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 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
Record: 10-1-1
Big Ten: 6-1-1
1998
Record: 11-1
Big Ten: 7-1
1999
Record: 10-2
Big Ten: 7-1
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
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
