Wisconsin State Journal du lieu suivant : Madison, Wisconsin • 15

BUSINESS: Kimberly-Clark plans state job cutsC10 SPORTS Prep sports C4 NHL 3 NBA C6 Inside Heatley leads UW into weekend series at Aiaska-AnchorageQ doming Saturday A preview of the UW uan men's basketball game at Michigan. Friday February 2. 2001 Wisconsin State Journal Sports Editor Greg Sprout, (608) 252-6170 RON WOLF RESIGNS FROM PACKERS Fdgi MM? 11 StaMim su VJ CRAIG SCHREINERWSJ Some reports say UW footbad coach Barry Alvarez has been offered the head coaching job at Miami Miami, Alvarez talking EOSS TV A Meanwhile, UW officials are working on a lucrative deal to keep the football coach in Madison. By Tom Mulhem Wisconsin State Journal University of Wisconsin football coach Barry Alvarez called Miami athletic director Paul Dee on Thursday to express interest in the school's coaching vacancy. Dee told the Miami Herald that the two talked about the job but said, "We haven't entered into any kind of negotiations with anybody." Madison radio reports said Alvarez has been offered the job and would decide within 48 hours.

Alvarez was at home Thursday night but his wife, Cindy, said he would have no comment. She said he has not been offered a contract UW athletic director Pat Richter said Associated Press Packers vice president and general manager Ron Wolf, left win be succeeded by coach Mike Sherman, center, who will take over the responsibilities full-time on June 1. Thursday night he was unaware that I Miami had made any offer. "I don't think that's correct, as far as I know," Richter said. "I know there may have been some conversations, but I talked to Barry recently and as far as I know that's not the case." Richter declined to elaborate when asked if Alvarez had started serious negotiations with Miami officials.

"IKS 11 "We have not talked to anybody (from Miami) about that," Richter said. "I'm not naive enough to think there's (not) some behind-the-scenes (negotiations), but we've had a conversation with Barry and he's putting the closing touches on the recruiting class and that's about it." Odds against double duty GREEN BAY Three years ago, Mike Sherman was an obscure tight ends coach for the Green Bay Packers. Today, he's running the entire football operation. There hasn't been a rise this meteoric in the NFL since St. Louis went from 4-14 to Super Bowl champion in one year.

Packers fans can only hope Sherman doesn't fall as quickly or as hard as the Rams did. Sherman became head coach and general manager Thursday when the Packers revealed that general manager Ron Wolf, the man most respon Richter Richter and UW chancellor John Wilev GM says its time for him "to move on" By Eric Anderson Wisconsin State Journal GREEN BAY In the past nine years, Ron Wolf has made the decisions when it comes to personnel with the Green Bay Packers. Which players and coaches stay, which ones go, which ones the team should go out and get Wolf made the call The ability to make the right decision in most of those situations helped Wolf shake the Packers out of 25 years of doldrums to rejoin the NFL's elite. On Thursday, Wolf announced another decision that figures to have a profound impact on the franchise: He will retire as executive vice president and general manager on June 1. Mike Sherman, who just completed his first season as Packers coach, will work with Wolf as a co-general manager until Wolf steps down, at which point Sherman will assume both duties on a full-time basis.

Team president Bob Harlan said Wolf, 62, will then sign a three-year contract to remain with the team as a consultant "Each and every one of you out there will face this at some point in your lives, when you realize that all of a sudden you have to move on, it's time for you to move on," an emotional Wolf said. "You have done your last deed, or it's more important that someone else step in now and run the ship. And I'm at that point "I have a duty, I have an obligation to the Please see WOLF. Page C3 met with Alvarez at his home at 5 p.m. Thursday.

UW officials have been working on a new deal for Alvarez that would make him the highest-paid coach in the Big Ten Conference and planned to present it for approval at today's UW Athletic Board meeting. I But the developments of the past coil-! pie of days pushed everything ahead. Al-J varez has a base salary of $400,000, with sible for restoring respect to the storied franchise, will retire June 1. Wolf simply ran out of gas after being the point man for the second-most successful nine-year run in the team's a total compensation package for 1 2000-01 of just less than $1 million, including his television and radio shows, aDDarel deals and incentives. TOM OATES Former Miami coach Butch Davis was working on a five-year extension that started at $1.4 million and added $100,000 each year before he left to be M- USX- come the coach of the Cleveland Bro modem history.

Wolfs resignation was a mild surprise because he's a young 62 and had three years left on his contract By comparison, the appointment of Sherman to assume Wolfs responsibilities was a stunning break with tradition. Please see OATES, Page C3 Associated Press on Monday. The Sun-Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale, reported Miami has of-j fered Alvarez a five-year deal worth be- tween $1.4 million and $1.6 million a year. That salary would be in the range Please see Alvarez, Page bt Mke Sherman, Ron Wolf, left said he sees someone with the makeup to be a force evaluating talent and making personnel moves. Putting on a defensive show WOMEN'S Badgers 7Q Wildcats 35 Key.

The Badgers use a 21-1 run over the final 14 minutes of the first half to build a 30-10 lead. 16, 0-10), which shot 26.1 percent from the field, had a season-low point total in losing its 10th consecutive game. From UWs standpoint it was the fewest points by an opponent in a Big Ten game. Sophomore center Nina Smith led UW with 14 points. Senior forward LaTonya Sims contributed 13 points and eight rebounds while tying the program record by playing in her 116th consecutive game.

UW coach Jane Albright now one victory from tying Edwina Quails for most wins (131) as UWs women's coach, played all 15 Badgers, and 13 scored. Sophomore point guard Can-das Smith, playing what Albright described as the best game of Smith's career, came off the bench and had six points and a career-high five steals. Four of those steals came in the first half when UW overcame a sluggish start to earn a 30-10 halftime lead. The Badgers used a 21-1 run in the final 13 minutes, 45 seconds to blow open the game. The 10 points were the fewest points permitted in a half in Albright's seven seasons.

"The one thing I want to commend the whole team for is that everybody comes in and does their job," Nina Smith said. "Toward the last month of the season, everyone is trying to bear down. We didn't shoot that well in the first half (42.3 percent), but we came back and kept bearing down and playing good defense. With our UW limits Northwestern to 10 first-half points and 26.1 percent shooting. ByJonMasson Wisconsin State Journal The 25th-ranked University of Wisconsin women's basketball team didn't play particularly well Thursday night It didn't matter.

The Badgers doubled up overmatched Northwestern, 70-35, in a Big Ten Conference game before an announced crowd of 6,397 at the Kohl Center. UW (13-7 overall. 7-3 Big Ten) remained tied for second with Perm State in league play. Last-place Northwestern (4- team if there is one thing we aren't doing, there are about three things we are doing. That's one thing that helps us get wins like these." Forward Tami Sears led the Wildcats with 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

But Northwestern was 4-for-21 from the field and committed 16 of its 27 turnovers in the first half "I thought we were pretty competitive in the first 15 minutes of the first half and we faltered with our foul trouble and had to play some lineups that aren't used to playing together," Northwestern coach June Olkowski said. "But what really hurt us in the first half was turnovers. Give them credit defensively." Next I 1:30 p.m. Sunday, vs. i Michigan State, Kohl Center, MSC Inside: Purdue extends winning streak to 12; Tennessee tops' ConnecticutC6 STEVE APPSAVSJ LaTonya Sims, who scored 13 points, drives around Northwestern's Billee RusseH in the first half..