Editor's note: This is the second of a two-part series examining Barry Alvarez's dual role as football coach and UW-Madison athletic director.
Alvarez is one of two in Division I athletics who manages both the head coaching and athletic director roles. The other is Watson Brown, the head football coach at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Brown took over the UAB coaching ranks in 1995 and then the athletic director position in 2002. According to UAB's Senior Women's Adminstrator and Associate Athletic Director Rosalind Ervin, Alvarez and Brown share a common trait that has allowed them to be successful early in their tenures.
\I think with Alvarez and Brown, they've surrounded themselves with people that can handle a lot of the day to day operation,"" Ervin said. ""That's what gives them the comfort and reassurance that they can do both positions.""
While Brown has already made an impact off the field-as UAB's program has seen tremendous improvements in its facilities-Alvarez's impact off the football field will be contingent on his ability to develop the rest of UW- Madison's athletic programs.
Considering former UW athletic director Pat Richter's impact in bringing UW the Kohl Center, renovations to Camp Randall and a new crew house, Alvarez will primarily be monitored on his ability to unify the athletic department with the student body and making sure athletes represent the university in positive light. So far, there has only been one arrest of a UW athlete this year. UW-Madison history professor David McDonald acknowledges Alvarez's drive to provide consistency and allot authority to the coaches as a positive step.
""I think it's one of several things, one of which could be dumb luck,"" McDonald said. ""Students are notoriously a volatile part of the population, but my hunch with having this code or policy is that it gives consistency of penalty across all the sports programs which used to have their own individual codes of conduct. Barry has done a nice job so far delegating a lot of authority and responsibility to the coaches of each team.""
Other coaches in the Big Ten, including Michigan State's George Perles from 1990-'92, Illinois' John Mackovic from 1988-'91 and Penn State's Joe Paterno from 1980-'82, have been unable to keep the dual roles for an extended period of time,.However, McDonald said he believes Alvarez's ability to spread the responsibility is why he will be able to maintain both jobs for as long as he wants.
""I see no reason for him not to maintain both positions for some time,"" McDonald said. ""We know he's passionate about football and he's obviously thought long and hard about challenges and responsibilities associated with being A.D. I can't see right now any compelling reason that he'd want to do one or the other.""
In the words of Richter, ""If football is healthy, things are in good shape. I said [to Barry] the best thing you can do for yourself as an athletic director is be a damn good football coach.""
So as long as the UW football program continues to win, the light shining on Alvarez will continue to be favorable. However, following recent losses by the team and failing to get to Pasadena, those naysayers who think Alvarez cannot do both jobs might just get a little louder.
