Barry Alvarez knew that the rigors of continuing to serve as both head football coach and athletic director at the University of Wisconsin would eventually become too burdensome. So, confident that he had the ideal successor already on his coaching staff, Alvarez announced Thursday that he had decided to coach one more season, then turn over the program to defensive coordinator Bret Bielema. Alvarez, 58, will coach through the 2005 season, his 16th at UW, and then step down to focus solely on his role as athletic director.
Office of Strategic Communication