Wisconsin interim AD Marcus Sedberry answers key questions about transition

Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/iXaK2UAppkWUl_4xMnQpfA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU5OTtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/milwaukee_journal_sentinel_natl_articles_362/c2b401d8857b87a327047f0f0fe62058)

Marcus Sedberry, deputy athletic director/chief operating officer for Wisconsin Athletics, is shown before their game against Middle Tennessee Saturday, September 6, 2025 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Are any major changes off the table while Sedberry serves as Wisconsin’s interim AD?

Sedberry – after previously saying that it would be unwise to pursue “any wholesale shifts or changes” – said there are not any changes that he has ruled out making for however long that he is in this role.

“I wasn’t given the directive to explicitly only make small changes or shifts,” Sedberry said. “The directive or the opportunity that was put before me was to be our AD right now. And there’ll come a time where maybe that changes, and that time is to be determined. But be our AD because we need somebody to be able to move us forward.”

His previous comments were at a UW athletic board meeting April 15 – two days after UW announced McIntosh’s departure and three days after Sedberry officially signed his offer letter to serve as interim AD.

“I think what I was speaking about last week was acknowledging where we are in the semester, where we are in the fiscal year, where we are as a department,” Sedberry said. “It’s a moment in time and is part of a bigger picture. So I don’t believe in making hasty decisions because I don’t think that’s good practice.”

Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh watches a spring football practice at the McClain Center in Madison on March 24, 2026.

When did Sedberry find out about Chris McIntosh’s departure?

Wisconsin officially announced McIntosh’s departure on April 13 after media reports emerged of the change on April 12. Sedberry said the process was “all pretty quick” although he did not offer specific details.

“I found out about it once he had formally accepted,” Sedberry said. “And it wasn’t long after that, had conversations with the chancellor. And it didn’t take me long to say, ‘I’ll run through a wall for this place.’”

Sedberry “can’t remember explicitly days” of when those conversations happened, “but it was pretty quick.”

When pressed on whether it was before or during UW men’s hockey’s trip to the Frozen Four in Las Vegas, Sedberry said he “can’t tell you exactly when it was.”

“I was in hotel rooms,” Sedberry said.

Will Marcus Sedberry apply for permanent AD role?

Whenever Wisconsin’s search for a permanent replacement for McIntosh occurs, Sedberry has not “really made any types of decisions” about seeking the position that he now holds on a temporary basis.

“At this point, I hadn’t really been addressing that with anybody because I just want to focus on what I have right in front of me,” Sedberry said. “There’s not been a search firm or search committee announced. … I think I have a really good opportunity right now to lead the people that I’ve been entrusted with. And to me, that deserves my 100% focus right now.”

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin interim AD Marcus Sedberry addresses timeline, other topics