The Wisconsin Badgers have hired their new athletic director, Shawn Eichorst, who makes his way back to Madison after decades of moving around the country in various athletic roles. His most recent was at the University of Texas, where he was the COO (chief operating officer) for the athletics department. It's his time as the athletic director at Nebraska that is bringing a lot of scorn for the Wisconsin hire. He was fired after some football choices and underwhelming leadership.
Yet, his time at Texas seems to have been a homerun (and that's the most recent position he's held). Now that he's been hired by the Badgers, there was a lot of curiosity about how he was the pick and what they would say about his experience. For Wisconsin, the press release quietly revealed exactly why the search committee picked Eichorst.
His time at Nebraska was completely downplayed, almost non-existent. There were two major emphases: Texas and Wisconsin. This shows exactly what the committee was prioritizing. It really starts with what interim president Eric Wilcots said about the hire, "We have found that person in Shawn Eichorst, who brings incredible experience, a history of innovation and success at the highest level, and a commitment to student-athletes welfare. The fact that he is a native of Wisconsin, and understands our university and state, is a tremendous bonus.”
Innovation, student welfare, and being a Wisconsin native. Those are all the parts that Wilcots wanted to make sure were noted. There are then four paragraphs about his time at Texas. Nebraska and Miami are skimmed over, and then a history with Wisconsin. Clearly, there is a downplaying of his failure at Nebraska, but truly also a pendulum swing from Chris McIntosh. Everything Eichorst did at Texas is everything McIntosh seemed to neglect or be terrible at.
It does seem to be a pendulum swing hire. Everything Eichorst is doing at Texas is everything Chris McIntosh was terrible at.
— Badger of Honor (@BadgerOfHonorFS) June 30, 2026
Wisconsin hired Shawn Eichorst because of his time in Texas and Wisconsin
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In those four paragraphs about his time in Texas from when he was hired in 2018, look at what Wisconsin emphasizes: "He has provided executive oversight for the department’s core business and operational functions, including day to day administration, its football program, business operations, and facilities and construction, among other responsibilities. Eichorst played a key role in the strategic planning, negotiation, and execution of the department’s transition from the Big 12 Conference to the Southeastern Conference."
Back to Wilcots' words... this paragraph screams innovation with a focus on financial and administrative. This is all followed by the success that Texas has had in all athletics: Championships, titles, etc.
The rest of the press release is about his time at Wisconsin as the deputy athletic director and what was accomplished during his tenure there. Anything Nebraska or Miami is downplayed, while anything Texas and Wisconsin is upplayed. What does this tell us? It tells us that the committee prioritized his connection to Wisconsin and being from the Barry Alvarez tree while hiring him based on his experience at the University of Texas.
While there is a lot of speculation coming in about Eichorst, those who are finding the silver lining and excitement are doing the exact same thing...emphasizing the time in Texas and downplaying his failures at Nebraska. Wilcots and Wisconsin have followed suit.
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