Madison — Greg Gard believes working by Bo Ryan's side for 22-plus seasons has prepared him for his next professional challenge: replacing Ryan as Wisconsin's head men's basketball coach.
Nothing could have prepared Gard for what he experienced from late Tuesday night, when Ryan announced he was retiring after 14-plus seasons at UW, to Wednesday when he plowed through his first day as interim head coach.
"It's been a whirlwind, an avalanche, a hurricane all in one," Gard, 45, said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon. "But it's been unbelievably positive. I've enjoyed every minute of it.