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SBN Wisconsin Hall of Fame Nomination #1: Barry Alvarez

This is the first of 10 posts revealing the Wisconsin Badgers' 10 nominees for possible induction into SBN Wisconsin's Hall of Fame. The nominees are revealed in order of most votes from the B5Q readership.

It should be of no surprise that Barry Alvarez received the most votes and is SBN Wisconsin's first nominee from UW. Wisconsin football is what it is today because of Alvarez and there is no denying that fact.

The Badgers had won just one bowl game before Barry Alvarez came to Wisconsin in 1990. They won eight in the 16 years he coached the team, including three Rose Bowls. For a program that began in 1889, that's an incredible turnaround that can't be matched by any other coach in any other sport. Alvarez is still the only Big Ten coach to ever win back-to-back Rose Bowls.

After playing linebacker for Nebraska in the 1960s, Alvarez coached at both Iowa and Notre Dame as an assistant coach before take on the daunting task of turning around the Wisconsin football program. He is a member of both the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame and Wisconsin Hall of Fame. He was also unanimously voted into the College Football Hall of Fame as part of the 2010 class in May.

Alvarez will join nine other Badgers on the SBN Wisconsin Hall of Fame ballot which will also include 10 nominees each from the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks and Marquette Golden Eagles. Once again, all voting will be done by SBNation readers.