One year after contract extension, Badgers fire HC Tony Granato

Mar 6, 2023 - 9:45 PM

The Wisconsin Badgers have fired head coach Tony Granato after seven seasons with the program, athletic director Chris McIntosh announced in a statement on Monday.

Granato’s firing comes after a 13-23 season where the Badgers went just 6-18 in conference play, getting swept in the first round of the Big 10 tournament to the Michigan Wolverines.

This year marks Granato’s second season with a disappointing record, as the Badgers were even worse in 2021, finishing 10-24-3, including 6-17-1 in conference play.

Granato had seen success prior to the two down years, going 20-10-1 in the 2020 season, including 17-6-1 in conference play, which placed the Badgers as the Big 10 champions, hence why Wisconsin rewarded him with a contract extension, despite a down 2021 year.

McIntosh certainly isn’t opposed to bold moves, firing football head coach Paul Chryst midseason after a disappointing star, and now, the Badgers have moved on from longtime coach Tony Granato, with the athletic director believing that the hockey program can consistently compete for championships, citing that as the reason for the change.