC regardless of their record.

That had plenty of coaches reaching out to get him on staff, and he admitted he had some initial concerns about coming to a Badgers team coming off of back-to-back down years.

"It for sure was a consideration, especially for my wife," Mateos said. "I had a couple other schools that were pretty interested in me to come there that maybe are on more perceived solid ground. But I watched the film, and when I watched the film of Wisconsin from this season, I'll tell you this: it's not that far off."

He sees a team that is close to being a lot better than their record reflected this season.

For him, it was about picking a job with a staff he believes in. Coaching under Grimes in the past certainly helped make the choice easier.

Related: New Badgers OL coach bringing back old-school mentality Wisconsin fans will love

"If you just go around and make decisions on where you work based on how the season before went, then you are an idiot, anyway," Mateos said. "You need to make decisions on jobs based on the vision of the head coach, the infrastructure that is in place in the athletic department, and the potential you have to be successful at the job. I felt this place checked off all those boxes."

He acknowledged that the Badgers' offensive line wasn't good enough last year and needs to do a lot of work to get better.

But he's confident in his track record and the history of offensive line success at Wisconsin to get them back to the upper echelon of the Big Ten this season.

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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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