Wisconsin athletic director and former head football coach Barry Alvarez has made it official. The longtime face of Badgers athletics will be stepping down from his post in just a few months.

Tuesday morning, the University of Wisconsin and Alvarez released a statement on his decision to retire at the end of the academic year. Alvarez will officially retire on June 30, 2021.

Alvarez has been the athletic director at the University of Wisconsin for the past 18 years. He was the head coach of the Badgers’ football team from 1990-2005 before taking on an administravie role with the school.

“It has been an honor to be a part of Wisconsin Athletics and I take great pride in all we have accomplished over the last three decades,” Alvarez said in a statement. “From championships, to improvements on campus, to impacting thousands of student-athletes, it’s been a great ride. I’m grateful for the support, generosity, enthusiasm and loyalty of Badgers in the state of Wisconsin and beyond. Thank you.” 

Because of his success on the field as a coach and his longevity as an athletic director in Madison, Alvarez was not only the face of Wisconsin, but also the B1G in many ways. Before taking over as head coach at Wisconsin, Alvarez was a linebacker at Nebraska from 1965-67 and was the linebackers coach at Iowa from 1979-86.

“We thank Barry for his hard work, devotion to UW-Madison, and the standard of excellence he has set for our athletic program,” University of Wisconsin chancellor Rebecca Blank said. “His work here has positively impacted the lives of countless student-athletes who have come through our doors. 

“His leadership has also lifted our university and our state. Barry’s legacy will live on whenever Badgers take the field.” 

As a head coach at Wisconsin, Alvarez posted a career record of 120-73-4. His teams finished ranked in the AP Poll six times and he guided the Badgers to 11 bowl games and won three B1G titles.

The University of Wisconsin released a tribute video to Alvarez on Tuesday, as well.