Alvarez Reacts to McIntosh's Sudden Departure

On April 22nd, Wisconsin Badgers fans got a big surprise last week when athletic director

Chris McIntosh stepped down right away to join the Big Ten conference office.

He'd held the top job since 2021, following a solid run in the department since 2014,

including hires like football coach Luke.

Fickle.

Before McIntosh, Barry Alvarez ran the show as athletic director from 2004 to 2021, building

a powerhouse program before.

Now Alvarez weighed in on the shakeup during an ESPN Madison interview.

Alvarez admitted he learned about the move the same time as everyone else, with McIntosh

calling him only after the news dropped.

He called it unexpected, wondering why anyone would leave such a prime gig, maybe for

lead perks or other reasons only McIntosh knows.

Alvarez shrugged off any disappointment, stressing its McIntosh's call, even with

uprooting family to Chicago.

He praised the job as top tier, predicting a deep pool of qualified candidates ready

to step up.

The Badgers will keep pushing forward without flinching, just like Alvarez's old motto,

straight into the search for the next leader.