MADISON, Wis. – After helping tell the story of Wisconsin Athletics for more than 30 years, Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Communications Justin Doherty will officially retire on Friday. 

"Please join me in congratulating Justin on an incredible career, spanning more than three decades at Wisconsin," UW Athletic Director Chris McIntosh said. "He is the ultimate team player and has contributed so greatly to the success of our program. Justin's deep expertise, integrity, institutional knowledge and passion for Wisconsin Athletics have made a lasting impact. He will be greatly missed."

A member of the College Sports Communicators Hall of Fame, Doherty joined the Badgers in 1994, starting as an associate sports information director before concluding his time as one of the department's senior administrators.

"I started in college athletics when I joined the sports information office staff at Michigan State as a freshman in the fall of 1984," Doherty said. "I've had 41 years of meeting and working alongside great people and I've had a career full of unforgettable experiences. My time at Wisconsin, in particular, has been so rewarding. Now it's time for me to spend my days doing other things and I'm looking forward to what comes next, while remaining forever thankful for everyone whose love, friendship and support helped me along the way."

During his run at Wisconsin, Doherty was the primary publicist for the UW men's basketball team during its run to the 2000 Final Four and was the main contact for Wisconsin football from 2001-07, a run when UW played in six bowl games and had five Badgers who were finalists for major national awards. 

A native of Southfield, Michigan, Doherty transitioned into an administrative role in 2008. He has managed brand communications, marketing, video services, community relations, and facilities branding, while also acting as a liaison to the Big Ten Network. Additionally, he served as the administrator for UW's men's and women's basketball teams, as well as men's and women's track and field, cross country, soccer, and golf.

Before joining Wisconsin, Doherty served as the Sports Information Director at North Dakota from 1992 to 1994. Prior to that, he was the assistant SID at Northern Michigan from 1990 to 1992, during which time NMU captured the 1991 NCAA Division I Men's Hockey Championship.

Doherty was the recipient of College Sports Information Directors of America's 2011 Arch Ward Award, which goes to someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of college sports information. He also was the CoSIDA President in 2009-10 and earned nine awards for excellence in publications from the organization. 

Doherty has authored four books about Badger football, including: "Tales From the Wisconsin Badgers," a collection of short stories about Wisconsin football; "The Wisconsin Football Vault" (with Vince Sweeney and Pat Richter); "The Dayne Game: Ron Dayne and the Greatest Day in Wisconsin Football History;" and "What It Means To Be A Badger," a collection of first-person remembrances from Badger football greats.

Doherty and his wife, Martha, have a grown daughter, Erin.