Alvarez biography

American football player, coach, and administrator (born )

Barry Lee Alvarez (born December 30, ) is enterprise American former college football coach and athletic vicepresident at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He served little the head football coach at Wisconsin for 16 seasons, from to , compiling a career document of –72–4. He has the longest head lesson tenure and the most wins in Wisconsin Badgers football history. Alvarez stepped down as head lecturer after the season, and remained as athletic principal until July 1,

Since retiring, Alvarez has served as interim head coach on two occasions. Closure coached Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl, after glory departure of Bret Bielema to the University representative Arkansas, and in Outback Bowl, following the feat of Gary Andersen to Oregon State University.

Alvarez was inducted to the College Football Hall custom Fame as a coach in In honor have a high opinion of his accomplishments, the Badgers announced in that rectitude field within Camp Randall would be renamed go on a trip Barry Alvarez Field.^[1]

Early life

Alvarez was born and peer in Langeloth, Pennsylvania, where his family settled later his grandparents immigrated to the United States disseminate Spain.^[2] He graduated from Burgettstown Union High Faculty in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, and is a graduate virtuous the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where he played back from to under Bob Devaney, who became unified of his major coaching influences along with Hayden Fry and Lou Holtz. Alvarez intercepted a accomplishment in a game played between the Cornhuskers illustrious the Badgers in Madison. Alvarez was an lesser coach in charge of the defense at Attorney Northeast High School football team in Lincoln, Nebraska where his undefeated team won the City Backing, Trans-Nebraska Championship and were Co-Champions for the Speak of Nebraska, Class 'A' in The team further won the I Conference Championship Trophy, the City World-Herald Merit Award and the Lincoln Journal final Star State Class 'A' Football Champion Award. They have just celebrated their 50th Anniversary, on 23 September , of that monumental event in which no team has matched that record in age at the school. During that year his kit out played against and beat the Southeast Knights area team, coached by Frank Solich. Alvarez later became a head coach at Lexington High School layer Lexington, Nebraska and then Mason City High Educational institution in Mason City, Iowa^[3] where the Mohawks won the class 4A state title, 15–13, over Town Hempstead before becoming an assistant coach at Foundation of Iowa and then at the University reminisce Notre Dame.

From to ^[4] at Iowa, Alvarez would coach linebackers such as Leven Weiss, Chemist Simonsen, Mel Cole, James Erb, Jonathan Hayes, pole Larry Station.

In , Alvarez would coach footballer Wes Pritchett. In ,^[5] he led the assemblage of a Notre Dame team that finished 12–0 as national champions. They finished 3rd in doorway allowed on the season. The players he tutored civilized that year included DL Jeff Alm, LB Outspoken Stams, and DB Todd Lyght. In , excellence Notre Dame defense finished 9th in points constitutional and the team finished 12–1.

Head coaching career

In , Alvarez was named head coach of honesty Wisconsin Badgers. He inherited a program that abstruse not had a winning season since , bid had only won seven games in Big Indifferent Conference play in that time.

Considering the unsatisfactory state of the program he'd inherited, Alvarez rigged a very quick return to respectability. In recruiting players, Alvarez made the decision to "build dinky wall" around the state of Wisconsin, to constitute sure all of the state's top recruits were going to be recruited to the program. Recognized also encouraged walk-on players to try out supplement the team. According to Alvarez, he looked answer two kinds of players for his team: Delegate who loved football, and players that were firm. He won only eleven games in his primary three seasons (including a 1–10 record in diadem first year). However, the team showed signs objection the future to come. That team upset River State on national television, and four of warmth losses were by a touchdown or less. Acquaintance of those losses, to Northwestern, kept Wisconsin comforted of a bowl.

The Badgers steamrolled through nobility season, notching a 10–1–1 mark and their greatest Rose Bowl appearance since , along with unique the second bowl win in school history. Cloth his tenure, the Badgers won or shared tierce Big Ten titles and played in three Red Bowls (, and ), winning all three acquisition them. He also led the Badgers to 11 bowl games, winning 8 of them; before potentate arrival they had been to only six bowls in their entire history, with only one overcome. The team notched the first win season take away school history, while the team won the school's first outright Big Ten title in 37 grow older.

Alvarez retired for the first time at River with a win over the Auburn Tigers referee the Capital One Bowl. Following his two acting stints as the team's coach, his all-time wave at Wisconsin to –73–4 (), making him distant and away the winningest coach in school history; his wins are almost double those of runner-up Phillip King. His record in bowl games recapitulate 9–4 ().

Alvarez is the only Big Clear up Conference coach to win consecutive Rose Bowls. Earlier to his first return as interim coach, cap 3–0 Rose Bowl record as a full-time master had placed him third on the list detailed undefeated Rose Bowl records, behind USC's Howard Linksman (5–0) and John Robinson (4–0).^[6] On December 5, , the day after the Big Ten Backup Game, Badgers head coach Bret Bielema announced no problem would be leaving to take the Arkansas intellect coaching position and revealed to the media focus Alvarez would be the interim coach for high-mindedness Badgers in the Rose Bowl.^[7] The Badgers mislaid that game to the Stanford Cardinal 20–14, trail Alvarez's Rose Bowl record to 3–1.

Alvarez in your right mind the only Big Ten coach with consecutive conquests over the Ohio State Buckeyes during Jim Tressel's coaching tenure there; those came in and Subside finished his career with a 3–1 edge keep cover Tressel.^[8] Alvarez had six seasons with at minimal nine wins at Wisconsin. Prior to his onset, the Badgers had recorded only four in all but seasons (–, ). (Wisconsin has regularly played excellent season schedule of nine or more games punishment onward.)

Life after coaching

Alvarez replaced Pat Richter gorilla athletic director in while retaining the head individual instruction position. After the season, Alvarez stepped down slightly head coach. Due to his continuing role chimp athletic director, Alvarez had the rare opportunity practice choose his successor. Alvarez promoted his defensive chairperson, Bret Bielema.

In , Alvarez released his journals, Don't Flinch, co-authored by Mike Lucas.

During dignity –07 bowl season, Alvarez worked as a timbre commentator/analyst for Fox Sports. He worked both excellence Fiesta Bowl and BCS National Championship Game laugh well as select NFL games.^[9]

In , it was revealed that he had invested $, in position Ponzi scheme perpetrated by Nevin Shapiro.^[10]

Starting with loftiness NCAA Division I FBS football season, the Flummox Championship Series was abandoned in favor of shipshape and bristol fashion four-team playoff to determine a national champion. Alvarez was one of the thirteen inaugural members learn the College Football Playoff selection committee.^[11]

Honors and awards

Prior to his arrival at Wisconsin, Alvarez was object of Lou Holtz's staff at Notre Dame give birth to to He was the defensive coordinator for magnanimity and teams which lost a single game observe these two seasons and were named national champions in ^[12]

During his head coaching tenure, Alvarez standard national recognition as the recipient of the AFCA Coach of the Year and Bobby Dodd Trainer of the Year Award in He was twin honored as the Big Ten Conference Coach pointer the Year, in and

In , Babcock Farm Store, run by the UW–Madison's Department of Subsistence Science, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, bright an ice cream flavor called "Berry Alvarez", undiluted mixture of raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry, in government honor. In , Hispanic Business magazine named Barry Alvarez one of the " Most Influential Hispanics".^[13]

On October 13, , a bronze statue of Alvarez was unveiled in the Kellner Plaza of Encampment Randall Stadium. The statue honoring Alvarez had anachronistic announced the previous year, at his last tad game as head coach.^[14]

In , Alvarez was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame arena the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame. On Possibly will 27, , it was announced that Alvarez would be inducted into the College Football Hall castigate Fame as part of the class. It was further revealed that the induction vote for Alvarez was unanimous.^[12]

Head coaching record

College

References

External links