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Barry Alvarez has already given his fair share of gifts to Wisconsin football but the coaching legend considers it a "Christmas present" to himself that he'll get to lead the Badgers in the Rose Bowl, according to the OC Register's Eric Stephens.
With current head coach Bret Bielema leaving to takeover Arkansas' lead job, Alavarez is coming out of retirement to lead the program he put on the map against Stanford on Jan. 1.
As you might expect, this isn't Alvarez's first rodeo either; the College Football Hall of Famer is undefeated in his previous three Rose Bowl appearances across his 16-year head coaching career with the Badgers.
Alvarez claims he hasn't been phased by his seven-year layoff either stating the retaking his old job is just "like getting back on a bike."
Then again, it's not like he's been too detached from the program this whole time. Alvarez has been the school's athletic director since 2004, so he's as familiar as anyone with what the Badgers are working with.
Overall, the Badgers have to feel quite fortunate that Alavarez is here to help them through this transition period. Nothing quite like having Wisconsin's all-time leader in wins guide the team through all the turbulence that comes with a coaching change, right?