Barry Alvarez, the man who turned around Wisconsin’s football program and developed it into the powerhouse it is today is retiring from his current post as Wisconsin’s athletic director this summer.
Alvarez had a legendary career in Madison, but his brief time at Notre Dame beforehand was mighty impressive as well.
Alvarez joined Lou Holtz’s staff in 1987 after spending the previous eight years as the linebackers coach at Iowa under Hayden Fry. A year later he was promoted to defensive coordinator and immediately made a massive impact for the Irish.
In 1988, Alvarez guided a defense that ranked third nationally in points allowed per game and that wound up winning what remains Notre Dame’s most recent national championship.
A year later the Irish didn’t win it all but were almost equally as impressive as they beat six ranked opponents and again ranked in the top-ten nationally in points allowed.
Alvarez took over a Wisconsin program that had participated in just three bowl games the 27 years before his arrival. In his 16 seasons at the helm, they’d play in 11, including three Rose Bowls in which they were victorious.
Alvarez left coaching after 2005 and took a job upstairs as Wisconsin’s athletic director, the position he’ll be leaving this summer.
All the best in retirement to a fantastic coach and one of the most successful former Notre Dame assistant-turned-head coaches that the Fighting Irish football program has ever turned out.
Notre Dame and Wisconsin are set to meet for the first time since 1964 as the Shamrock Series game will be played at Soldier Field in Chicago.