The University of Wisconsin has named Wisconsin native and UW-Whitewater alum Shawn Eichorst Director of Athletics, despite concerns from Black community leaders, who have requested a formal review of the hiring process.
Eichorst returns to Wisconsin after serving as the Deputy Athletic Director and Chief Operating Officer at the University of Texas-Austin Athletics and as the Director of Athletics at the University of Nebraska and at the University of Miami. From 2006-2011, he served in several executive leadership roles within Wisconsin Athletics.
University of Nebraska chancellor Ronnie Green fired Eichorst three weeks into the 2017 football season, three years after Eichorst had fired head football coach Bo Pelini following a 9-3 season. Pelini went 66-27 in his tenure at Nebraska; the replacement Eichorst hired, Mike Reilly, went 19-19 over three seasons before being fired himself.
In a press release, UW Athletics said Eichorst emphasized a student-centric approach at Nebraska, yielding strong Graduation Success Rates and enhancing academic support infrastructure. He also oversaw significant facility upgrades, including a $600 million expansion of Memorial Stadium.
Black leaders in Madison, including Urban League of Greater Madison CEO Ruben Anthony, One City Schools founder Kaleem Caire and UW professor emerita and former Athletic Board member Gloria Ladson-Billings, publicly questioned the administration as to why no Black candidates were granted interviews. Madison365 has confirmed that both interim athletic director Marcus Sedberry and former deputy athletic director Sean Frazier, currenlty athletic director at Northern Illinois, both Black, applied for the post and were not interviewed.
Earlier Wednesday, Anthony, Caire and Ladson-Billings wrote to UW human resources director Patrick Sheehan requesting a formal review of the search process. Specifically, they asked for clarification and documentation regarding the initial screening process, evaluation and scoring methods, and whether Universities of Wisconsin administrative policies were followed.
“We began this process seeking to identify a new leader who would build on our excellence and continue to elevate our program for the future in the rapidly evolving landscape of college athletics,” interim chancellor Eric Wilcots said in a written statement. “We have found that person in Shawn Eichorst, who brings incredible experience, a history of innovation and success at the highest level, and a commitment to student-athletes welfare. The fact that he is a native of Wisconsin, and understands our university and state, is a tremendous bonus.”
“It is truly an honor to return home to the State of Wisconsin and to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a place and an institution that has meant so much to me and to our family for many years,” Eichorst said in a statement. “Wisconsin represents everything that is great about higher education and college athletics—academic and competitive excellence, integrity, and a commitment to serving others. I am deeply grateful to interim Chancellor Wilcots and to the search committee for the confidence and trust that they have placed in me and in my vision for the future of Wisconsin Athletics.”
Eichorst will be formally introduced at an upcoming event at Camp Randall Stadium.
