The coaching changes involving Wisconsin football teams have come fast and furious over the last two weeks, beginning with Mike Sherman's firing on January 2. Since then Bret Bielema has officially taken over in Madison and Mike McCarthy was chosen as the head man in Titletown. And over the past few days, both men have begun filling their offensive and defensive staffs.

But another group of changes with a distinctly Wisconsin flavor has been unfolding in Minneapolis, where new Vikings owner Zygi Wolf hired Eagles offensive coordinator Brad Childress to replace embattled ex-coach Mike Tice. Childress, a former UW offensive coordinator under Barry Alvarez, promptly snatched up Packers quarterbacks coach Darell Bevell to serve as his offensive coordinator.

Childress and Bevell have proven to be a successful combination in the past, which is slightly ironic and disturbing for Packers fans. Bevell, of course, was Childress' QB when the Badgers made their memorable run to the 1994 Rose Bowl. That 21-16 victory over UCLA was capped by Bevell's 21-yard TD scramble in the fourth quarter (as a sidenote, Bevell threw for just 96 yards in that game).

Childress served under head coach Andy Reid in Philadelphia since 1999, where he began as quarterbacks coach. For the last four years, he's been the Eagles offensive coordinator. He's credited with developing Donovan McNabb into a Pro Bowler, though its arguable McNabb would be starring in Chunky commercials regardless.

Childress has annually been among the names bandied about for NFL coaching vacancies. He was also on Ted Thompson's not-so-short interview list for the Packers gig, but Vikings ownership locked up Childress before he even had a chance to leave town. That fact tells you a lot about the current perceptions of each franchise. Childress clearly believes the Vikings represented his best chance at success.

The disconcerting fact for Packers fans is that Vikings QB Daunte Culpepper now has established offensive minds at his disposal. Without Randy Moss, Culpepper regressed in 2005 before suffering a knee injury in Week 8, throwing just 6 TDs and 12 interceptions with a QB rating of 72.0. In 2004, Culpepper threw 39 TDs against 11 picks and had a rating of 110.9, a better statistical season than Brett Favre has ever had.

Culpepper obviously doesn't need to be rebuilt from the ground up, but he will benefit from having Childress and Bevell as his mentors. McNabb spoke very highly of Childress and was able to flourish without a star receiver (Terrell Owens only arrived in 2004). Bevell has worked with Favre for years and will have no problem tutoring an established star. And anything is an improvement over the instability of the Tice regime.

Both Childress and Bevell are schooled in the West Coast offense and will help diversify a Minnesota team that features a lot of talented players, including receivers Nate Burleson, Koren Robinson, Marcus Robinson and Troy Williamson, as well as running backs Michael Bennett, Mewelde Moore and Moe Williams.

That Vikings group compares favorably to recent Eagles units made up of players like Correll Buckhalter, Freddie Mitchell, Todd Pinkston, Duce Staley, James Thrash and Brian Westbrook. Looking at those names again, it's a wonder the Eagles have been so good for so long, which is a credit to Reid and Childress.

Childress was quick to snap up protégé Bevell, who he originally recruited to Northern Arizona before both arrived at UW. McCarthy may have hired Jeff Jagodzinski as his offensive coordinator regardless, but Childress' quick hire deprived the Packers the chance to explore opportunities with Bevell.

The Madison connections don't end with Bevell. Jim Hueber, the longtime offensive line coach under Alvarez, has joined Childress' staff in the same capacity. Prior to his 14-year run with the Badgers, Hueber served on the Minnesota Golden Gophers staff from 1984-1991. So his return marks a homecoming in multiple ways.

Did the Vikings out-maneuver the Packers with their UW-tinged coaching moves? We'll have to wait on the results, but it is worth noting that Childress signed a five-year contract compared to McCarthy's three-year deal. Plus, with established offensive personnel and a young defense, Childress has a better chance to succeed immediately. For loyal Badgers and Packers fans keeping tabs on their former favorites, that's a good news-bad news proposition.