Wisconsin's coaching staff received a boost this with the addition of Bobby Engram as its offensive coordinator.

Engram, who worked as an assistant under head coach Paul Chryst at Pittsburgh from 2012-13, comes to Madison from the NFL's Baltimore Ravens where he mentored wide receivers for five years before he moved to the tight ends for the last three seasons.

[writer's note: Engram's potential position group to coach at Wisconsin has not been disclosed as of the time of publishing.]

Baltimore's offense finished the 2021 regular season ranked third in total rushing yards, sixth in yards per carry and 13th in passing yards. One former Badger, Kevin Zeitler, saw first hand the coaching style of Engram. The former first-team All-American, who has played in 152 career games in 10 seasons -- 151 of those starts, according to NFL.com, played his first season with the Ravens last year.

Zeitler spoke to BadgerBlitz.com last week, several days after the ESPN report surfaced of Wisconsin homing in on Engram as its choice for offensive coordinator. Questions and answers are edited lightly for brevity and clarity.

I know Bobby wasn't your position coach for Baltimore this year, but just how much did you interact with him each week, and what did you guys discuss?

"We interacted quite a bit. O-line, tight ends were so in sync when it comes to a successful run game, so he was around a lot. So we were able to work with each other on the field quite a bit.

"But also obviously with his son [former cornerback, now wide receiver Dean Engram] playing football at Wisconsin, me and him would watch the games on Saturdays, and we'd be discussing them Saturday night at the team meetings before game day. So we were both pretty heavily invested watching and seeing what UW could do."

Again, he wasn't your position coach, but I guess when you talk about the offensive lineman and tight ends working together, just what did you see from him as an assistant with his demeanor, and just what he expected out of the players that he coached?

"Bobby has a great level head. He knows how to keep moving forward, even when things don't go according to plan. Obviously, he kept a cool head and obviously saw the success he's had with Baltimore at multiple positions. He's coached wide receivers and obviously tight ends this year with Mark Andrews and everything. He seems to get the best out of his players."

From what you just described, I know this is your first season in Baltimore, but were there any specific stories or instances that stood out in terms of just his demeanor, and just how he interacted with y'all?

"I'd say more so, going back to kind of like seeing what his players can do. I think being in the NFL for so long, seeing all sorts of talented players at different places, all the teams I've been on, just seeing truly kind of how the tight ends in Baltimore were actually able to do the things they were asked to do.

"They got it done, and they got it done well. That's not always the case, as far as tight ends, and it was pretty wild to see the level of execution like that."

For those Badger fans that aren't familiar with Baltimore's offense, how would you describe it compared to the offense you've been able to watch at Wisconsin right now, in an offense that probably is familiar from when you were in Madison, and being an All-American on way to being a first round draft pick?

"I'd say this. I think Baltimore's offense, some of the unique wrinkles and whatnot, I think it complements what Wisconsin already does perfectly. One of the reasons I went to Baltimore is because there was so much similarity to like what I did back in the day at Wisconsin. That's my preferred style of play. So going back there, and then seeing what little tweaks and like what you can do when you have the right people in the right places, I think it can only help Wisconsin expand and improve."

Based on what you ran in Baltimore and if Bobby is hired by Wisconsin to become the offensive coordinator -- based off of what was run by the Ravens in that offense, and also what you know about Wisconsin's offense under Paul -- what do you feel that Bobby could bring to the Wisconsin offense in terms of tweaks or changes to the offense, if any?

"I would say, kind of like I said, based on who they have at personnel, you could go stick Braelon Allen at QB, you could go do some pretty wild things in that run game. I feel like the options would be limitless."

“I’m really excited for our players and for our program,” Chryst said through a release on Monday. “Bobby is a great person who has tremendous knowledge of the game. I’ve seen first-hand the impact he can have on players and there’s no doubt in my mind that he will help our program both on and off the field. He knows this place and is aligned with our culture, and I think that’s important. With his experience, he brings a fresh perspective that will help our program moving forward.”

“This is a tremendous opportunity for me to join a proven program, a consistently successful program, one that I’ve admired for a long time,” Engram said through the same release. “The tradition at Wisconsin is a big deal to me. Being able to join a special program, impact our young men and contribute to winning championships is why I’m here.

“Becoming an offensive coordinator is a big step, but it’s all about this being a good fit. I believe in Wisconsin and our philosophies are the same — I appreciate the way this program runs the ball, I love the way they play defense — and my focus will be on doing everything I can to elevate the offense and help our team win games.

“Running the football well is important, using the play-action pass, being multiple and doing a lot of different things offensively, but doing them well. For me, it’s bringing a fresh look and my own sense of creativity to what’s already been proven successful here. I’ve been fortunate to be around some great coaches and players in the NFL, and I want to bring the best of what I’ve learned to the Badgers.

“I think Paul’s a great offensive mind and that part of working with him again is certainly exciting. But what really comes through with Paul is that he truly enjoys being around the players and making sure everything we do is about them. He loves to work hard, knowing that it’s going to produce results, and everyone feeds off that.

“My approach is to have a team that plays hard and physical and is fundamentally sound in everything we’re doing. I think that aligns perfectly with what Paul and this coaching staff are all about. I’m a big guy on technique. I love individual drills in practice. Being able to have an impact on young men this age — as they grow both on and off the field — is important to me and a huge reason why I’m excited for this opportunity.”

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