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BY BARRY ALVAREZ
UW Director of Athletics
MADISON, Wis. — With people saying it was the greatest opening weekend schedule in history and the final game going down to the last second, it's hard to imagine a better start and finish to a college football season.
It started with a lot of ranked teams playing each other — including our opener against LSU at Lambeau Field — and it ended with Alabama and Clemson playing for the national championship.
Whether it was a Super Bowl or a seventh game in any other sport, you won't see a better finish than what we saw in Tampa as Clemson outlasted Alabama, 35-31.
It was impressive how both teams played, especially in the fourth quarter. Both took the momentum and answered the momentum swings. You dream about games like that in the finals.
That matchup was a good way to end my three years on the College Football Playoff selection committee. Like I've said before, I enjoyed giving something back to the sport. It was a great experience.
I'm very pleased that Gene Smith, the Ohio State athletic director, is taking over for me as a selector. We've been friends for a long time. Gene will do a great job. He's a great addition.
Gene was a defensive end on the 1973 Notre Dame team that won the AP national championship. And he was an assistant coach for the Irish under the late Dan Devine. Gene also has been on the basketball selection committee for the NCAA tournament which will be an advantage for him as he goes through this process.
Looking down the road, there's some legislation on the table and potential changes for football, including an early signing period (the third Wednesday in December) and a 10th full-time assistant.
I'm in favor of both.
I've been pushing for an earlier signing since I coached. The current National Letter of Intent signing day for prospective student-athletes is the first Wednesday in February.
If you have someone who wants to sign in December, you sign him. You then know who's in your boat and who's still out there. If he doesn't sign, you just keep recruiting him until February.
Overall, you get a much better idea of where you stand with your recruiting class. It might address all the commitments and de-commitments that have become a part of our landscape.
As far as a 10th assistant, more than anything else, it's about taking care of and servicing the student-athletes you have on campus. You just need more people around for them.
With another position, I'd use a 10th coach for on the field teaching. That's where it has the most benefit because you can always designate someone as recruiting person, even if he's not the road.
I just wish they would do something with the total number that can work within a football department. Right now, there is no number. That's why some schools keep hiring people. They hire a former head coach who's out of a job, give him a title and decent salary. I'm sure they have duties and responsibilities for them. But the thing for me is holding everyone accountable.
There will be some changes on our football staff with the departure of Justin Wilcox, who's the new head coach at the University of California. He did a good job as our defensive coordinator.
But I'm confident Paul Chryst will name a good coach to replace him, like he did last year when he hired Justin to replace Dave Aranda. We have a good program and we'll get another good coach.
This week, I also had the opportunity to present an award to one of my former players, Troy Vincent — who along with one of our former soccer players, Heather Taggart — was recognized by the NCAA.
Troy and Heather were among six former student-athletes who received the Silver Anniversary Award for their collegiate and professional achievements at the NCAA convention in Nashville, Tennessee.
Both are awesome representatives of our university and athletic department. We couldn't be prouder of their accomplishments, then and now.
