Wisconsin has officially named its next running backs coach.

Thursday, head coach Paul Chryst announced the hiring of Gary Brown as the program’s next running backs coach, replacing John Settle who left Madison for a job at Kentucky.

Brown was most recently the running backs coach with the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL. He was in that position from 2013 through 2019, coaching elite-level ball carriers like DeMarco Murray and Ezekiel Elliott.

“Gary is really an impressive person. Everyone I know that has worked with Gary speaks very highly of him and has loved working with him,” Chryst said. “I look forward to our staff being able to work with him, and I’m really excited that our players will get to learn from him. He brings great experience at both the collegiate and professional level and is a heck of a good football coach.”

Wisconsin’s tradition of producing great running backs appears to be in good hands. And Brown is excited for the opportunity to take over the position group in Madison.

“I’m excited about being part of the Badger family because of the tradition that’s been established over the years,” Brown said. “They’re one of the best programs in the Big Ten, and obviously they like to run the ball and run it very well. As a running backs coach, that certainly appealed to me. They’ve had a long line of great, great tailbacks and it’s an honor for me to contribute to carrying on that tradition.

“If you’re a running back guy, you’re very aware of what they’re doing at Wisconsin and you study their tape and their backs. In my work in the NFL, we’ve scouted them all. I’ve always been very impressed with how those guys go about their business and how they leave Wisconsin as truly complete tailbacks.”

Wisconsin ended the 2020 season with a 4-3 record.