Wisconsin announces hire of Chris McIntosh as athletic director

Wisconsin has its new athletic director.

The UW Board of Regents met Wednesday morning and approved the promotion of deputy athletic director Chris McIntosh to the top spot as the replacement for Barry Alvarez.

“Chris is a natural leader who loves the Badgers and cares about our student-athletes,” UW chancellor Rebecca Blank said in a press release. “He is uniquely positioned to continue our proud traditions of success on and off the field and doing things ‘the right way.’ Chris will build upon those traditions and has a strong vision for leading the program during a time of change in college athletics.”

McIntosh played offensive line for Alvarez in the late 1990s, winning two Big Ten and Rose Bowl titles and eventually becoming a first-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks. The 44-year-old joined the Wisconsin athletic department in 2014 and became deputy AD in 2017.

“I owe so much to the University of Wisconsin, and I’m deeply honored to be able to succeed Barry Alvarez,” McIntosh said. “We will build upon our legacy of success on the field of competition and support our student-athletes in the classroom, on campus and after college.”

It’s been no secret that Alvarez was grooming McIntosh as his replacement, though he said he would not beat the drum for him during the process.

Among the other finalists for the job, according to CollegeAD.com, was Ball State AD Beth Goetz.

A nine-member committee has been handling the search and providing names for UW chancellor Rebecca Blank to consider. Football coach Paul Chryst and former Wisconsin assistant basketball coach Alando Tucker are among those on the committee.

Alvarez is set to retire at the end of June after more than 30 years at the university, first as head football coach and the last 16 years spent as the full-time athletic director.