Wisconsin football star general manager hired away by Big Ten rival
Wisconsin football’s rising star general manager, Max Stienecker, has been hired away by the USC Trojans. The move was first reported by FootballScoop’s John Brice and confirmed by The Athletic’s Jesse Temple.
The Badgers promoted Stienecker to GM in July 2024 after less than one year with the program. He joined the Wisconsin staff as its player personnel director in January 2023. At the time, he was the youngest (22 years old) to hold the title in the relatively short history of the role in college football. He unsurprisingly landed on 247Sports’ 30 Under 30 list following the promotion.
The fast-rising staff member joined the Badgers after beginning his career at Cincinnati under Luke Fickell as its director of on-campus recruiting from 2021-22. Stienecker spearheaded Wisconsin’s recruiting efforts over the last two-plus cycles. The Badgers finished the 2024 cycle with the nation’s 23rd-ranked class and the program’s first blue-chip percentage of 50% or better. A strong class of 2025 cycle followed. Wisconsin finished ranked 25th nationally and eighth in the Big Ten.
Fickell, Stienecker and the rest of the Badgers’ recruiting department have undoubtedly raised the program’s recruiting ceiling during their two-plus years with the program. Stienecker’s loss is a significant one in that regard, especially with him moving to another Big Ten power.
Brice reported new USC general manager Chad Bowden is hiring the now-former Badger GM to be USC’s executive director of personnel. The Trojans are reworking their recruiting department after recently hiring Bowden from Notre Dame.
Wisconsin has major shoes to fill with the class of 2026 recruiting cycle heating up. The program has one player committed in the class: three-star lineman Benjamin Novak.
Badgers 2025 signee four-star Jaylen Williams summed up the fan base’s tone upon hearing the news:
