MADISON, Wis. – Former Saint Leo head coach Lance Randall has been hired as Wisconsin basketball’s next assistant coach, head coach Greg Gard announced on Wednesday.

A journeyman college assistant coach, the Wisconsin position is the first at a major university for Randall, who is replacing Dean Oliver after not having his contract renewed after spending seven seasons on the Badgers’ bench.

"I am so thankful for Coach Gard granting me this opportunity to be a part of this storied Wisconsin program," Randall said in a release through the university. "Coach Gard is not only one of the top coaches in the entire country, but also one of the highest integrity men I have ever known. Growing up in Wisconsin, I am very familiar with the history of this program including this current team. It is an honor to work for Coach Gard and alongside his great staff with this Badgers men's basketball team."I am appreciative of my former Saint Leo assistants, players, coworkers, managers and many friends that we are leaving at Saint Leo. I am especially grateful for the support and friendship of Marcal Lazenby, director of athletics at Saint Leo University.

It’s the latest move in what has been a busy offseason for Gard. The Badgers have seen seven players enter the transfer portal, including three-year starting point guard Chucky Hepburn and leading scorer A.J. Storr, and have added three new players through the portal. The Badgers also saw the director of recruiting and scouting Kyle Blackbourn leave to take a head coaching position at Division 2 Rockhurst College.

The hire is a homecoming of sorts for Randall, who is from Montfort, roughly an hour west of Madison and approximately six miles from Cobb where Gard grew up. Randall began his coaching career as the head assistant coach at his alma mater, Beloit College, from 1994-97 and served as head coach at Webster University (1997-2000), Lindenwood (2015-19), and Saint Leo University (2011-15, 2019-24). He left all three schools as the program's winningest head coach.

At Saint Leo, Randall compiled a record of 146-100 (.593) and was the only coach in the program's 60-year history to win NCAA tournament games, including three straight trips to the NCAA tournament.

Randall also led Lindenwood to the most NCAA Division II wins in school history, its first-ever NCAA regional ranking, and the school's first Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) tournament wins.

"As we continue to evaluate and navigate the ever-changing college basketball landscape, I am confident that Lance will bring a wealth of experience and wide-range versatility to our program," Gard said in a statement. "He stood out from the beginning of our search with his winning record, experience coaching at a variety of levels, along with his passion and understanding of our program."

"Lance brings three decades worth of coaching experience, including standout success as a head coach at the NCAA Division II and III levels."

The explosion of the transfer portal and NIL over the past two seasons has changed how coaching staffs assemble their roster. With college basketball looking more like the professional ranks without the contracts, Gard said last month that he has evolved on how he needs to construct his staff with a mix of experience in all facets, including college and international recruiting with player development.

In Randall, Gard found an assistant that taps into both departments. Randall was an associate head coach at UW-Stevens Point when the Pointers won a Division III national championship and won two state high school championships as the head coach of Oshkosh West.

On the international scene, Randall served as head coach and vice president of basketball for Pertemps Birmingham Bullets, a professional team in Birmingham, England, from 2000-02, and was an assistant coach for the Kosovo national men's basketball team in 2017.

Last month, he was named the head coach of the Great Britain Basketball U20 men's team, which will participate in events across Europe this July.

"Lance is well connected throughout our state, across the country, and internationally in the game of basketball," Gard said. "Because of these relationships and connections, it will allow us to be impactful in our recruiting efforts across a variety of areas. Lance comes highly regarded by his colleagues and peers."

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