BTN.com staff, February 11, 2014

Wisconsin football coach Gary Andersen and Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez released statements today regarding the former recently interviewing for the now-filled Cleveland Browns head coach position. Anderson led Wisconsin to a 9-4 record in 2013, his first season in Madison. See both statements in this post.

Andersen's statement:

?Officials from the Cleveland Browns contacted me to talk about their head coaching vacancy. After our initial conversation, I decided not to pursue the position. I am committed to the University of Wisconsin and the student-athletes in our program. I love the city of Madison and am grateful for all the support from Badgers fans around the state and around the country. I look forward to the start of spring football in a couple weeks and turning the focus to preparing for 2014.?

 Alvarez's statement:

?I?m appreciative that Gary handled all of this the right way. He alerted me immediately that he had been contacted by the Browns and affirmed his commitment to the University of Wisconsin. When you have talented coaches on your roster, there will always be people who want to talk to them. I think that Gary is one of the top coaches in the country and am glad that he is leading our team.?

The statements were necessary after NFL.com's Ian Rapoport broke the news Tuesday morning on Twitter.