Wisconsin Athletic Director Barry Alvarez gave his approval Thursday to one of his former Badger assistants, Shawn Eichorst, taking over for Tom Osborne at Nebraska.

Eichorst served on Alvarez’s staff at Wisconsin from 2006 to 2011, including the final two years as the Badgers’ deputy athletic director. He left Wisconsin to become athletic director at Miami.

“He’s a Midwestern guy,” Alvarez said of Eichorst, a native of Lone Rock, Wis., who played football and was later athletic director at Wisconsin-Whitewhater. “I’m sure he listened to me talk about some of my experiences at Nebraska, and those types of things. But he’s very aware of what’s going on.

“And I just think he’s a Nebraska-type person. Very down-to-earth, hard worker, good family … I think he’ll identify with the people of Nebraska.”

Nebraska announced Thursday that Eichorst would join the Husker athletic department next Tuesday. He officially will replace Osborne as NU athletic director when Osborne, 75, retires on Jan. 1.

Alvarez said NU Chancellor Harvey Perlman called him about two weeks ago to discuss Eichorst. Alvarez said he gave “a very strong reference, a very positive reference.”

“I feel good about him being at my alma mater,” said Alvarez, a former Husker linebacker (1965-67) who played for the late Bob Devaney when Osborne also was an assistant at NU.