Barry Alvarez

College coach infobox
Name = Barry Alvarez

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Sport = Football
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DateOfBirth = birth date and age|1946|12|30
Birthplace = flagicon|Pennsylvania Langeloth, PA
DateOfDeath =
Deathplace =
OverallRecord = 118–73–4
Contract =
BowlRecord = 8–3
TournamentRecord =
CFbDWID = 39
Championships = 1993, '98, '99 Big Ten championships
Awards =
CoachingRecords =
Player = Y
Years = 1966-1968
Team = Nebraska
Position = LB
Coach = Y
CoachYears = 1990-2005
CoachTeams = Wisconsin
FootballHOF =
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Barry Alvarez (born December 30, 1946 in Langeloth, Pennsylvania) is a retired college football head coach and current Director of Athletics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. On July 28, 2005, Alvarez announced that after the 2005 season he would step down as head coach. Alvarez named then defensive coordinator Bret Bielema as his successor.

Early life

Barry Alvarez is a graduate of, and former linebacker at, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He later became a head coach at Mason City High School in Iowa before becoming an assistant coach at first the University of Iowa and then later at the University of Notre Dame.

Wisconsin

In 1990, Alvarez was named head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers and rejuvenated a floundering program and became the winningest coach in school history, leading the Badgers to three Big Ten championships and three Rose Bowl victories.

Alvarez replaced Pat Richter as Athletic Director at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2004.

In 2000, Alvarez and his wife Cindy endowed a $250,000 football scholarship at the university. The book [http://www.cornnation.com/storyonly/2007/10/29/23313/293 Don't Flinch] is the autobiography of Alvarez' life, concluding with his selection of Bret Bielema as the head football coach to replace him.

Head coaching record

CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Wisconsin Badgers
startyear = 1990
conf = Big Ten Conference
endyear = 2005CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1990
name = Wisconsin
overall = 1–10
conference = 0-8
confstanding = 10th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1991
name = Wisconsin
overall = 5–6
conference = 2-6
confstanding = T-8th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1992
name = Wisconsin
overall = 5–6
conference = 3-5
confstanding = T-6th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1993
name = Wisconsin
overall = 10–1–1
conference = 6-1-1
confstanding = T-1st
bowlname = Rose Bowl
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 5
ranking2 = 6CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1994
name = Wisconsin
overall = 8–3–1
conference = 5-2-1
confstanding = 4th
bowlname = Hall of Fame Bowl
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1995
name = Wisconsin
overall = 4–5–2
conference = 3-4-1
confstanding = T-7th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1996
name = Wisconsin
overall = 8–5
conference = 3-5
confstanding = 7th
bowlname = Copper Bowl
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1997
name = Wisconsin
overall = 8–5
conference = 5-3
confstanding = 5th
bowlname = Outback Bowl
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1998
name = Wisconsin
overall = 11–1
conference = 7–1
confstanding = T-1st
bowlname = Rose Bowl
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 5
ranking2 = 6CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1999
name = Wisconsin
overall = 10–2
conference = 7–1
confstanding = 1st
bowlname = Rose Bowl
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 4
ranking2 = 4CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2000
name = Wisconsin
overall = 9–4
conference = 4-4
confstanding = T-5th
bowlname = Sun Bowl
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 24
ranking2 = 23CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2001
name = Wisconsin
overall = 5–7
conference = 3-5
confstanding = T-8th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2002
name = Wisconsin
overall = 8–6
conference = 2-6
confstanding = T-8th
bowlname = Alamo Bowl
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2003
name = Wisconsin
overall = 7–6
conference = 4-4
confstanding = T-7th
bowlname = Music City Bowl
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2004
name = Wisconsin
overall = 9–3
conference = 6-2
confstanding = 3rd
bowlname = Outback Bowl
bowloutcome = L
bcsbowl =
ranking = 18
ranking2 = 17CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 2005
name = Wisconsin
overall = 10–3
conference = 5-3
confstanding = T-3rd
bowlname = Capital One Bowl
bowloutcome = W
bcsbowl =
ranking = 15
ranking2 = 15CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Wisconsin
overall = 118–73–4
confrecord = CFB Yearly Record End
overall = 118–73–4
bcs =
poll = two
polltype =

Life after coaching

Alvarez concluded his career at Wisconsin with a win over the Auburn Tigers in the 2006 Capital One Bowl, bringing his all-time record at Wisconsin to 118-73-4 (.615), with three Rose Bowl wins and an 8-3 (.727) record in bowl games, the best winning percentage ever for a coach in Division I-A bowl games (minimum 11 bowl games coached). He is currently the Head Athletic Directory at the University.

On October 13, 2006, a bronze statue of Alvarez was unveiled in the Kellner Plaza of Camp Randall Stadium. The statue honoring Alvarez had been announced the previous year, at his last home game as head coach. [ [http://www.uwbadgers.com/sport_news/gs/headlines/story.html?sportid=200&storyid=9382 UWBadgers.com Mobile ] ]

During the 2006-07 bowl season, Alvarez worked as a color commentator/analyst for FOX Sports. He worked on both the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and BCS National Championship Game. [ [http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/tct/2006/08/21/0608210248.php madison.com ] ]

Trivia

* In 1994, Babcock Dairy Store, housed in Babcock Hall, (home of the UW-Madison's Department of Food Science, College of Ag and Life Sciences) developed an ice cream flavor called "Berry Alvarez" in honor of the coach - a mixture of raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry.
* In 2001, Hispanic Business magazine named Barry Alvarez one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics. [ [http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/influentials/details.asp?id=221&year=2001 Barry Alvarez, influential Hispanic for 2001 - HispanicBusiness.com ] ]
* The only Big Ten coach to win consecutive Rose Bowls. Only one of six coaches to win at least three Rose Bowls.
* Of all coaches with three or more Rose Bowl appearances, he is one of only two with an undefeated record (John Robinson is the other).
* Alvarez had six nine-win seasons. Prior to his arrival era, Wisconsin only had recorded only four in nearly 100 seasons.

References