���If you would have told
me when I was young
that I would have a
chance to play for
Coach Alvarez in the
Rose Bowl, I couldn���t
ask for a more awesome opportunity,���
said Phillips.
DAVID STLUKA
reaching out to specific people that
he represents to see if there might be
some interest.
���I didn���t want to waste any time, so I
moved on it right away.������
Phillips and Taylor, meanwhile,
were trying to get a hold of Alvarez.
���After we got the news (on Bielema),������
Phillips said, ���we tried to get a core
group of guys together to talk about
where we were at, and how we thought
we should move forward with the
team.������
The Alvarez option had not initially
crossed Phillips��� mind. ���As we talked
as a group,������ he said, ���and once that
was brought up, it was something that
everybody was really excited about.������
Phillips texted Alvarez, and also left
a voice message. He said something
to the thing effect that if Alvarez had
the opportunity to talk then ���I would love to talk to
him on behalf of the team.������
Alvarez was happy to listen and assured Phillips
that he would not name an interim coach until he
got back to Madison and had a chance to visit with
some of the seniors and team captains.
Once the news got out that Bielema was leaving,
Alvarez acknowledged, ���My phone was blowing up
and I was trying to screen as many calls as I could.������
While sifting through the call list and prioritiz-
���He���s like a son,������ Alvarez said.
If Bielema was making a business decision, so
be it.
���I was kind of stunned, of course,������ Alvarez said.
���But my wheels were already turning.������
Less than five minutes after Bielema left Alvarez���s hotel room ��� both were in New York City for
the College Football Hall of Fame banquet ���Alvarez had already begun his coaching search.
���I always have a short list,������ Alvarez said. ���And
I had an agent in my room and we talked about
28 �� VARSITY
D EC E M B E R 6, 2012
