Alvarez to lead Badgers in bowl

— Wisconsin Athletic Director Barry Alvarez didn’t have to look far to find someone to lead the Badgers against Stanford in the Rose Bowl after Bret Bielema stepped down Tuesday to take the head coaching job at Arkansas.

Alvarez will handle it himself.

According to a source close to the program, the team’s six captains - tailback Montee Ball, center Travis Frederick, linebackers Mike Taylor and Chris Borland, safety Shelton Johnson and left tackle Ricky Wagner - asked Alvarez if he would coach the team in the Rose Bowl,which will be played Jan. 1.

Alvarez, who retired after the Capital One Bowl following the 2005 season, was moved by the gesture and agreed to lead the team one more time. He is scheduled to appear at a news conference today.

Alvarez went 3-0 in the Rose Bowl as Wisconsin’s head coach. The Badgers defeated UCLA 21-16 in the 1994 Rose Bowl, upset No. 6 UCLA 38-31 in 1999 and followed that with a 17-9 victory over Stanford the next season.

Bielema, 0-2 in the Rose Bowl as Wisconsin’s coach, confirmed Wednesday in Fayetteville that he would not coach the Badgers against Stanford.

Sports, Pages 23 on 12/06/2012

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