The search for Wisconsin's next athletic director is officially underway, and the Badgers are looking to fill some very big shoes. It's been one month since Chris McIntosh stepped down to take a role as the Big Ten's deputy commissioner for strategy, and the university is moving quickly to find his successor.
On May 12, UW announced the key players in this search: a search firm, a nine-person committee, and a timeline for the hire. That announcement came about four weeks after McIntosh's resignation, and interim AD Marcus Sedberry has already spoken with reporters to provide some clarity on the process.
This hire is a big deal—it will be only the third time in more than 30 years that Wisconsin brings in a new athletic director. The search committee is stacked with heavy hitters, including some of the most accomplished alumni and former Badgers athletes you'll find anywhere.
Leading the committee is Lauren Bishop, a UW professor and faculty athletics representative. But the star power doesn't stop there. The roster includes Chris Ballard, the Indianapolis Colts general manager and former UW football player; Michael Finley, the Dallas Mavericks co-interim general manager and former Badgers basketball star; and Meghan Duggan, the New Jersey Devils director of player development and a former UW hockey legend.
Rounding out the committee are Rob Cramer (UW vice chancellor for finance and administration), Elzie Higginbottom (a former UW track and field athlete and president of East Lake Management & Development Corp.), Marija Pientka (UW senior associate athletic director for sports administration and former women's tennis athlete), Michael Shannon (co-founder of KSL Capital Partners and UW alum), and William Smith (current UW men's soccer player and president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee).
With this kind of talent and experience on the search committee, Badgers fans can feel confident that the next AD will be someone who truly understands what it means to wear the Wisconsin red. The search is still in its early stages, but the foundation is being laid for a strong future in Madison.