Ex-Pioneer Coaches Lead Badgers to Final Four

Written by: Paul Erickson - Director, University Information and Communications

Former University of Wisconsin-Platteville basketball coaches Bo Ryan and Greg Gard are making return trips to the NCAA Division I Final Four.

Ryan and Gard will lead the Wisconsin Badgers into Saturday night's national semifinal game against top-ranked Kentucky in Indianapolis. Duke and Michigan State will battle in the first semifinal, with the winners meeting Monday night in the national championship.

Ryan will be making his seventh Final Four appearance as a head coach. He led the Pioneers to five NCAA III Final Four appearances with a 9-1 record. UW-Platteville won national championships in 1991, 1995, 1998 and 1999 with a third-place finish in 1992.

Gard '95 was a Pioneer assistant coach from 1993-99 and was part of three national championship squads. The Badgers' associate head coach, he is the older brother of current Pioneer Coach Jeff Gard.

The Pioneers play on Bo Ryan Court in honor of their former head coach.

Photos by: David Stluka, Wisconsin Athletics Communications