Wisconsin Badgers officially hire Shawn Eichorst as next athletic director

MADISON − The University of Wisconsin has filled its athletic director vacancy with someone who is familiar with being a power-conference AD – and familiar with the Badgers, too.

Wisconsin has tabbed Shawn Eichorst – the former AD at Miami and Nebraska and current deputy AD at Texas – to be the Badgers’ next athletic director, the university announced July 1.

It brings Eichorst back to the athletic department where he worked from 2006-11. He was ultimately promoted to deputy AD under Barry Alvarez before getting his power-conference AD opportunities at Miami and Nebraska.

"It is truly an honor to return home to the State of Wisconsin and to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a place and an institution that has meant so much to me and to our family for many years," Eichorst said in a news release.

Eichorst's brief tenure at Miami included the hiring of Jim Larranaga, who eventually became the Hurricanes' all-time winningest coach. But his firing of Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini and hiring of Mike Riley garnered significant criticism. The Huskers still have not put together a 10-win season since Pelini's firing.

His eight-year tenure at Texas following his firing at Nebraska included oversight of the football program that reached the College Football Playoff semifinals in 2023 and 2024. He also helped the Longhorns navigate their move from the Big 12 to the SEC.

"Shawn is an incredible leader and even better person, and I’m so happy he is getting the opportunity to return home," Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte said via the release. "We were very fortunate that he joined us eight years ago. Shawn brought tremendous passion, dedication and vision to his role and helped our athletics department achieve record-setting success both athletically and academically."

UW interim chancellor Eric Wilcots said via the release that UW sought a "new leader who would build on our excellence and continue to elevate our program for the future in the rapidly evolving landscape of college athletics."

"We have found that person in Shawn Eichorst, who brings incredible experience, a history of innovation and success at the highest level and a commitment to student-athletes welfare," Wilcots said. "The fact that he is a native of Wisconsin, and understands our university and state, is a tremendous bonus."

Eichorst's Wisconsin roots extend well beyond his time in Alvarez's athletic department. He also is Lone Rock native, UW-Whitewater alum, Marquette Law School alum and former UW-Whitewater athletic director.

With Eichorst, the Badgers continued their trend of hiring athletic directors with local ties. Chris McIntosh was Alvarez's deputy AD before getting the job in 2021. Alvarez was more than a decade into his coaching tenure at UW when he became AD in 2004. Pat Richter was across town at Oscar Mayer before taking the AD job in 1989.

The July 1 hire puts an end to a search that was relatively expedient. Predecessor McIntosh resigned in April to take a job at the Big Ten Conference office as deputy commissioner, with Marcus Sedberry serving as interim AD for the nearly three months since then.

UW announced a search committee in May that included alumni who work in NFL, NBA and NHL front offices. Lauren Bishop, a social work professor and one of UW's faculty athletics representatives, chaired the committee.

"We were impressed by the quality of candidates interested in leading our athletics program," Bishop said via the release. "Ultimately, Shawn stood out as the right person to lead the Badgers during this transformational era in college athletics."

UW hired CSA Search and Consulting to help with the search. A public records request submitted by the Journal Sentinel in May for UW’s contract with the search firm remains pending.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Badgers officially hire Shawn Eichorst as next athletic director