Wisconsin reportedly targets Shawn Eichorst for athletic director role

Wisconsin reportedly – The University of Wisconsin is reportedly eyeing Shawn Eichorst, a Wisconsin native who previously served as deputy athletic director under Barry Alvarez, for its vacant athletic director position after Chris McIntosh’s departure. The search is being supported

When Chris McIntosh stepped away as Wisconsin’s athletic director, Luke Fickell didn’t try to soften the moment.

“It’s not easy to lose a friend,” the Wisconsin football coach said after the departure of McIntosh, who had kept faith with him through disappointing results.

Now, the vacancy McIntosh left behind is drawing a familiar name back into the conversation. Wisconsin is reportedly targeting Shawn Eichorst for its athletic director position, according to a report by ESPN’s Pete Thamel. A university spokesman did not immediately respond to the report.

Eichorst’s path has a clear Wisconsin thread. He is a Lone Rock native and a UW-Whitewater alum. He previously worked as a deputy athletic director at Wisconsin under Barry Alvarez. then moved into athletic director roles at Miami and Nebraska. At Miami, his tenure as athletic director ran from 2011-12. At Nebraska, he served from 2012-17.

After that, he joined the Texas athletic department in 2018, where he has been the deputy AD and chief operating officer.

There are also specific football and basketball decisions tied to Eichorst’s record. At Miami, his tenure included the hiring of basketball coach Jim Larranaga. At Nebraska, his tenure included the firing of football coach Bo Pelini and the hiring of Mike Riley. Pelini went 67-27 in eight seasons while Riley went 19-19 before Eichorst’s successor fired him.

For Wisconsin fans, the question isn’t just who gets the title—it’s what comes next. The Luke Fickell-led football program is coming off back-to-back losing seasons, and the athletic department will be expected to stem growing fan apathy.

The report also leaves some pieces unresolved. At this point, it is unclear who the other finalists were. WildcatAuthority. the Arizona site for 247 Sports. reported that Arizona AD Desiree Reed-Francois was a finalist for the Wisconsin job. but Reed-Francois denied having interest in a statement to the Arizona Daily Star.

Wisconsin has been functioning with interim leadership. Marcus Sedberry, previously one of UW’s deputy ADs and the football general manager, had been serving as interim AD. He did not indicate in an April media availability whether he planned to seek the permanent position.

The hiring process is already underway with a committee that reflects a mix of athletics and business experience. Lauren Bishop— a social work professor and one of UW’s faculty athletics representatives—chairs the hiring committee. The committee includes Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard. New Jersey Devils executive Meghan Duggan. Dallas Mavericks executive Michael Finley. and other UW alumni.

Behind the scenes, Wisconsin has brought in outside help. UW tabbed CSA Search and Consulting to assist with the search. A public records request submitted by the Journal Sentinel in May for UW’s contract with the search firm remains pending.

The sequence is stark: McIntosh exits. Fickell faces another tight moment with the football program. and a search committee moves forward while paperwork and finalist details remain incomplete. In that gap—between the known past of Eichorst’s Wisconsin connections and the unknown end of the selection process—what matters most is whether the next hire can change the atmosphere as quickly as it changes the title.

Wisconsin Badgers athletic director Shawn Eichorst Chris McIntosh departure Luke Fickell Barry Alvarez Marcus Sedberry interim AD CSA Search and Consulting Desiree Reed-Francois finalist report Jim Larranaga hiring Bo Pelini firing Mike Riley hiring Texas deputy AD chief operating officer