AJ Blazek excited to be back in Big Ten country

After high school and quick stint at Butler Community College in Kansas, Blazek found his way to the Iowa Hawkeyes, where he was an All-Big Ten offensive lineman in 2000. He was a grad assistant at his alma mater from 2002-2004, and returned to the conference to facilitate Rutgers’ offensive line in 2016.

It’s not just his alma mater and his prior coaching stops, however. Big Ten country is a family affair for Blazek as well.

“I’m back close to my wife’s family. And my family is right close here in the state of Iowa. So back in Big Ten country, can’t express really how excited we are as a family to be part of the history here at Wisconsin but also to help move it forward,” he said.

Blazek spent the past three seasons coaching Vanderbilt’s offensive line. His units in Nashville were strong, particularly in pass-protection. But the bottom of the SEC is a tough place to live as a coach and recruiter. Wisconsin, when it comes to the offensive line, is a different story.

“I think it’s like 20 guys in the last 15 years drafted out of that room, 15 in the last 11. 75 percent of those guys are from the state of Wisconsin,” he said. “If you wanna coach a position, go where they grow. If you wanna be a quarterbacks’ coach, go to Southern California. But if you wanna coach offensive line, go to Wisconsin.

“Going to the NFL is just a byproduct of what’s going on in this building, and in this stadium and in this state.”

Blazek, who talks with his hands and weaves jokes into his long-winded, thoughtful answers, is a bundle of energy. His demeanor, paired with his extensive background, appear to make him a great fit for what head coach Luke Fickell is trying to build at Wisconsin. But his job won’t be easy. As it stands, Blazek is the Badgers’ fourth offensive line coach in four years. For a program that likes to consider itself “O-line U,” there’s been a distinct lack of continuity that has led to inconsistent performance.

“You’re taking over kids that have heard different coaching points, had (two) offensive changes from a coordinator standpoint. So they’ve been asked to do different things,” he said. “I’ve talked to some of the older guys, Jack (Nelson), Riley (Mahlman)…I think the biggest thing is, those guys understand and they’ve actually built a skillset. A lot of guys if they learn one thing the whole time you get really good at it. We’re probably decent in a number of things; what can we get really good at?”

In order to right the ship and return the Badgers’ offensive line to the stability and dominance that unit has come to expect, Blazek says it’s all about instilling confidence.

“The biggest one is building that confidence in them so they take the field with a swagger. I mean when people come to Madison, or we go on the road, we’re putting on a show up front. Everybody’s coming to watch the o-line play,” he said. “Now that’s our own room, I’m not saying it’s our whole offense. But they’ve gotta take the field, there’s 80,000 people here to see us. They’re here to watch us put a show on.”

It’s plain to see how Blazek, who shook every media member’s hand after his introductory presser, is easy to get along with. He takes a family-oriented approach, both when it comes to recruiting new players and building a relationship with the existing ones in his room.

“As a parent, you try to think about what a parent would want. You try to put yourself in the kids’ shoes. I try to keep up with tech, I try to keep up with music. I’m a country music guy but I’ll listen to some Rod Wave, I figured that out about two years ago,” he laughed. “Long story there is, you’ve gotta relate to where they’re at and what they’re looking for.”

It’s evident that Blazek understands the magnitude of his job. Fickell is trying to to turn Wisconsin into a perennial national contender, and Blazek is coaching the position group upon which the program was built. That’s something he embraces.

“Some people say, ‘oh, there’s pressure.’ That’s the fun part. If you wanna play at the highest level, coach at the highest level, you’re gonna have pressure at the highest level,” he said. “The exciting part for me is to come here and compete to win Big Ten championships, because if you win in the two major leagues right now, you’re playing for whatever you wanna play for.”