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taking deep snaps when he decided he wanted to play football at Cottonwood High School. And while Stacey played volleyball, basketball and softball with church leagues for a short period, her family gravitated outdoors to ride motorcycles, waterski and camp. "We were more into extreme sports and nothing with a ball," she says. "My brother played a little bit of football, but we were more of a family into things with wheels." Stacey spent time working a variety of jobs in the retail, daycare, grocery and financial industries while finishing high school as Gary headed to college to play football at Ricks College and the University of Utah. Then, when the two married and it came time to start a family, Stacey says she was heavily impacted by her mother, Joan Lambert. "My mom was always there growing up," she says. "If I called, she always answered; and those were the days of no cell phones. "I was going to be the stay-at-home mom and Gary was going to work. I was going to be home with the kids—and that was it." Stacey's dedication to family is not lost on Gary, particularly when it comes to taking care of their sons and his own career endeavors, which have included coaching for 25 years. His stint at Wisconsin is his third in a head coach role. He spent four seasons as Utah State head coach before joining the Badgers, and prior to that, worked assistant coach slots at Utah, Southern Utah, Northern Arizona, Idaho State and Ricks College. "As a parent you do your best, lead your children and give them a hand when they need it," Gary says. "It goes more to Stacey than me because we all know there are many sacrifices that moms and kids have to make. She's done a tremendous job, and so have they, with adjusting through transitions, moves and different schools." "I think I do better when I'm under pressure compared to when I have to think about it … I think that probably would make me a good coach." Stacey was happy and comfortable with life in Logan, especially considering the twins would likely follow their older brother and dad and play at Utah State. But after Gary visited with Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez about the Badgers job opening, she knew it was time to head east. She had a positive vibe about the path their lives would take with the career change, and her feeling about everything associated with the university and team was equally as strong. "Madison was a college town, but not too big," Stacey says. "The players are like my boys, more down-to-earth and easygoing. Wisconsin was a good fit and Gary had a good feeling, so that made the decision easy. "The transition has gone even better than I expected. It's crazy how everybody is still so excited about us being here," she says. Though she misses the views of the Wasatch Mountains in Logan, Stacey is enjoying the luscious green landscape in Madison. The Andersen summer vacation, with sons in tow, included stops at the Wisconsin Dells, a Brewers baseball game at Miller Park and Packers practice in Green Bay. september 2013 | bravamagazine.com 63