University of Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez confirmed today that he will return to the sidelines to coach the Badgers in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day against Stanford University.
Alvarez said he received a telephone call from Ashwaubenon’s Mike Taylor, who spoke on behalf of the senior captains of the team and asked him to coach them in the Rose Bowl.
“I told them I would be honored,” Alvarez said. “”I wanted them to understand, if I were going to coach, we weren’t going to screw around. We were going to go out there to win …I’m very excited about coming back, and this will be one game. I’m not looking to do anything longer than one game.”
Alvarez said he was surprised when outgoing coach Bret Bielema informed him earlier this week that he was leaving to take the head coaching job at the University of Arkansas.
Alvarez said he will begin the search for Bielema’s successor next week. He will personally conduct the search and interviews of candidates, rather than delegate that process to a committee or an executive search company.
