It’s official. Barry Alvarez announces that he will retire as Wisconsin athletic director on July 1.
Barry Alvarez made it official Tuesday, announcing his retirement during a celebration of his 30-plus years at the University of Wisconsin.
But in announcing that he will step down later this year, he offered one caveat.
"I'm always available to come back out of retirement to coach in a bowl game,” he joked.
Alvarez, of course, twice famously came out of retirement to coach the Badgers football team in bowl games after Bret Bielema and Gary Andersen left for other head coaching jobs.
The moment was a highlight in a career filled with highs for a man who left his mark at Wisconsin first as its football coach and then as its athletic director.
The university celebrated that career in a 55-minute ceremony at the Kohl Center that was carried live on the Big Ten Network and held in front of select group that included family, former players and athletic department staff. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and UW chancellor Rebecca Blank offered remarks. Former athletic director Pat Richter and former UW chancellor Donna Shalala shared their thoughts during a video tribute.
This, however, was Alvarez's show and he handled the official announcement of his retirement with poise that belied the moment.
“I watched (North Carolina's) Coach (Roy) Williams' (retirement) speech the other day and him breaking down, and I decided I wanted to tell some stories, try to make it fun,” Alvarez said after the ceremony. “Honor some of the people that made this a good trip for me. There will be plenty of time for me to get emotional.”
During the ceremony, the 74-yearold Alvarez dug back, telling of his
days as a kid growing up in Pennsylvania, watching the steel mill workers coming home tired and dirty and deciding that wasn't the life for him.
You could hear the pride in his voice as he talked about the time late Penn State coach Joe Paterno complimented him on his team. “They are very proud of that W that they wear on their uniforms,” Paterno said.
And he drew more than a few laughs, with perhaps the most coming from the story he shared about how Shalala, the summer before his first season football coach, opened up her home to him and his family while construction of their home was being completed. That summer at the league meetings, former Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany was urging his coaches to get their chancellors and presidents on board with an idea the conference was pushing.
“It seemed like every head coach had some type of issue with their president,”
Alvarez said. “He came to me and I said “Hell, I live with mine. I'll see her tomorrow morning at breakfast. We won't have any problems.”
After the celebration, Alvarez held a news conference in which he got more into detail about why the time was right to step down, his thoughts on a successor and his advice for the person who fills his shoes.
He said he initially considered retiring in January.
“I didn't think at that particular time with COVID and the things we had to deal with, it would be fair to pass the baton to someone and put them in that position,” Alvarez said. “I told (Blank) I would try to get us through COVID and hopefully we're past the better part of it.
“I just think it's time. I'm 74 years old. I've had a good run. It's time to pass the baton. I'm healthy. There are some things I want to do. My wife and I want to travel. I have grandkids I want to follow in sports. It was just time.”
Blank said she would reveal more details on the process the university plans to take to find Alvarez's successor, but it's no secret there is a strong candidate in-house.
Former Badgers All-American Chris McIntosh has been UW's deputy director since 2017. According to sources close to the program and the UW Board of Regents, Alvarez's preference is to see McIntosh promoted to athletic director.
A UW official told the Journal Sentinel that university hiring procedures would be followed and that the job would be posted to allow interested candidates to apply.
UW announced Tuesday that the athletic board will meet in closed session on Wednesday to "consider employment of new athletic director."
However, a UW official told the Journal Sentinel the meeting is "simply a process update."
Alvarez first made his mark at UW coaching the football team for 16 seasons. His impact as an athletic director has been just as large.
On the field, Wisconsin teams combined to win 16 national titles and 74 conference regular-season or tournament titles.
Fifteen times during his 18 years, UW finished among the top 30 of the NACDA
Director's Cup. The standings rate the overall performance of an athletic department. The department's best finish during Alvarez's tenure was 16th, something it accomplished in 2006-07, 201617 and 2018-19.
He was named the Under Armour athletic director of the year for the 201718 school year.
What advice would he give his successor?
“Learn Wisconsin. Understand the state,” said Alvarez, whose retirement is effective June 30. “Understand this university and the idiosyncracies of this university and the politics of both the state and the university, realize there is a way to get it done. There are no shortcuts.”
Alvarez took that advice to heart when he became head football coach in 1990 and the success of that program not only helped put Wisconsin athletics on the map, but also provide a financial foundation that helped the athletic department as a whole in the years that followed.