Greg Gard coached his 368th game, excluding exhibitions, as Wisconsin’s head coach on Tuesday night during the Badgers’ 89-42 victory against Fairfield at the Kohl Center. Over the course of his tenure, he has evolved in a variety of ways, from implementing a different playing style to how he approaches his understanding of and communication with players.

One key element he has learned? You can’t control every little thing.

“I think that’s the one evolvement or growth hopefully that I’ve made is that you do what you can do in practice, you help put them in position and then the players go play,” Gard said. “And it’s their game to enjoy. It’s like training a fighter. You’re going to spar with them during the week. Then when it comes time to jump in the ring for real, you’re in their corner as their motivator between rounds.”

In the latest Badger Connect Podcast with Mike Heller, Gard discusses a variety of topics. They include his path in coaching, his approach upon taking over Wisconsin’s head-coaching job from Bo Ryan in 2015, what he’s learned from other coaches in different sports on campus, the impact of his Garding Against Cancer efforts, the joys of pheasant hunting, early thoughts on his team this season and more. You can view the full episode here: