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Former Wisconsin and Stanford inside linebackers coach Mark D’Onofrio has been hired to the same position at UCF, the program announced on Friday.
In doing so, D’Onofrio goes from working under one former Wisconsin assistant to another. At Stanford, he worked under defensive coordinator Bobby April III (Wisconsin OLBs coach from 2018-22). He now moves to a UCF defensive staff led by Alex Grinch (Wisconsin safeties coach in 2024).
Related: A look at Wisconsin football’s full coaching staff for the 2025 season
D’Onofrio spent just one season with the Badgers (2022). He was one of Paul Chryst’s key offseason hires entering that season, replacing longtime ILBs coach Bob Bostad after he moved over to the offensive line. The 2022 season did not go as planned for the Badgers, nor any on the coaching staff, as Chryst was fired in early October after a 2-3 start.
The veteran defensive coach followed April to Stanford after the 2022 season concluded. The program elected to not renew his contract following its 3-9 2024 campaign, instead hiring Andy Thompson to the position.
D’Onofrio now moves to UCF under defensive coordinator Grinch and first-year head coach Scott Frost. He and Grinch did not overlap during their time with the Badgers — Grinch spent the 2024 season with the program after several years as defensive coordinator under Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma (2019-21) and USC (2022-23).
Stanford LB coach Mark D’Onofrio named to same position at UCF
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) January 24, 2025
UCF will be D’Onofrio eighth coaching stop. He was previously the linebackers coach at Rutgers from 2001-03, tight ends (2004) and inside linebackers coach (2005) at Virginia, defensive coordinator at Temple (2006-2010), defensive coordinator at Miami (2011-15) and defensive coordinator at Houston (2017-18). Those…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/former-wisconsin-assistant-accepts-position-210912442.html
Author : Badgers Wire
Publish date : 2025-01-24 21:09:00
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