MADISON, Wis. -- To understand the impact of Dave Aranda's presence on Wisconsin's defense requires only brief conversations with his players, who speak of him with equal parts reverence and affection.
"He's a great coach to play for," cornerback Sojourn Shelton said. "I know I love him, and I think everybody on the defensive staff and as players we love him."
"He's a football mastermind, a defensive mastermind," cornerback Darius Hillary added. "He's one of those guys that I really trust."
And finally, there is this gem from Badgers linebacker Vince Biegel.
"I would take a bullet for Coach Aranda if I had to," Biegel said. "He is the type of guy I have so much respect for."
While coaching hires often dominate the talk through late winter, spring and summer, Aranda quietly became one of the most significant acquisitions of the college football offseason. He was retained as Wisconsin's defensive coordinator for a third season, even after previous head coach Gary Andersen abruptly left to take over at Oregon State. Aranda is the only remaining assistant coach from last year's team.
So valued was Aranda as a coaching commodity that when new Badgers coach Paul Chryst accepted the job in December, Aranda was the first person he spoke with when trying to compile a coaching staff.
"What I've appreciated being around Dave is it's who I thought it would be when I first talked to him," Chryst said. "A guy that's truly detailed in his preparation and yet doesn't stop there. It's in his communication with the players. It's not what we know as coaches, it's what your players know. I think our players have confidence in him."
Aranda's value to the defense is immeasurable, say players, who are farther ahead as a unit with him in charge this season. The numbers help to quantify what has transpired with his return.
With a 28-0 victory against Hawaii last Saturday, Wisconsin has held opponents to three points or fewer in three consecutive games for the first time since 1937. During Aranda's tenure, the Badgers have allowed an average of 10.4 points in 17 home games, which is the best mark of any FBS team at home in that time frame.
This season, Wisconsin ranks tied for fourth nationally in scoring defense (9.5 points), 11th in rushing defense (82.8 yards per game) and 18th in total defense (292.3 yards). Only Louisville and Michigan State entered the season allowing fewer yards per game among FBS teams since Aranda's arrival at Wisconsin in 2013.
Wisconsin's defense will face a stern test when it plays host to Iowa at noon ET Saturday in a Big Ten opener. The Hawkeyes are averaging 37.8 points per game and scored 62 on North Texas last week, representing their highest point total since 2002. Aranda figures to have something up his sleeve for the occasion.
When Aranda came to Wisconsin, he wanted a defense that was not only stout but one that could utilize quickness and pressure. He implemented a 3-4 defense instead of the 4-3 scheme the team had used for years. It has taken time, but he now has players that fit his system, and perhaps there is no better example than outside linebackers Biegel and Joe Schobert. Together, they lead the team in tackles for loss with 15, the most by any linebacker duo in the country.
"It's just an attack-style defense," Schobert said. "Trying to get after the quarterback, get the offense in situations where they have to drop back and make some pass plays and then be able to dial up pressures from anywhere on the field."
Aranda is beloved by players because of the manner in which he maximizes their talent and puts them in the best position to make plays. He trusts them to be aggressive and make the correct decision. And he communicates in ways that make understanding difficult concepts easy. It is an all-around match Aranda can truly appreciate.
The life of an assistant football coach often includes stops at various points on the map. For Aranda, it has meant stops at Houston, California Lutheran, Delta State, Southern Utah, Hawaii and Utah State before coming to Wisconsin. But Aranda -- whose 39th birthday is Tuesday -- along with his wife and three children, found a home in Madison on the field and off. After being retained in January, he noted, "this is something I wanted to do right from the start."
"I know he likes the state of Wisconsin," Biegel said. "And he's told us that. He's told me that. He likes the people here. He likes the type of guys that Wisconsin has: smart, tough, dependable. I think that's a big reason why Coach Aranda stayed another year too."
The players certainly are grateful Aranda stuck around. And the feeling is mutual, as Aranda tries to push his defense to even greater heights in Year 3.
"I'm happy with how the guys are working and the business attitude that they have, and that it's not good enough," Aranda said. "I'm happy that we can play well, but there's still an element of being pissed off because we gave up a run in the fourth quarter or we gave up a completion when we shouldn't have. Expectations are high. We've got to continue to push those expectations."