After 31 years with the school, the University of Wisconsin Athletic Director, Barry Alvarez, has officially announced that he will be retiring.
Alvarez’s last day will be June 30. It will conclude a 17-year AD career that has seen the Athletic Department win (so far) 16 team national titles and 74 conference regular season or tournament crowns.
“It has been an honor to be part of Wisconsin Athletics and I take great pride in all we have accomplished over the last three decades,” Alvarez said in a statement. “From championships, to improvements on campus, to impacting thousands of student-athletes, its been a great ride. I’m grateful for the support, generosity, enthusiasm and loyalty of Badgers in the state of Wisconsin and beyond.”
Alvarez was hired as the new football coach in 1990 by former AD Pat Richter to turn around the football program that had gone 9-36 the previous four seasons. By year four, Wisconsin won its first Big Ten title in three decades and delivered the programs first Rose Bowl title. UW went on to win two more Big Ten titles and two more Rose Bowl victories under Alvarez.
When he retired after the 2005 season, Alvarez finished with a career record of 119-72-4, including going 9-4 in Bowl Games.
Deputy athletic director Chris McIntosh is viewed as one of the favorites to succeed Alvarez. McIntosh joined the department as a director of business development in December 2014 before being promoted to his current role in July 2017.
