Shawn Eichorst
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Athletic director |
| Team | Wisconsin |
| Conference | Big Ten |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | Lone Rock, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Education | University of Wisconsin–Whitewater Marquette University |
| Playing career | |
| 1987–1990 | Wisconsin–Whitewater |
| Position | Defensive back |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1999–2003 | Wisconsin–Whitewater |
| 2004–2006 | South Carolina (Senior Associate AD) |
| 2006–2011 | Wisconsin (Deputy AD) |
| 2011–2012 | Miami (FL) |
| 2013–2017 | Nebraska |
| 2018–2026 | Texas (Deputy AD) |
| 2026–present | Wisconsin |
Shawn Eichorst is an American college athletics administrator who has been the athletic director for the University of Wisconsin–Madison since July 2026.[1] He was previously the director of athletics for the University of Miami and University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Early life and education
Eichorst was born in Lone Rock, Wisconsin. He attended University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, where he was a member of Wisconsin–Whitewater Warhawks football team, serving as a team captain and earning All-Conference honors in 1990.[2] Following his graduation, Eichorst attended Marquette University Law School and worked as an attorney for Milwaukee law firms Borgelt, Powell, Peterson & Frauen, S.C. and Michael Best.[3][4]
Administrative career
In 1999, Eichorst was hired as the athletic director of the Wisconsin–Whitewater Warhawks, his alma mater. During his time, the Warhawks enjoyed tremendous success across multiple sports.[5] After five years, Eichorst moved to become a Senior Associate Athletic Director for the South Carolina Gamecocks, overseeing the university's football and baseball programs.[6] Eichorst moved on to become the Deputy Athletic Director for the Wisconsin Badgers, working from 2006 to 2011 under Barry Alvarez and overseeing the university's basketball program and other day-to-day opperations.[7][8]
Miami (FL)
On April 12, 2011, Eichorst was hired as the athletic director of the Miami Hurricanes, working under Donna Shalala, who was the fifth chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Madison and previously hired Alvarez.[9] Eichorst replaced Kirby Hocutt and reportedly beat out finalists Norwood Teague and Michael Kelly for the role.[7] Weeks later, Eichorst hired then-George Mason head coach Jim Larrañaga as the university's men's basketball head coach.[10]
Nebraska
After 18 months at Miami, Eichorst was hired as the 14th full-time athletic director of the Nebraska Cornhuskers on October 4, 2012, succeeding Tom Osborne.[11] He officially took over after Osborne's retirement on January 2, 2013.[12]
In 2014, Eichorst fired football head coach Bo Pellini and replaced him with Mike Riley.[13] Eichorst stated at a press conference that Pelini hadn't won "the games that mattered the most" against top-tier opponents, opting for Riley due to his success at Oregon State.[14] Later, on December 17, 2014, the Omaha World-Herald obtained audio of Pelini attacking Eichorst in vulgar terms while addressing his players on December 2. Pelini questioned Eichorst's integrity, calling him "a fucking lawyer who makes policies", a "total pussy" and a "total cunt". In response, Nebraska claimed that Pelini had been fired in part for "a pattern of unprofessional, disrespectful behavior" toward players, fans and Nebraska employees.[15]
Under Riley, the Cornhuskers went 6–7 and 9–4 in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Following a 1–2 start in 2017 and a 21–17 loss to Northern Illinois, on September 21, 2017, Eichorst was fired.[16]
After his firing, Eichorst served as the Deputy Athletic Director for the Texas Longhorns from 2018 to 2026.[1]
Wisconsin
On July 1, 2026, Eichorst returned to Wisconsin to become the athletic director for the Badgers.[1]
Personal life
Eichorst and his wife, Kristin, have three sons: Jack, Joseph (also known as Joe) and Bennett (also known as Ben).[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Veteran college athletics administrator Shawn Eichorst appointed University of Wisconsin Director of Athletics". University of Wisconsin–Madison Athletics. 1 July 2026.
- ↑ Lucas, Mike (1 July 2026). "What to know about Shawn Eichorst, the Badgers' new athletic director". captimes.com. The Capital Times.
- ↑ Tornabene, Juliana; Sandy, Jenna (1 July 2026). "Shawn Eichorst named Wisconsin athletic director". WMTV.
- ↑ "Shawn Eichorst LinkedIn".
- ↑ Graff, Dillon (30 June 2026). "Wisconsin hiring former Badgers administrator as athletic director: Report". Badgernotes.
- ↑ "Shawn Eichorst". University of South Carolina Athletics. 21 June 2018.
- 1 2 Jackson, Barry (12 April 2011). "Miami To Hire Wisconsin Deputy A.D. Eichorst As New A.D." Miami Herald.
- ↑ "Miami hires Eichorst as new athletic director". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. 12 April 2011.
- ↑ "A New Leader Joins Miami Family". University of Miami Athletics. 12 April 2011.
- ↑ Gardner, Tim (April 22, 2011). "Jim Larrañaga leaves George Mason, accepts offer to become coach at Miami". USA Today.
- ↑ "Perlman names Eichorst new AD". University of Nebraska–Lincoln. 4 October 2012.
- ↑ "Eichorst's Feet Firmly Planted as He Begins to Take Over for a Legend". University of Nebraska–Lincoln Athletics. 2013-01-02. Retrieved 2025-12-03.
- ↑ Sherman, Mitch (December 4, 2014). "Nebraska hires Mike Riley to replace fired Bo Pelini". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ↑ "Bo Pelini out as Husker football coach; press conference at 1 p.m." Omaha World Herald. November 30, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
- ↑ Dirk Chatelain (December 17, 2014). "Pelini slams Eichorst in vulgar talk during final meeting with players, says A.D. 'has no integrity'". Omaha World-Herald.
- ↑ Sherman, Mitch (21 September 2017). "Cornhuskers fire AD Shawn Eichorst". ESPN.