Wisconsin loses Kirk Penney, adds Brad Davison to coaching staff

Less than a month out from their season tipping off, Wisconsin has had a change to their coaching staff under Greg Gard. However, that loss has led to the exchange of one alumni to another within the Badgers’ program.

Wisconsin shared a statement today that Kirk Penney, back at the school as special assistant to the head coach, has resigned from that position to return to New Zealand. Now, in his place, Brad Davison, a former guard who recently played in Madison for five seasons, will return in that role. Gard commented on both changes in the release, as did Penney on his departure and Davison on his arrival.

“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. 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. As a father and husband myself, I fully understand the importance of being present with your spouse and young kids, which quite frankly, is a non-negotiable in the game of life,” said Gard. “I fully support Kirk’s decision to step away from coaching to be in New Zealand on a more full-time basis to grow his business entrepreneurial goals and most certainly be there with his family. We all understand the sacrifices he has made by living and working here while his family is half a world away, and I’m excited for him to be back home with Audra and the kids. Kirk will always have a place in our program and I’m looking forward to finding ways to keep him included in what we are building.”

“Adding Brad Davison to our staff is an absolute win. He was the heart and soul of our program while he played here and he has stayed connected even while playing professionally over the past four years in Europe. 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. 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,” Gard said. “We can’t wait to have Brad back on the court and in our program with us.”

Penney played for Wisconsin from 1999-2003, averaging 11.4 points (43.4% FG, 38.7% 3PT on 1.7 makes), 3.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 127 career games as one of the leading scorers and three-point shooters in school history. That playing career earned him a pair of spots on the All-Big Ten First Team in 2002 and 2003 and an honorable mention as an AP All-American in ’03. He was then inducted into the UW Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016, while his overseas career representing New Zealand also earned him an induction into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2024. He had since returned to Wisconsin for the past two seasons as special assistant to the head coach, with a lot of credit given to him for the Badgers’ offense in that time at 77.4 ppg..

Davison then played for the Badgers from 2017 to 2022, posting 11.3 points (38.3% FG, 35.9% 3PT on 1.9 makes), 3.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.0 steals per game in 161 appearances with 157 career starts as another one of the leading scorers and shooters in the history of the program. He too earned an honor as All-Big Ten Second Team in his final season in 2022. He has since been playing professionally in Lithuania and Spain.

This is a notable change to the bench for Gard as he reached a decade as head coach this season. Still, it’s at least a trade-off from one alumni to another with each knowing what’s needed within the program for the Badgers.