Marcus Sedberry has been named interim director of athletics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, effective immediately, following the departure of Chris McIntosh, who has been appointed the Big Ten Conference’s first Deputy Commissioner for Strategy.
Sedberry has been part of the UW community since 2022, serving as deputy athletic director and chief operating officer. In February 2025, he added the role of general manager of Wisconsin Athletics, where he helped build the department’s player-personnel and revenue-sharing strategy. He came to Madison with senior-level experience in the SEC, Big 12 and National Football League.
Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin announced Sedberry’s appointment in a letter to the campus community, saying both she and interim Chancellor-designate Eric Wilcots are “grateful” he agreed to step into the role. Mnookin said she has asked Wilcots to lead decisions about the timing and structure of a search for a permanent director of athletics.
McIntosh, whose last day as Wisconsin’s athletic director was Monday, will work with Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti and the conference’s Council of Presidents and Chancellors on strategic issues facing the league. A former Wisconsin student-athlete and graduate, McIntosh joined the athletic department in 2014 and spent the past five years as director of athletics.
During McIntosh’s tenure, Wisconsin student-athletes posted a 91 percent graduation success rate, with record highs in each of the last eight years, along with several conference and national titles.
“There is never a good time to leave an organization, especially one where I feel so connected and where there is more great work to be done,” McIntosh wrote in a letter to Badger Nation. He said he was not seeking a new position but viewed the Big Ten role as “a unique and incredible opportunity” and “a natural extension” of his work.
McIntosh said he will assist Sedberry during the transition.
