Barry Alvarez (born December 30, 1946 in Langeloth, Pennsylvania) is a retired college football head coach and current Director of Athletics at the University of Wisconsin. On July 28, 2005, Alvarez announced that after the 2005 season he would step down as head coach. Alvarez named then defensive coordinator Bret Bielema as his successor.

Barry Alvarez is a graduate of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where he played linebacker in the 1960s under Bob Devaney, who became one of his major coaching influences. He later became a head coach at Lexington, Nebraska High School and then Mason City High School in Iowa before becoming an assistant coach at first the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and then later at the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

In 1990, Alvarez was named head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers. He rejuvenated the floundering program and eventually became the winningest coach in school history. During his tenure, the Badgers won three Big Ten championships and three Rose Bowl games.