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Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Saturday, July 19, 2008

Ryan to earn nearly $1.2 million

MADISON (AP) — University of Wisconsin men's basketball coach Bo Ryan was given a $225,000 salary increase Friday after a highly successful seventh season in Madison.

Ryan's boss, athletic director Barry Alvarez, was also given a $150,000 pay raise by the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents.

Ryan, 60, will earn a $1.175 million salary during the year that starts July 1, up from $950,000, according to regents documents. Alvarez will earn $750,000, up from $600,000. Both of their salaries come from athletic department revenue and private funds, not tax dollars.

The raises for Ryan and Alvarez were the most notable among a batch of pay increases approved by the regents Friday afternoon during a closed-door meeting at UW-Milwaukee.

Wisconsin's 31 wins this season under Ryan were the most in school history. The Badgers won the regular-season Big Ten title and the conference tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to Davidson.

Ryan's teams are 173-60 since he took over the program in 2001.

Alvarez retired as football coach after the 2005 season but has remained athletics director, a role he assumed for his last two seasons.

Ryan and Alvarez will earn far more than their next boss Biddy Martin, who will earn $437,000 when she takes over as chancellor on Sept. 1.