Wisconsin appears to be closing in on its next athletic director, and the name at the center of it is Shawn Eichorst.
Pete Thamel reported on June 30, 2026, that the Badgers are targeting Eichorst, who is currently the deputy athletic director and chief operating officer at Texas. If the move goes through, Wisconsin will be handing the job to a familiar face with a mixed reputation: Eichorst previously served as athletic director at Nebraska and Miami, and his Nebraska run is the part that will set off the loudest reaction.
At Nebraska, Eichorst had some clear wins and some rough misses. He was credited with helping push the Huskers’ non-traditional sports forward, and Nebraska’s volleyball success in particular is tied in part to his work. But his hiring record also includes Bo Pelini and Mike Riley, which is a big reason Nebraska fans generally remember him as a mediocre AD at best.
That’s where the hesitation comes in for Wisconsin. On paper, this doesn’t feel like the kind of splashy upgrade that screams momentum. It has more of a “lateral move” feel than a clear step up from Chris McIntosh, which is why the initial reaction around the hire is likely to be muted rather than excited.
Still, Eichorst’s Texas role is the piece that may matter most to Wisconsin. In Austin, he’s been handling the kinds of responsibilities the Badgers need help with right now: day-to-day operations, football oversight, budgets, fundraising, capital projects, staffing tied to pay-to-play, and carrying out the broader NIL vision Texas has pushed forward. Wisconsin, as the reporting suggests, needs someone who can do that work on the ground.
His ties to Wisconsin may also be a major factor. Eichorst previously worked at Wisconsin before becoming athletic director at Miami and Nebraska, and Nebraska’s bio page notes that he was the deputy athletics director there under Barry Alvarez. That connection to the Barry Alvarez tree is likely part of the appeal, especially for a school that tends to stay close to its own network when making major hires.
So if Wisconsin does finalize this hire, it would be betting on a blend of familiarity and recent big-program experience: a former Badger with Alvarez ties, plus an administrator who has been inside Texas’ modern machine at a time when the industry has shifted fast.
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