Varsity is the free Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics, covering Badgers football, basketball, hockey and more each week.
Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/272503
16 // VARSITY March 6, 2014 BY BARRY ALVAREZ // UW DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS BEHIND THE DESK B y hosting the Big Ten wres- tling championships, it gives us a chance to showcase our facilities and community. It's healthy for us and Madison and it's great for the school and state. It's a win-win. This is also great for the sport and the fans that will get the op- portunity to see the top wrestling teams in the country here Saturday and Sunday. It's going to be more like a national meet. Our wrestling program has a very proud history and it will be reflected by the huge turnout of former wrestlers who are coming back for a reunion. I know Barry Davis is really excited about it. Some of our Big Ten and NCAA champions will take part in the awards ceremony. It should be a star-studded cast and it includes Lee Kemp. If you know anything about wrestling, you know about Lee. In the past, we've worked on the getting the NCAA volleyball region- als here. We've also been working on getting the NCAA cross country meet to Madison. We feel like we have a great deal to offer. I wasn't surprised that we just won another Big Ten title in men's indoor track. I thought it was awe- some. And I was happy to hear that Mick Byrne was named the Coach of the Year. Ed Nuttycombe did a great job for such a long time with the program, but I really felt confident that Mick would take the baton and not lose a step. The athletes respect him and respond to him well. Our football players had a simi- lar respect for Thomas Hammock, who's now coaching the running backs for the Baltimore Ravens. It's a very good move and I'm happy for him. I remember the first time I met Thomas. He had just found out he had a heart condition and he had to giving up playing. He was on the Heisman watch and had the poten- tial to do some great things. I talked with him before we played Northern Illinois his senior year and we had a good visit. I later got a call from him when he was working for Wells Fargo and he said he wanted to coach. I got him here for summer camp and we ended up hiring him as a graduate assistant and that got his coaching career started. I knew the NFL was something he wanted to do and I'm proud of him. At the same time, I have been very impressed with our new coach, Thomas Brown, especially with the way he handled himself during the interview process. He will be a good fit. I still remember how he rushed for over 100 yards against us in Tampa in the 2005 Outback Bowl during his freshman year at Geor- gia. We talked a little bit about that on his visit. He will relate to our players well. He's got a youthful enthusi- asm and a good background having played in the NFL. He has worked his way up as a coach. He wasn't handed anything. He'll do a good job. Wednesday was a busy day on campus starting with our pro tim- ing day and the opening of spring football practice and ending with Senior Night and our game against Purdue at the Kohl Center. There are always people in that NFL group that I will know. And I was able to get some feedback on what some of the scouts think about our guys. Some reached out to me and got my evaluation. Spring practice got off to an interesting start with some of the different things that Gary Ander- sen is doing. He'll sit the starters and let some of the backups establish some competition. He's also letting the older guys do some of the teaching. I like the idea. Gary is taking a look at where we are, what we need and adjusts from there. I really like how cre- ative he is. Great things happening throughout program BY HOSTING THE BIG TEN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS, IT GIVES US A CHANCE TO SHOW- CASE OUR FACILITIES AND COM- MUNITY. IT'S HEALTHY FOR US AND MADISON AND IT'S GREAT FOR THE SCHOOL AND STATE. IT'S A WIN-WIN.