Eichorst returning to home state as new AD at Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. — Shawn Eichorst is returning to his home state and heading back to the Big Ten as Wisconsin’s athletic director nearly a decade after Nebraska fired him from that same position.

Wisconsin announced the selection of Eichorst on Wednesday. He most recently worked as Texas’ deputy athletic director and chief operating officer.

“He’s got some writings out there that show a sharp mind a little bit ahead of the curve in thinking about where college athletics was headed,” interim chancellor Eric Wilcots said.”…We can be a little bit more innovative about how we use those tools at our disposal to help us build the revenue that we need. I think that’s reflected in some of the things that Texas has been able to do. When I look at that and say, ‘You know what, yeah, we should be able to do that, too,’ And here’s somebody who’s thought about it and done that.”

The hiring of Eichorst comes 2 1/2 months after Chris McIntosh stepped down to take over a newly created position in the Big Ten office as the conference’s deputy commissioner for strategy. Marcus Sedberry, who had been Wisconsin’s deputy athletic director/chief operating officer, has served as interim AD since McIntosh’s departure.

Eichorst was an athletic director at Miami from 2011-12 and Nebraska from 2013-17. He took over at Nebraska after the retirement of Tom Osborne and was fired in the fall of 2017, shortly after the football team was upset by Northern Illinois.

His stint at Nebraska included the 2014 firing of football coach Bo Pelini and the hiring of Mike Riley away from Oregon State. Riley, who had gone 93-80 in 14 years at Oregon State, was 19-19 in three seasons at Nebraska and got fired after the Cornhuskers finished 4-8 in 2017.

“We all learn, especially times of adversity, resilience, all those things we talk to our young people about,” Eichorst said about his time during that stretch. “I’m looking in the mirror, and so I look at it as a positive experience. And moving forward, I’m going to use every ounce of my soul to learn and to listen and to continue to strive to get better.”

Texas hired Eichorst for its athletic department in 2018.

“He was a tremendous resource, trusted advisor and is a dear friend,” Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte said in a statement. “Shawn pours everything he has into his work and does it with unwavering integrity.”

Eichorst worked for the Badgers’ athletic department from 2006-11 when Barry Alvarez was AD. Eichorst’s titles included senior associate athletic director, executive associate athletic director and deputy athletic director.

He was born in Lone Rock, Wisconsin, about 45 miles northwest of Wisconsin’s Madison campus. Eichorst played football at Wisconsin-Whitewater before graduating in 1990. He earned a law degree from Marquette.

“It is truly an honor to return home to the state of Wisconsin and to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a place and an institution that has meant so much to me and to our family for many years,” Eichorst said in a statement released by the university. “Wisconsin represents everything that is great about higher education and college athletics — academic and competitive excellence, integrity, and a commitment to serving others.”

Eichorst heads to Wisconsin during a period of transition, with Jennifer Mnookin leaving her post as chancellor to become Columbia’s president.

His arrival also comes at a time when Wisconsin’s football program — a model of consistency for most of the last quarter-century – has taken a step backward.

McIntosh fired Paul Chryst midway through the 2022 season and hired Luke Fickell away from Cincinnati later that year. Fickell went 53-10 his last five seasons at Cincinnati and led the Bearcats to a 2021 College Football Playoff appearance, but he has gone 17-21 at Wisconsin.

“I’m fired up to get a chance to get with him face-to-face and really understand more about what’s going on, and more importantly, how can I be helpful?” Eichorst said. “That’s my job. My job is to put the right people in the right seats, give them the resources, get out of the way, and let them do their jobs.”

Wisconsin went 4-8 last year after going 5-7 in 2024, snapping a string of 22 straight winning seasons. McIntosh announced late last season he was bringing back Fickell while promising a greater financial investment in the football program. During the offseason, Wisconsin added 34 transfers, including 27 from other Bowl Subdivision schools.

McIntosh also fired Tony Granato as men’s hockey coach in 2023 and brought in Mike Hastings from Minnesota State. Hastings led Wisconsin to an NCAA championship game appearance this year.