The retirement of Barry Davis as head coach at Wisconsin opens up one of the most coveted positions in NCAA wrestling, and UW has left no stone unturned in its pursuit of filling the vacancy.

Over the past week, it was encouraging to see members of the Wisconsin administration were interviewing and meeting with a number of candidates at NCAAs in Cleveland.

Here’s a list of potential candidates for the position and the strengths they would bring as the program's next head coach. Someone's inclusion on this list does not imply he does or does not have interest in the position.

Chris Bono

South Dakota State Head Coach

Bono has done the unthinkable in Brookings, South Dakota. He’s taken the Jackrabbits to unthinkable heights in just a few years. They just produced their first NCAA Division I champion and had three All-Americans at a program with real obstacles. Bono is a relentless marketer and force of energy outside of the wrestling room. He’s earned administrative buy-in, works great with boosters, and united the community in South Dakota.  

Mark Branch

Wyoming Head Coach

Different year, same story. Mark Branch takes wrestlers from under the radar to elite about as consistently as anyone in the country. It’s not just the success of Bryce Meredith in Wyoming. Every year, the story of Wyoming is the individual development of its wrestlers. Branch has a system that works.  

Ben Askren

2008 Olympian, Two-Time Hodge Trophy Winner

If Wisconsin wants to win NCAAs, conventional thinking and coaching will not dethrone Penn State. Askren hasn’t taken the traditional path to being a Big Ten head coach, but he should still be given a strong look from the administration. Wisconsin has not been able to keep the state’s best at home (the Askren brothers, Cole Konrad, Matt Pell, and Alex Dieringer, to name a few). Askren’s approach to training and innovating as a coach could yield game-changing results. His energy and personality is an undeniable asset to a program.

Damion Hahn

Cornell Associate Head Coach

Hahn’s track record of recruiting and developing talent at Cornell is undeniable. You have to figure Hahn is the coach in waiting at Cornell, but this opportunity has to be enticing.

Bryan Snyder

Nebraska Associate Head Coach

As respected as anyone in the NCAA wrestling community. In addition to a strong history of development in the middleweights, Snyder also brings a tremendous amount of international cache. Snyder was instrumental in the successes of James Green and Jordan Burroughs, and wrestlers with international aspirations will know they’re in good hands wrestling for him.

Doug Schwab

Northern Iowa Head Coach

Schwab has Northern Iowa consistently on the podium.  He has also proven he can get on the road and bring high-level recruits to UNI. The Panthers are heavily invested in recruiting wrestlers from Wisconsin, so he knows the state well and, theoretically, would be able to keep elite guys home.

Donnie Pritzlaff

Rutgers Associate Head Coach

Being a Wisconsin alum, a former coach at the school, and having national respect and credibility, Pritzlaff is among the first names that come to mind. Years ago, it was widely assumed he was the coach in waiting at Wisconsin, but coaching stops in Michigan and Rutgers may have changed things. 

Kyle Ruschell

Wisconsin Assistant Coach

Ruschell has been on staff at Wisconsin the last few years. He’s been a driving force behind the Badgers' training and recruiting efforts. Whether he’s the guy or not, Ruschell is a huge asset to whatever program he’s involved in as a coach.