Badger Bits: Prospects of Alvarez Coaching UW Next Season

It's far from ideal to have your athletic director assume head coaching duties for an extended period of time, but if one man would be up to the challenge, it'd be Barry Alvarez. It would be best for the head coaching issue to be resolved sometime in the near future, but we know Alvarez won't make a brash decision or choose a man he doesn't think is perfect for the job.

After the press conference last Thursday in which Alvarez announced his return to coaching for the Rose Bowl game, he called in as a guest on 'The Dan Patrick Show.' Alvarez offered a few interesting tidbits:

Dan Patrick: "When do you think you'll have a coach in place?"

Barry Alvarez: "I'd like to have one by the first of the year, but I'm not going to rush things. I want to make sure I have the right person that's the right fit for us."

DP: "Would you do one season?"

BA: "I'd prefer not to."

DP: "But if you don't find the right guy, as athletic director would you coach this team next year?"

BA: "I can find the right guy."

(you can hear the entire interview here)

Try not to read too much into Alvarez's comments, but he didn't completely shut the door on coaching this team if he had to. I think he enjoys his current gig as athletic director and would prefer to not return to the grind of being a head coach, but I believe Alvarez truly has the best interest of Wisconsin and this athletic program on his mind. If he doesn't believe the right man for the job is out there right now, I wouldn't rule out the possibility he returns for a season.

What do you think? Should Barry return to the sidelines if he doesn't find his man? Would you want him back as a full-time head coach?

Tuesday's Links:

Wisconsin basketball is quickly falling down BTN's Big Ten power rankings.

The first two Rose Bowl practices were open to the media and it sounds like Barry Alvarez is keeping fairly quiet while the team is at work.

Ryan Evans sure has a lot to work on, and after embarrassing himself at the free throw line again at Marquette, he's hard at work at the charity stripe.

Mike Bruesewitz is still out of the Badgers' lineup with a concussion.

No surprise as Ohio State defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins will forgo his senior season to enter the NFL Draft.

Jaguars defensive coordinator Mel Tucker says he's not interested in the UW head coaching position at this time.