Badgers to promote deputy AD/COO Marcus Sedberry to GM

The Badgers are going with an unexpected in-house option as their next general manager.

The Wisconsin Badgers are promoting deputy Athletic Director and Chief Operating Officer Marcus Sedberry to their vacant general manager position, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Sedberry has overseen football at Wisconsin for the last three years in his current role and has been hands-on with the program’s contracts.

Here’s his current role description according to UW Athletics:

“Sedberry is responsible for day-to-day administrative and operational functions of the organization, along with oversight of internal operations. He has responsibility for delivering on the Wisconsin Athletics mission and values as they relate to creating an environment that provides opportunities for student-athletes to continually grow and elevate their lives. He joined Wisconsin Athletics as Deputy Athletic Director in February of 2022.

“Sedberry came to Wisconsin after spending almost five years at Baylor University as a senior associate athletics director. He joined Baylor’s staff in May of 2017 and played a critical role in reshaping the strategic direction of the athletics department. During his tenure at Baylor, Sedberry was the sport administrator for football and men’s and women’s track and field. He also provided oversight of multiple administrative units, led student services units to record-breaking success, led campus integration efforts, and assisted in unprecedented university fundraising efforts and sport-specific capital projects.

“Prior to his time at Baylor, Sedberry spent time at the University of Central Florida (UCF), University of Arkansas and the Philadelphia Eagles. He was a track and field student-athlete at the University of Nebraska.”

With college football going in more of a professional route with contracts, the Badgers are seemingly going with a candidate that has more of a business and leadership background, rather than a football recruiting one, as contracts are set to become the norm with the impending house settlement.

There were a few logical candidates for the role, such as current Director of Recruiting Pat Lambert or even Notre Dame assistant general manager Carter Auman, whom the Badgers pursued last offseason.

However, they’re going in a different direction in-house in a major move for the program to replace Max Stienecker, who left for an executive role with the USC Trojans last week.