The Wisconsin Badgers have made it clear they want to find a new athletic director this summer.
There are plenty of fine candidates out there, but some of them are a stretch, and others are tied up in contracts of their own.
Wisconsin opted to name Marcus Sedberry the interim athletic director, but of course, Sedberry could indeed become the team’s next AD.
Time is ticking, and whoever comes to Madison needs to make sure they have a clear plan in mind.
Wisconsin’s football program has been trending in the wrong direction. The men’s basketball team fails to deliver in the postseason. The women’s program seems to be back on the rise. The volleyball program is terrific, as are both men’s and women’s hockey. There’s plenty of upside for a candidate to come to Madison; it’s just a matter of what the Badgers are looking for.
1. Marcus Sedberry
It should be noted that this list is in no particular order. Of course, the first logical candidate is Sedberry. Having been interim AD for just over two months now, Sedberry got a taste of what this position is all about.
Internally, he’s as good as it gets. That said, Wisconsin seems to be eyeing candidates elsewhere and that doesn’t bode well for Sedberry’s chances, even though he’s been with UW since 2022.
2. Michael Finley
Badgers fans took note of Finley being on the search committee, but that doesn’t entirely eliminate him from being in the discussion himself.
The question is, would Finley, after all he’s done with the Dallas Mavericks, make the move to college sports? The realistic answer is no, but Wisconsin would be foolish not to at least pursue him as a candidate.
3. Sean Frazier
Frazier was a finalist against Chris McIntosh all those years ago, but his name continues to be in the mix. This is a job he clearly wants, and Wisconsin needs an athletic director who truly cares about the program and isn’t in it for the money.
Back in 2021-22, Sports Business Journal named Frazier a finalist for athletic director of the year. Sure, that was quite a few years ago, but clearly, he has what it takes to get the job done.
4. Shawn Eichorst
Unlike a candidate like Beth Goetz at Iowa, there’s a real chance Eichorst would seriously consider an offer from Wisconsin. He’s shown tremendous loyalty at Texas, but the Wisconsin native is a former athletic director in the Big Ten, after all.
Returning to not only the conference but also his home state would be a huge power move. Eichorst would likely fire Luke Fickell in a heartbeat, and that would likely be a polarizing move to kick off his tenure as AD.
5. J.J. Watt
Sure, this one is a stretch, but there’s arguably no bigger Wisconsin Badgers fan than J.J. Watt. The now-retired NFL superstar has done everything there is to do in the sport, and he’s got a million different ventures to keep him occupied until the end of time.
This athletic director role is as coveted as it gets, and in the NIL and transfer portal era, Watt would have a tremendous amount of pull that could help get Wisconsin to the next level.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Five potential candidates to be Wisconsin’s next AD
Reporting by Jordon Lawrenz, Badgers Wire / Badgers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jordon Lawrenz, Badgers Wire | USA TODAY Network
