Madison, WI - Former Wisconsin head coach Barry Alvarez will be making another temporary return to the sideline, announcing Thursday that he will lead the Badgers for the upcoming Outback Bowl following Gary Andersen's departure from the program.

Andersen left Wisconsin on Wednesday to take the vacant head coaching position at Oregon State, the second time in three years the Badgers have had their head coach resign prior to their bowl game.

Alvarez, the winningest coach in Wisconsin football history and now the school's athletic director, also coached the team in the 2013 Rose Bowl after Bret Bielema's stunning departure for Arkansas.

"A number of the seniors met with me on Wednesday after our team meeting and asked if I would consider coaching the team. I told them I would have to sleep on it," said Alvarez on Thursday. "After thinking it over and meeting with some of the seniors again this morning I have decided to coach.

"My goal is to make sure our players, especially the seniors playing their last game, have a memorable experience and we do everything we can to prepare to win the game."

Alvarez retired as Wisconsin's head coach following the 2005 season, which ended in a 24-10 Badgers' victory over Auburn in the Capital One Bowl. Ironically, Wisconsin will be facing Auburn once again in this season's Outback Bowl, which will take place New Year's Day in Tampa.

Including the Badgers' loss to Stanford in the 2013 Rose Bowl, Alvarez compiled a 118-74-4 record over 16 seasons at Wisconsin from 1990-2005 and directed the Badgers to three Big Ten titles (1993, 1998, 1999). Alvarez was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.