After 14 years at the helm, UW-Madison Athletics Director Pat Richter announced Friday he will retire April 1, 2004. Head Football Coach Barry Alvarez will take on Richter's responsibilities while continuing his coaching role.
Richter, a former wide receiver at UW-Madison who was hired in 1989, is credited with revitalizing UW-Madison's Athletics Department. The department Richter inherited suffered from a large deficit, weak facilities, struggling teams and low fan support when he began.
\Through his leadership and ability to assemble a strong departmental team, UW athletics is more fiscally sound, more highly competitive and more visible than ever before,"" Chancellor John Wiley said.
Richter cited personal reasons for his retirement.
""For me, this is the time. There's just a lot of other things to do,"" he said.
Richter said he is appreciative of the opportunity to serve as athletics director, saying he has been blessed.
""Wisconsin has given me more than I could ever give back,"" he said. ""It is beyond words how personally satisfying it's been to work in this community. Hopefully, through my time as a student athlete and an administrator I made some contributions to this institution.""
Assistant Athletics Director Steve Malchow said Richter's accomplishments number so high that it is difficult to pick only a few that highlight his tenure. However, Malchow did note Richter's role in improving academic success among student athletes and in bringing the department in compliance with Title IX while also mentioning the many on-field successes Richter's administration has seen.
""Probably the most notable things are three Rose Bowl championships in football, a Final Four berth in men's basketball [and] six national championship teams,"" Malchow said.
Furthermore, Malchow said this is a major transition period for the department, citing the length of Richter's tenure, but it should be a relatively smooth change of power since Alvarez is being promoted from within.
""At a time where our financial situation is very challenging because of the economy, it is a time where we needed to have continuity between the past administration and the present one,"" he said.
According to Malchow, Alvarez is taking on the additional role without a pay raise.
Alvarez said he is aware of the challenges ahead in his new role, but is pleased he will have another year to work with Richter before assuming the role.
Alvarez will be UW-Madison's tenth athletic director and the first person at the university since 1948 to serve as athletic director and head football coach concurrently. He said the two jobs are similar- ""establish a good plan, hire good people to execute it and make adjustments as necessary.\
