ESPN.com - NCB - Ryan named Badgers head coach

Terms won't be made public until then, but his compensation package is expected to be about $2 million over five years, double what he was making at Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

"We were looking for a coach with a national reputation, someone right for this team," Chancellor John Wiley said. "We found the right coach right here in Wisconsin, and we're delighted to have him."

Ryan, who won four NCAA Division III national championships in 15 years at Wisconsin-Platteville before moving to Milwaukee two years ago, takes over a team that has reached the NCAA Tournament four times in the last five years and went to the Final Four under Dick Bennett a year ago.

Ryan, 53, replaces Brad Soderberg, who wasn't retained after going 16-10 after Bennett retired in November. The Badgers lost in the first rounds of the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments this season.

Athletics director Pat Richter said Ryan was a better man for the job than Soderberg, 38, largely because of experience and also because he has more name recognition in college basketball, which should help recruiting.

Ryan said he would keep assistant coach Tony Bennett, Dick's son, and hoped to bring his top assistant, Rob Jeter, over from the Panthers. Jeter, however, might be a candidate to replace Ryan at Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

"It's a win-win," said Jeter, who played four years for Ryan at Wisconsin-Platteville and has assisted him for seven seasons.

Tony Bennett, like Jeter, a 31-year-old rising recruiting star, said he'll serve as a bridge between the old regime and the new one.

"I heard some people say it's to appease my father; I don't think so," Tony Bennett said. "But, I think it's important to have some continuity and also to keep this team intact."

Ryan indicated he wanted to continue playing the other Division I programs in the state. Wisconsin-Milwaukee is on next year's schedule.

Ryan is a former Badgers assistant who wanted the job in 1992 but was beaten out by Stu Jackson, who left for the NBA in 1994 and was followed by Stan Van Gundy. Bennett replaced Van Gundy in 1995.

"I am so happy for this opportunity," Ryan said. "To be a Badger is great. To be a successful Badger is even better."

Richter said Ryan emerged as the only serious candidate on Monday after Majerus withdrew from the running to stay at Utah.

Ryan's record in two years at Wisconsin-Milwaukee was 30-27, a turnaround for the Panthers after five dismal seasons when they were 31-105 before his arrival.

Richter's criteria was a coach with a national reputation and state ties, things that could attract better athletes to Madison.

"Don't let the gray hair fool you," Ryan said. "Energy's not a problem. Recruiting, not a problem. We can sell. We have a lot to sell. We have one of the finest academic institutions in the country."

Ryan operates a stingy defense similar to Dick Bennett's system, but his offensive strategy is more up-tempo.

Junior guard Ricky Bower said the players were still disappointed by Soderberg's departure but eager to move on under Ryan.

"I only hear positive things about him and his system and style," Bower said. "When they came in here this season, they shot a lot of 3s. So, I fit in perfect. We hear it's a more up-tempo offense and a Dick Bennett-style defense."

Ryan worked as a Wisconsin assistant under coaches Bill Cofield and Steve Yoder before going to Wisconsin-Platteville, where he won 353 games from 1984-99.

Like Dick Bennett did, Ryan can expect to earn a salary of about $300,000, including television and radio contracts, and another $100,000 from summer camps and $50,000 or so from a shoe contract.

The standard UW contract for coaches in revenue sports is for five years and usually is rolled over every year based on performance.

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