Athletic Director Pat Richter will officially step down from his position on campus Thursday, ending what could only be described as the best 15 years that UW-Madison and its alumni could have asked for.
Before Richter took office in 1990, the athletic programs on campus were in shambles. The football program rarely got to a .500 mark each year and Camp Randall would have a hard time reaching 40,000 filled seats each Saturday. Men's basketball did not find the same kind of success in conference, in the NCAA Tournament or overall, for that matter, that it does today. Men's hockey was coming off winning the program's fifth (and most recent) national championship that April, with Richter's son Barry as a defenseman for the program.
The facilities on campus, namely the Fieldhouse and Camp Randall, were not in great condition anymore. To top it off, when Richter took office, the UW Athletic program was facing a $2.1 million debt.
Then, in 1990, former Chancellor Donna Shalala hired Richter to be the athletic director, and all he did since then was hire coaches who would be great for the programs. People like Barry Alvarez, Dick Bennett, Bo Ryan, Jane Albright, Lisa Stone, Mike Eaves, Mark Johnson, Ed Nuttycombe, Patti Henderson and Barry Davis, just to name a few, have helped create and foster a winning tradition on this campus.
Fast-forward to today. The \Big Three,"" the three main revenue-generating sports on campus, have been phenomenal this season. Men's basketball set a school record for wins and went to the NCAA Tourney for the eighth time in 10 years and won its first ever Big Ten Tournament championship. Football beat Ohio State, got ESPN's College GameDay crew on campus and make it to the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl. Men's hockey was inches away from being able to get back to the Frozen Four, something the team has not accomplished since 1990. Camp Randall is getting its second addition since Richter has been in office. The Kohl Center is now the home for men's and women's basketball and hockey and considered one of the finest places in the nation to play basketball or hockey. The Crew House, the Dan McClimon Memorial track/soccer complex and Goodman Diamond were given face-lifts to give UW athletes some of the best places to train and compete in the Big Ten.
In January there was a story that said Wisconsin was the only place in the nation to have seven different sports ranked in the top 20. At that point, men's basketball, wrestling, men's and women's hockey, men's and women's swimming, and men's track were all nationally ranked.
When Richter steps down, football Head Coach Barry Alvarez will assume the dual role of coach and athletic director. Though he has two important titles added to his name now, Alvarez was personally chosen by Richter to replace him.
If Richter feels comfortable leaving UW-Madison with Alvarez as his heir, then I feel comfort in knowing that Richter is doing what he feels is best for the school. I don't agree with the move, but I know that Richter would not purposely hurt UW.
Josh Salm is a junior majoring in history. He can be reached at jdsalm@wisc.edu.
