Barry Alvarez will receive the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award on June 5, 2020, at the 70th Anniversary Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame Induction. Alvarez began his career at the University of Wisconsin in 1990 with the Badgers having lost 36 games over the last 4 seasons, and football attendance at just 54% of capacity. Alvarez went on to become the winningest coach in school history, coached 3 Big Ten and Rose Bowl Champions and he is still the only Big Ten Coach to win the Rose Bowl in consecutive seasons.
“I am thrilled to be receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame,” Alvarez said. “The years I have spent in the state of Wisconsin have been very special to me and my family. I have met so many wonderful people along the way and I am very proud of what we have collectively achieved at UW Athletics over the past 30 years. I am looking forward to the event on June 5.”
Alvarez is in his 17th successful year as Athletic Director at the University of Wisconsin, and recently was honored as the Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year (2017-2018). Under his leadership, UW has won 15 National Titles and 64 Conference Championships. Alvarez has led the Badgers to a top 30 finish in the NACDA Director’s Cup 15 times. For an astounding 15 consecutive seasons, UW appeared in a bowl game and the NCAA men’s basketball tournament under Alvarez. More than 1,800 student-athletes have earned Academic All-Big Ten honors while Alvarez has been AD. Since 2009-10, UW student-athletes have achieved at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA. In the latest APR rankings, nine sports recorded a perfect single-year score of 1,000.
Alvarez is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame, the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame and of course the University of Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. Just some of his honors include:
1993 National Coach of the Year (AFCA, Bobby Dodd)
1993 Big Ten Coach of the Year • 1998 Big Ten Coach of the Year
1999 National Coach of the Year (Victor Award)
ESPN’s College Coach of the 1990s (finalist)
2008 Big Ten Club of Southern California "Person of the Year"
State of Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame (2009)
Rose Bowl Hall of Fame (2009)
College Football Hall of Fame (2010)
UW Athletics Hall of Fame (2010)
Orange Bowl Hall of Fame (2016)
2017 Paul “Bear” Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award
2017-18 Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year
The Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, previously announced that Green Bay Packers icons Brett Favre and Jordy Nelson have been selected for induction into the 70th Anniversary Class. There are 137 Members of the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, including Hank Aaron, Vince Lombardi, Bart Starr, Oscar Robertson, Al McGuire, Elroy Hirsch, Bud Selig, Ron Dayne, Charles Woodson, Sidney Moncrief, and Bonnie Blair.