Replacing Barry Alvarez as the University of Wisconsin’s athletic director will be both a tremendous opportunity and challenge.
UW is looking for Alvarez’s successor after he announced Tuesday he was retiring after 17-plus years at the helm of the athletic department. With sweeping changes coming to the way college sports are run, UW’s next leader needs to be capable of leading the Badgers into a new era.
Current position: Deputy athletic director, Wisconsin
A former UW offensive lineman, McIntosh played for Alvarez’s teams from 1996-99. As a senior, he was a consensus All-American, helped the Badgers win a second consecutive Rose Bowl and became a first-round draft choice of the Seattle Seahawks. A neck injury ended his pro career after three seasons.
Current position: Athletic director, University of Idaho
After serving a variety of roles in the Badgers’ athletic department for 25 years, including nearly 15 as an associate athletic director, Gawlik has been in her current post for 18 months. If hired, Gawlik would be the first female athletic director at UW.
Current position: Executive Vice President of Football Operations, NFL
One of the first standouts Alvarez had as UW’s football coach, Vincent turned a 14-year career in the league into a successful career as an executive. If hired, he’d be the first African American athletic director in UW history.
Current position: Athletic director, Iowa State University
In lifting the Cyclones out of the doldrums, Pollard has drawn rave reviews for his work as the leader of the department. On top of his successful push to grow Iowa State’s athletic department — tripling its operating budget and investing heavily in facilities — he made one of the best coaching hires in major college football in Matt Campbell. He’s also been able to keep Campbell from being plucked by another program by negotiating lucrative contract extensions.
Sweeping changes are coming to college athletics in the form of NIL payments and athlete empowerment. UW's next AD has to take those challenges head-on.
With Alvarez announcing he'll be retiring as UW's athletic director June 30, we thought now's the perfect time to ask our readers what they think of his impact over 31 years in Madison.