Wisconsin set to hire former USC defensive coordinator Alex Grinch

Former USC defensive coordinator and safeties coach Alex Grinch is set to be named the new safeties coach at Wisconsin, a source tells On3.

He was dismissed in November in his second season at USC as the team’s defensive coordinator. He had previously followed head coach Lincoln Riley over from Oklahoma. Grinch worked with Riley in Norman from 2019 to 2021 before leaving for Los Angeles.

The former Washington State defensive coordinator and Ohio State assistant led a defensive unit at USC that allowed 34.5 points per game this season while ranking in the bottom 30 in the nation in nearly every category. The Trojans’ rush defense struggled ranked 120th while the pass defense was 107.

The move to bring in Grinch comes after Kalen DeBoer tabbed Wisconsin safeties coach/co-defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler for an assistant job at Alabama. In his one season with the Badgers, Hitschler guided the Badgers to only allow 344 yards per game, ranking No. 38 in the country. Wisconsin’s pass defense gave up the 39th-least yards in the nation.

In Grinch’s first stint with Riley at Oklahoma, the Sooners’ defense ranked No. 24 in the nation in rush defense in 2021, showing solid improvement. Oklahoma was third in sacks and ninth in rush defense while just allowing 21.7 points per game in 2020.

Luke Fickell’s hire of Grinch comes on the heels of Wisconsin putting together an impressive transfer portal class on the defensive side of the ball. The Badgers added defensive lineman Elijah Hills, linebacker Tackett Curtis, cornerback RJ Delancy, linebacker Jaheim Thomas, linebacker Sebastian Cheeks, linebacker John Pius and EDGE Leon Lowery.

Grinch has also made coaching stops at Missouri, New Hampshire and Wyoming. He played safety in college for Mount Union.

Wisconsin is set to open the 2024 season on Aug. 31 against Western Michigan at Camp Randall. The Badgers host Alabama on Sept. 14, marking Alex Grinch’s first real test.