The Alvarez Era Banner Image

The Barry Alvarez Years

As the head football coach of the Wisconsin Badgers, Barry Alvarez oversaw the most successful era of UW football in school history.

He led the Badgers to three Big Ten titles (1993, '98 and '99) and three Rose Bowl championships (1994, '99, and '00), making history by becoming the first Big Ten team to win back-to-back Rose Bowls.

His 118 career victories are 53 more than any other Wisconsin coach and made him just the 10th head coach to win 100 games at one Big Ten institution. And Alvarez's teams were at their best in the postseason as his 8-3 career record in bowl games is the best in NCAA history among coaches with at least 11 bowl appearances.

To celebrate his coaching career at Wisconsin and his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, take a look back at the Alvarez era.

Alvarez

Alvarez Era Superlatives

Career record of 118-73-4 (.615)
8-3 record in bowl games
9 first-round NFL draft choices
59 NFL draft choices
34 All-Americans
7 consensus first-team All-Americans
62 first-team All-Big Ten selections
119 Academic All-Big Ten selections
4 Big Ten Defensive Players of the Year
2 Big Ten MVPs
2 Big Ten Offensive Players of the Year
3 Big Ten Freshmen of the Year
Big Ten-record 10 straight seasons with a 1,000-yard rusher (1993-2002)

Alvarez's Coaching Honors

College Football Hall of Fame (2010)
Rose Bowl Hall of Fame (2009)
UW Athletic Hall of Fame (2009)
National Coach of the Year, 1993 and 1999
Big Ten Coach of the Year, 1993 and 1998

Big Ten Championships Under Alvarez

1993 Alvarez Era Feature Photo

1993
Record: 10-1-1
Big Ten: 6-1-1

 
Photo Gallery
 
Rose Bowl '94 Badger Invasion
 
Team Photo
 
Roster
1998 Alvarez Era Feature Photo

1998
Record: 11-1
Big Ten: 7-1

 
Photo Gallery
 
Rose Bowl '94 Badger Invasion
 
Team Photo
 
Roster
1999 Alvarez Era Feature Photo

1999
Record: 10-2
Big Ten: 7-1

 
Photo Gallery
 
Rose Bowl '94 Badger Invasion
 
Team Photo
 
Roster
Alvarez Era - Postseason Success Feature Image

Postseason Success Under Alvarez

Bowl Game Results Recap Video
1994 Rose Bowl Def. #13 UCLA, 21-16 Recap Highlights
1995 Hall of Fame Bowl Def. #25 Duke, 34-20 Recap Highlights
1996 Copper Bowl Def. Utah, 38-10 Recap Highlights
1998 Outback Bowl Lost to #11 Georgia, 33-6 Recap Highlights
1999 Rose Bowl Def. #6 UCLA, 38-31 Recap Highlights
2000 Rose Bowl Def. #22 Stanford, 17-9 Recap Highlights
2000 Sun Bowl Def. #13 UCLA, 21-20 Recap Highlights
2002 Alamo Bowl Def. #14 Colorado, 31-28 Recap Highlights
2003 Music City Bowl Lost to Auburn, 28-14 Recap Highlights
2005 Outback Bowl Lost to #8 Georgia, 24-21 Recap Highlights
2006 Capital One Bowl Def. #7 Auburn, 24-10 Recap Highlights

Great Moments Under Alvarez

Great Moments Under Alvarez Feature Image

Sept. 15, 1990
Wisconsin defeats Ball State, 24-7, for its first win under new head coach Barry Alvarez

Oct. 3, 1992
The Badgers defeat No. 12 Ohio State, 20-16, for their first win over a ranked opponent in the Alvarez era

Oct. 30 and Nov. 6, 1993
UW defeats No. 24 Michigan, 13-10, and ties No. 3 Ohio State, 14-14, on its way to its first Big Ten title since 1962

Dec. 4, 1993
Wisconsin clinches its first Rose Bowl berth in 31 years with a 41-20 win over Michigan State in Tokyo

Nov. 8, 1997
UW defeats No. 12 Iowa, 13-10, its first win against the Hawkeyes in more than 20 years

Oct. 10, 1998
CB Jamar Fletcher intercepts a Drew Brees pass and returns it for the go-ahead score in a 31-24 Homecoming win over Purdue

Nov. 21, 1998
Wisconsin defeats No. 14 Penn State, 24-3, to clinch a share of the Big Ten title and a bid to the 1999 Rose Bowl

Oct. 2, 1999
The Badgers rally from a 17-0 second quarter deficit and score 42-straight points to defeat No. 12 Ohio State, 42-17

Nov. 13, 1999
RB Ron Dayne breaks the NCAA's all-time rushing record and UW defeats Iowa, 41-3, to clinch its second straight Rose Bowl berth

Sept. 9, 2000
Michael Bennett runs for 290 yards and Jamar Fletcher records three INTs as UW defeats Oregon, 27-23

Nov. 23, 2002
RB Anthony Davis runs for 301 yards and five TDs as Wisconsin defeats Minnesota, 49-31

Oct. 11, 2003
QB Matt Schabert and WR Lee Evans hook up for a 79-yard TD pass to propel UW to a 17-10 upset over No. 3 Ohio State

Nov. 15, 2003
WR Lee Evans catches 10 passes for a school-record 258 yards and five TDs in UW's 56-21 win over Michigan State

Sept. 4, 2004
Alvarez wins his 100th career game as the Badgers defeat UCF, 34-6

Oct. 16, 2004
CB Scott Starks returns a fumble 40 yards for the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter to give UW a 20-17 win over No. 5 Purdue

Sept. 24, 2005
QB John Stocco's TD run with 24 seconds left gives the Badgers a 23-20 win over No. 14 Michigan

Oct. 15, 2005
DB Ben Strickland recovers a blocked punt in the end zone with 30 seconds left as UW defeats No. 22 Minnesota, 38-34