Barry Alvarez to coach bowl game

Former Wisconsin Badgers coach and current AD Barry Alvarez will be back on the sideline as he'll coach the team for the Outback Bowl in the wake of Gary Andersen's departure, the school announced Thursday.

Oregon State announced Wednesday that Andersen was leaving the Badgers to coach the Beavers.

Alvarez, the winningest coach in Badgers history (118-74-4), will coach Wisconsin against Auburn in the Outback Bowl on New Year's Day.

He said Thursday that a number of seniors asked him to consider coaching the team during the bowl game.

It's not the first time Alvarez will coach against the Tigers, as he finished out his full-time coaching career with a 24-10 victory against Auburn in the 2006 Capital One Bowl.

Alvarez also returned to the sideline to coach the Badgers in the 2013 Rose Bowl after former coach Bret Bielema announced that he was leaving to coach at Arkansas.

Alvarez, who was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010, coached Wisconsin for 16 seasons from1990 to 2005. He also served as a member of the College Football Playoff selection committee this past season.

"There's no problem with Barry coaching the bowl game," CFP executive director Bill Hancock said Thusday. "It doesn't affect his ability to select the teams next year."