Tim Tibesar is in his third season as Wisconsin’s outside linebackers coach, adding the title of Defensive Run Game Coordinator in 2017. Tibesar has made a memorable first impression during his first two years in Madison, a run that has seen three of his pupils selected in the NFL draft.
The Badgers allowed an average of just 14.7 points per game over Tibesar's first two seasons, ranking No. 2 nationally in scoring defense and trailing only Alabama (14.1 ppg). UW also ranked No. 3 in rushing defense (97.1 ypg), No. 3 in pass efficiency defense (102.1) and No. 4 in total defense (285.6 ypg) over the course of the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
Wisconsin went a combined 21-6 during Tibesar's first two seasons on staff, claiming the 2016 Big Ten West Division title and scoring back-to-back bowl game wins in the Holiday Bowl and Cotton Bowl.
Tibesar's edge rushers have factored greatly into that success, with a trio of draft picks leading the way. T.J. Watt was selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers and his teammate, Vince Biegel, was a fourth-round selection of the Green Bay Packers. That came on the heels of Joe Schobert being drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2016.
Watt and Schobert both earned first-team All-America honors in their final seasons as Badgers
In 2015, Tibesar shared FootballScoop Linebackers Coach of the Year honors with former UW defensive coordinator Dave Aranda for his part in helping build the nation’s top defense.
That Badgers unit, which ranked No. 1 nationally in scoring defense (17.8 ppg) and No. 2 in total defense (268.5 ypg), was anchored by Schobert, who was named Big Ten Linebacker of the Year in addition to his first-team All-America nod. Schobert was selected by Cleveland in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Under Tibesar’s guidance, Schobert and Biegel formed one of the nation’s most fearsome linebacker duos by combining for 33.5 tackles for loss and 17.5 sacks. Their backup, Jack Cichy, also excelled by racking up 8.0 TFLs and 5.0 sacks, including sacks on three consecutive plays vs. USC en route to Holiday Bowl Defensive MVP honors.
Biegel and Watt proved to be a dominant duo in 2016, as well. Watt recorded a Big Ten-leading 11.5 sacks and Biegel added 4 more despite missing time with a foot injury. Watt also logged 15.5 tackles for loss, leading the way for an outside linebacker corps that totaled 31.5 TFLs as a group.
Prior to Wisconsin, Tibesar most recently worked as a defensive consultant at Northwestern after spending 2013 as linebackers coach with the Chicago Bears and the 2012 season as defensive coordinator at Purdue. His Boilermakers led the Big Ten in interceptions, forced fumbles and takeaways.
Prior to that, Tibesar enjoyed three successful seasons with Montreal of the Canadian Football League, winning back-to-back Grey Cup championships as linebackers coach in 2009 and 2010 before serving as defensive coordinator in 2011.
In his first year on staff, Tibesar was an integral part of the 2009 defense that helped Montreal rank as one of the top units in CFL history. The 2009 Alouettes ranked first in 22 of the league’s 26 defensive categories and finished with the second-best scoring defense mark in CFL history.
Tibesar joined the Alouettes after spending three seasons at Kansas State, the first (2006) as special teams coordinator and the final two (2007-08) as defensive coordinator. In 2006, KSU scored more special teams touchdowns (7) than any team while also ranking No. 1 in kickoff returns, No. 16 in punt returns and No. 18 in kickoff coverage.
Tibesar was defensive coordinator at his alma mater, North Dakota, from 2004-05. That followed his three seasons as UND’s inside linebackers coach.
As defensive coordinator, he assembled a unit that ranked first in the North Central Conference in total defense, scoring defense, rushing defense, pass efficiency defense and quarterback sacks over the span of the 2004 and 2005 seasons.
Tibesar graduated from North Dakota with a 4.0 grade-point average in economics, earning CoSIDA Academic All-America and National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete honors along the way.
An All-America linebacker, Tibesar helped UND to three straight NCC titles and NCAA Division II playoff appearances from 1993-95. He was named All-NCC three times.
Tibesar went on to earn a master’s degree in business administration from San Diego State in 1998. He and his wife, Jill, have a daughter, Elle.
