Shawn Eichorst cannot and should not be judged immediately at Wisconsin. It's going to be an evaluation that happens over the course of the first few months and the first few years. However, the early impressions are startling. There's a consistent theme that's popping up throughout Wisconsin athletics that hasn't been talked about or seen since Barry Alvarez. Eichorst is around, he's present, he's available, he is meeting players and coaches, talking with donors, and popping up at random events.
Eichorst has been the new athletic director at Wisconsin for less than two weeks, and he's already showing up all over the place. That's a great thing and something that Alvarez did. Chris McIntosh was rarely seen; it seemed like he liked his office the best, and while no one was really talking about his absence, now that Eichorst is here, it's becoming noticeable.
Mark Johnson talked a lot about how Eichorst has been around and at events. Then it was Greg Gard; we've even had players mention it. Eichorst's presence on campus is already going a long way. It's not just football he's showing up for; he's available and around for each player, each student, each coach, and all the staff. That's a culture that is desperately needed at Wisconsin.
Gard's comments took a similar tone to what Mark Johnson said last week. Gard:
— EricTheRed (@RealEricTheRed) July 15, 2026
"He's been at donor events for us. He's been here at practice. He's met with a ton of people."
That's a backhanded way of saying what the last bozo wasn't doing. https://t.co/e6MbGn8UhI
Wisconsin's new athletic director is already showing that he values the individual programs
Related: These 2 Wisconsin sophomores looked like breakout candidates during open practice
Wisconsin is known for a lot of sports. In fact, in the last few years, football has been the weak link. Wisconsin volleyball has gone to a final four, the men's and women's hockey teams have been either chasing down titles or winning them, there's soccer, golf, and much more. Yet, you wouldn't really know it with McIntosh. In fact, Greg Gard was often left to fend for himself in the men's hoops world. That's already changed.
One of the most telling comments may have come from sophomore guard Zach Kinziger, who said, "His friendship with the team itself...I saw him around a couple other of times already. I've talked to him personally, and I think that's huge for the players." If you are hoping for more funding for these programs, more support, and just more awareness of all of Wisconsin athletics, this is a great sign. A huge sign.
Here's the video of Kinziger's comments about Eichorst:
“To have that relationship with him… it’s a good start for sure.”
— Riley Jauch (@rileyjauch) July 15, 2026
Zach Kinziger on Shawn Eichorst making several visits to the UW MBB team early in his tenure
If you’re a proponent of Badgers basketball receiving more funding moving forward, this has to be encouraging to hear pic.twitter.com/Xb6C4YCLUL
Barry Alvarez, when he was the athletic director, was also known to chum it up with the players. To chat with them at practices, get to know them, his presence was even said to give players confidence. Alvarez had this rising tide lifts all boats mentality, and it disappeared in Wisconsin the last few years.
There's a whole article about Barry Alvarez from a student back when Alvarez was the AD that literally had the tagline, "The UW athletic director is the rare celebrity you’d want to have a beer with." It goes on to talk about how he was at events, helping out, pitching in, and just being a good guy to be around.
This is now returning, it seems, with Eichorst. While it's too early to judge the book by the cover and there are some redflags from Eichorst's time in Nebraska, it seems like Eichorst is currently walking the talk, living into the ideals he preached in his opening comments, and working to establish a new culture in Wisconsin athletics, a much-needed one.
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