University of Wisconsin Athletic Director and football coach Barry Alvarez can’t remember which friend gave him the advice.
Alvarez has a group of friends, mostly businessmen, that meets regularly and talks about a variety of things. One day the subject was retirement. The sentiment was that Alvarez would know when the time was right to walk away from his job as football coach.
That time is now. After months of discussions with his wife, Alvarez, 58, announced Thursday he would step down as football coach at the end of the upcoming season, while retaining his duties as athletic director. He named defensive coordinator Bret Bielema as his successor.