Alvarez picked up the first of his program-leading 119 victories at UW on Sept. 15, 1990, when the Badgers defeated Ball State 24-7 (above) at Camp Randall Stadium for their sole win of his inaugural season as head coach. His final win would come on Jan. 1, 2015, when he stepped in to lead UW to a 34-31 victory over Auburn in the Outback Bowl a month after Gary Andersen left the program for Oregon State.
Final countdown: Breaking down Barry Alvarez's career by the numbers
From the Check out the State Journal's complete coverage of Barry Alvarez's retirement announcement series
In Barry Alvarez's three decades with the University of Wisconsin, from his time as head coach of the football program through his tenure as athletic director, it can be hard to keep track of all the little things.
So here's a breakdown of a few key numbers in Alvarez's storied career:
119 | Wins as football coach
73 | Conference championships
The Badgers won 73 conference championships (regular season and tournaments combined) during Alvarez's tenure as athletic director.
26 | Players suspended in Shoe Box scandal
The NCAA suspended 26 of Alvarez’s players for having accepted improper discounts from The Shoe Box (above), a discount retail store in Black Earth, forcing Alvarez to shuffle his lineup during the first four games of the 2000 football season.
17 | Years as athletic director
Taking over the job from Pat Richter (above right) in April 2004, Alvarez would go on to serve 17 years as athletic director at UW before announcing his retirement in April 2021.
16 | National championships
Alvarez’s tenure as the athletic department’s leader saw success across a number of programs, with 16 teams winning national championships, including six in women’s hockey — with the most recent one (above) coming just this March — and five in women’s lightweight rowing.
15 | Consecutive years of football bowl and men's basketball NCAA berths
During Alvarez's tenure as AD, the Badgers football and men’s basketball programs produced 15 consecutive years of playing in a bowl game and reaching the NCAA tournament, setting an NCAA record.
ABOVE: Badgers fans celebrate on State Street in Madison following the UW men's basketball team's NCAA National Championship loss to Duke April 6, 2015.
9 | Bowl victories
In his 13 bowl appearances, Alvarez came away with 9 victories, starting with the 1994 Rose Bowl (above), when UW took down UCLA 21-16 in Pasadena, Calif.
3 | Rose Bowl victories
Alvarez finished his coaching career with 3 Rose Bowl victories, leading the Badgers to wins over UCLA after the 1993 and 1998 seasons, and a win over Stanford following the 1999 campaign.
ABOVE: Alvarez reacts to a soaking at the end of UW's 38-31 victory over UCLA in the 1999 Rose Bowl.
In this Series
Check out the State Journal's complete coverage of Barry Alvarez's retirement announcement
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Updated
Want to be Wisconsin's next athletic director? Here are the qualifications UW requires for Barry Alvarez's successor
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Updated
Tom Oates: Barry Alvarez undoubtedly brought much-needed swagger to UW
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6 potential candidates to replace Barry Alvarez as Wisconsin's athletic director
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The University of Wisconsin is looking for a proven leader and decision-maker to succeed Barry Alvarez as its athletic director.
The coach-turned-athletic director turned around the fortunes of the football team and solidified the bottom line.
Barry Alvarez, 74, will finish his term leading the UW athletic program this summer after a 17-year stretch in the seat during which the department's budget nearly doubled.
“There’ll be plenty of time for me to get emotional,” the UW athletic director said.
Watch as UW celebrates Alvarez's 31-year Badgers career with "Thanks Coach! Celebrating Three Decades of Excellence" at 12:30 p.m. at the Kohl Center.
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