MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh has signed a five-year contract extension that includes a pay increase.
McIntosh's contract now runs through June 30, 2029. He has served as Wisconsin's athletic director since Barry Alvarez's retirement in the summer of 2021.
“Chris is an extremely effective leader at a time of unprecedented change in the college athletics landscape,” Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said Wednesday in a statement. “In the midst of this change, he continues to position the Badgers for long-term success at the top level of collegiate sports. I am thrilled that he will continue to be a Badger and look forward to his leadership in the years ahead.”
In the statement announcing McIntosh's extension, Wisconsin said he will make $1.45 million in base salary this year with a $50,000 annual raise clause that would increase his salary to $1.5 million next year.
Under that escalation clause, McIntosh would earn $1.65 million in the final year of his contract.
McIntosh's original contract had given him base compensation of $1 million through 2024.
His contract will be funded through a combination of athletics department revenue and UW Foundation endowment funds designated for athletics.
McIntosh, 47, has worked in Wisconsin's athletic department since 2014. He was an All-American offensive tackle for Wisconsin before the Seattle Seahawks selected him with the 22nd overall pick in the 2000 draft.
His most notable moves as athletic director have included coaching changes in football and men's hockey. He fired Paul Chryst as football coach in October 2022 and hired Luke Fickell, who was with Cincinnati, later that year. He fired Tony Granato as men's hockey coach at the end of the 2022-23 season and replaced him by hiring Mike Hastings from Minnesota State.
Fickell went 7-6 in his debut season at Wisconsin. Hastings went 26-12-2 and led Wisconsin to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2021.
“Continuing to serve as Wisconsin's athletic director is a privilege, and I thank Chancellor Mnookin for her support and confidence in me,” McIntosh said. “The landscape of collegiate athletics is rapidly changing, and I am committed to helping our student-athletes achieve academic and athletic success in this new environment. Together with our administrative team, coaches and staff, I look forward to meeting the challenges ahead and creating more opportunities for success.”
