Report: Former Badger Chris McIntosh picked to follow Barry Alvarez as next UW athletic director

June 1, 2021 4:46 PM

Jaymes Langrehr,

Posted: June 1, 2021 4:46 PM

Updated: June 1, 2021 4:47 PM

by Jaymes Langrehr

MADISON, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Madison is making a move for continuity in the athletic department by naming Chris McIntosh as its next Athletic Director, according to multiple media outlets.

McIntosh will take over for Barry Alvarez, who announced in April he was retiring at the start of July.

The news was first reported by WTMJ Radio in Milwaukee and The Athletic.

Hearing from sources that the @UWBadgers will name Chris McIntosh as their next athletic director replacing the retiring Barry Alvarez

— Nick Van Wagenen (@MKEnick) June 1, 2021

The University of Wisconsin is promoting Chris McIntosh to Athletic Director, sources tell @Matt_Fortuna.

◻️ Former Badgers All-American OL and first round draft pick of the Seahawks, worked at UW since 2014, & served as deputy AD since 2017.

(First reported by @MKEnick) pic.twitter.com/LWcQtBkoAk

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 1, 2021

McIntosh played for Alvarez on the Wisconsin football team in the late 1990s, and was named a consensus All-American offensive tackle in 1999 after helping the Badgers win back-to-back Rose Bowls in 1998 and 1999. He went on to be picked in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks, where he played for three seasons.

He joined Alvarez’s athletic department in December 2014 as the Associate Athletic Director for Business Development before being named Deputy Athletic Director in July 2017. As Deputy Athletic Director, McIntosh oversaw the day-to-day operations of the department, recruiting, business development, human resources and strategic planning.

The Board of Regents is scheduled to meet in closed session Wednesday, with the only item on the agenda discussing the possible employment and pay of a new athletic director, signaling they were close to making an announcement.

Alvarez served as UW’s Athletic Director for nearly 20 years, taking over as AD in addition to being head football coach in April 2004, before stepping down as football coach in January 2006. He spent more than 30 years in Madison overall after first being named football coach in January 1990, helping build a national following for the Badgers in that time.

During Alvarez’s time as Athletic Director, Badgers teams won 16 national titles and a total of 74 conference championships.