Barry Alvarez eliminated all the surprise and speculation – his 16th season as Wisconsin coach will be his last.
Alvarez said Thursday he will step down after this season and focus solely on his role as the school’s athletic director, a job he took on in 2004. And he has already picked his successor in defensive coordinator Bret Bielema.
“Bret Bielema is the right man to replace me,” Alvarez said.
When Alvarez assumed both positions in April 2004, he said he planned to eventually transition into a full-time athletic director. But he gave no clue as to how much longer he would coach.
It took just a year for double-duty to take its toll because of the constant demands on his time.
“I believe it’s the right time,” Alvarez said. “I certainly didn’t want it to slip, and I just saw some potential for things.”
Alvarez, 58, was hired in 1990 to turn around a program that had only five winning seasons in the 27 years before he came on board. Three seasons later, Alvarez led Wisconsin to its first Rose Bowl since 1963, one of three Rose Bowl titles in his tenure. Alvarez is the winningest coach in school history with a mark of 108-70-4 in 15 seasons. He is 7-4 in bowl games.
Nebraska: Redshirt freshman defensive end Ty Steinkuhler faces assault charges after being arrested for fighting with his roommate Sunday morning.
Lincoln Police Capt. David Beggs said officers were sent to Steinkuhler’s residence at 3:45 a.m. on a disturbance call.
Steinkuhler, 19, had been fighting with his 20-year-old roommate. Police left without issuing any citations, but they were called back to the residence at 4:20 a.m.
When police returned, Steinkuhler’s roommate told them Steinkuhler had punched him in the face about 10 times, cutting the bridge of his nose, Beggs said. Steinkuhler admitted to hitting his roommate, and told police he was his roommate’s best friend and that they often fought like that.
Steinkuhler’s father, Dean, won the Outland and Lombardi trophies as an offensive lineman for the Huskers in the early 1980s.
Southern Mississippi: Coach Jeff Bower suspended two players, including star kick returner John Eubanks, dismissed two others and announced the team’s leading rusher and another player have quit the squad.
Eubanks, who also starts at cornerback, and backup tight end Pedi Causey were suspended for the Sept. 4 season opener against Tulane for violating unspecified team policies. Defensive back Darrell Bennett and linebacker Kenneth Boley also were dismissed for violating team policies. Leaving the team were running back Anthony Harris and linebacker Naton Stewart. No explanation was given for their departures.
Tennessee: Defensive tackle Tony McDaniel pleaded guilty to hitting a student in the face during a pickup basketball game in January.
McDaniel, suspended since the incident, will be allowed to return to the team, will have to sit out the first two games of the season, complete community service, attend anger management counseling and abide by a curfew for the fall semester.
Ohio State: Coach Jim Tressel hinted “physical pain,” presumably resulting from more strenuous workouts, might be in store for Troy Smith as a consequence of poor decisions made by the junior quarterback.
Smith missed class in June to attend a camp sponsored by Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair without getting permission, although it violated no NCAA rules.
Smith’s dubious decisions are beginning to pile up. Last year, Smith was suspended for the Alamo Bowl by Ohio State and the NCAA for accepting about $500 from a team booster. The NCAA also suspended him for the 2005 season opener Sept. 3 against Miami of Ohio.
