Wisconsin interim AD Marcus Sedberry not planning 'wholesale shifts or changes'

MADISON – Marcus Sedberry’s first priority as Wisconsin’s interim athletic director is rather straightforward.

“I always start with the people,” Sedberry said.

In Wisconsin’s case, hundreds of athletes across 23 teams are now under Sedberry’s purview after Chris McIntosh’s abrupt departure to take a new role at the Big Ten office.

Aside from ensuring that those people understand “where things are headed and that we continue to do the work that we’re doing,” Sedberry has plenty of decisions looming for however long he is in the top seat.

He already has one coaching search to do when cross country and track and field director Mick Byrne retires. Wisconsin fans might not want to hold their breath for any major changes during this interim phase, though.

“Maybe there’s a one or two-degree tweak in the short term, but as Chancellor [Mnookin] mentioned, there’s a process coming,” Sedberry said. “And to make any wholesale shifts or changes right now, I think, would be unwise. I think it’s a time right now to hone in on the things that are most important, which are supporting our student-athletes.”

Perhaps one of the earliest key decisions for Sedberry will be how he and the football program will handle the workload that he had as the team’s general manager. UW is in a relatively quiet period for roster construction, but that won’t always be the case as Sedberry also steers the athletic department as a whole.

Sedberry has enjoyed “working really closely with our football program,” he said in the meeting, but he also acknowledged the reality of the two roles.

“I can’t do all of that,” Sedberry said. “It’s not sustainable. It’s not in the best interest of Wisconsin. So we’ve talked about here in the coming days doing what we need to do to make sure that all of those things are covered. … We got to find people in the short term to help, especially while we figure out what the timeline is going to be.”

Sedberry’s message later on April 15 to fans on UW’s email list echoed that sentiment, saying he “will work with Luke Fickell to identify a solution and consider the future of the position.”

Marcus Sedberry, deputy athletic director/chief operating officer for Wisconsin Athletics, is shown during the program recognizing donors for the Kellner Center Athletic Center at UW-Madison in Madison, Wisconsin. The estimated cost of the project is $285 million. Ted and Mary Kellner are major donors.

Bella Vasseur, a women’s hockey athlete, asked in the meeting about whether Sedberry is committed to “preserving every single team on this campus or supporting every single student-athlete on this campus.”

“I think, as a university, we’re all committed to that,” Sedberry said, pointing to UW’s legislative efforts and other work “that is centered around trying to maintain our commitment to broad-based opportunities for our student-athletes.”

The assurance was in the wake of Sedberry’s predecessor and former boss, Chris McIntosh, telling the Journal Sentinel that “everything is on the table” (while not ruling out cutting sports) without NIL legislation, which Gov. Tony Evers signed after a one-vote margin in the Senate.

Many other question marks still loom for the Badgers’ future without a permanent athletic director – or permanent chancellor for that matter. (UW chancellor Jennifer Mnookin will soon leave to become the next president at Columbia University.)

The university has not released details about the search for McIntosh’s replacement. Mnookin said in an April 13 statement that she asked soon-to-be interim chancellor Eric Wilcots to “take the lead in determining what a search for a new director of athletics may look like and when it will occur.”

"What I can share with you today is that a thorough national search will be undertaken and that you can expect more details on this process in the near future,” Mnookin said in the meeting.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Marcus Sedberry not planning 'wholesale shifts' as Badgers' interim AD