With Chris McIntosh seen as the favorite, UW will hire Barry Alvarez’s successor as AD on Wednesday
Jeff Potrykus
MADISON – The search for Barry Alvarez’s replacement as the University of Wisconsin’s athletic director is nearly finished.
The UW Board of Regents is scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday to approve a contract for Alvarez’s successor.
According to sources, the finalists are Chris McIntosh, a Pewaukee High School graduate and UW’s deputy athletic director since July 2017; Ball State athletic director Beth Goetz; and Northern Illinois athletic director Sean Frazier, who was UW’s deputy athletic director from 2007 through 2013.
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McIntosh, an All-American offensive tackle as a senior at Wisconsin in 1999, was groomed to succeed the 74-year-old Alvarez, who is set to retire on June 30.
Sources have told the Journal Sentinel that the consensus among the nine members on the search committee is that McIntosh appears to be the best fit in part because of his ties to UW.
However, UW chancellor Rebecca Blank will have the final say and can choose any of the candidates.
McIntosh returned to UW in 2014, at Alvarez’s urging, as director of business development and held that job through 2016. He was promoted to associate athletic director for business development and held that job for about a year before moving up to deputy athletic director.
“He loves Wisconsin,” Alvarez said on April 6 when he announced his retirement. “He understands it. It means something to him.
“Very bright and he’s been outstanding. I’ve given him a lot of responsibility. He spearheaded many of the things we did in managing staff and how we managed everything throughout COVID.
“People know how I feel about Mac.”
Goetz, who grew up in suburban St. Louis, boasts years of administrative experience.
She was the assistant athletic director at the University of Missouri-St. Louis from 2000 through 2008, the associate athletic director at Butler from 2008 through 2013 and then moved to the Big Ten and Minnesota.
Goetz was Minnesota’s deputy athletic director from 2013 through 2015 and then interim athletic director from 2015 through 2016 after Norwood Teague resigned in the midst of a sexual-harassment scandal. Goetz was passed over for the full-time job in May 2016 when the Gophers hired Mark Coyle as athletic director.
Goetz then served as chief operating officer at Connecticut from 2016 through 2018 before being named as Ball State’s athletic director on May 21, 2018.
The new athletic director faces a daunting challenge.
A native of Langeloth, Pennsylvania, Alvarez served as athletic director and head football coach from April 1, 2004 through Jan. 2, 2006. He replaced Pat Richter, who brought Alvarez in to revive the football program after the 1989 season and grew into one of the more successful and respected athletic directors in the Big Ten.
During Alvarez’s time as athletic director:
UW teams have combined to win 16 national titles and 74 conference regular-season or tournament titles.
UW finished among the top 30 of the NACDA Director’s Cup 15 times in 18 years under Alvarez. The standings rate the overall performance of an athletic department. The department's best finish during Alvarez’s tenure was 16th, accomplished in 2006-07, 2016-17 and 2018-19.
The athletic department has remained in good financial standing and the campus has seen several facilities built or renovated. Those include the renovation of Camp Randall Stadium and the construction of La Bahn Arena, home of the women’s hockey team.
Three head coaches hired under Alvarez’s watch have been honored by the Big Ten. They are: women’s volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield, men’s basketball coach Greg Gard and men’s hockey coach Tony Granato.