Before watching college football on TV on Saturday, Rashard Griffith spent some time analyzing Middleton’s women’s basketball game last season.
Griffiths, a former University of Wisconsin men’s basketball standout player, plans to study more of the Cardinals’ games after being named Middleton women’s basketball coach on Friday.
“I’m very excited,” said Griffith, 47. “This is a new chapter in my life. It gives me the opportunity to apply what I have learned from coaching.”
Rashard Griffiths averaged 13.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game in his freshman season with UW in 1993-94.
Middleton athletic director Jamie Sims said Griffith’s selection was finalized on Friday.
Griffiths replaces Jeff Kind, Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame coach retired last month After 30 years as a coach at Middleton, Griffiths began working for Middleton’s campus support staff last year, Sims said.
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“I’ve known him for a few years now, I know his skill set and he’s an amazing human being. I’m very excited to have him join our athletic staff.
Sims is looking forward to seeing how Griffith improves Middleton’s program.
“He’s following in the footsteps of the great Jeff Kind, so it’s not going to happen overnight,” Sims said. I am very happy to have you.”
The 6-foot-11 Chicago native Griffith played for UW from 1993-95, becoming an All-Big Ten Conference performer.
From left, Howard Moore, Michael Finley and Rashard Griffiths were part of the 1993-94 Badgers team that won the program’s first NCAA…
Michael Finley, Tracy Webster and Griffiths helped lead the Badgers to the NCAA Tournament in their 1994 freshman season. UW made his NCAA appearance for the first time since 1947. Griffiths was drafted in the second round by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1995, but he did not sign. He joined the team and played abroad for 15 years, including Turkey, Italy, Israel, Spain and Romania.
Sims said Griffiths never head coached a high school team.
Griffiths said he has coached AAU teams and players in Chicago and abroad. He has also mentored UW’s men’s basketball players, most notably the Badgers’ Greg Gard, a big name in his coach’s program. He said he’s learned from coaches he’s had over his career and can guide different attacking schemes, including swings and flexes. He has taught basketball to boys and girls, he said.
“Coach Kind was a great coach,” said Griffiths. “He’s been here for 30 years. He’s a Hall of Fame coach. He’s won a lot of games. , I took some things I learned from Bo (Ryan) and made it my own program.I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel.I want to keep the tradition alive.”
He said he wanted to see the skills of the Middleton players and develop a plan around that talent to improve the skills of the athletes. I want to build a culture of helping people.
Griffith said that when Sims approached him about opening after Kind’s resignation, he was very interested.
“The (candidate) pool wasn’t as big as we expected,” said Sims. “Rashard really stood out from the crowd.”
As a nominee, Griffiths impressed the staff and players’ committees, particularly how he connected with the players, Sims said, liking how “high tempo” Griffiths was with the group. He added.
“I was just me,” said Griffith.
Now he is excited about this opportunity.
“It’s been a blessing and I greatly appreciate it,” said Griffiths.
Kind said in August that his wife Linda got a new job at Tomahawk and decided to move to Phillips.
Kind compiled an overall record of 634-291 as a women’s coach for state school (including Middleton) varsity teams. WisSports.net record.
Middleton has made 12 appearances in the WIAA Division 1 State Tournament, all under Kind’s leadership.
Middleton was a four-time runner-up in 1993 (to Janesville Parker), 2003 (Oshkosh West), 2011 (Glendale Nicollette) and 2019 (Bayport).
