The success of any college football program ultimately begins with finding the right head coach. Those who have won the most generally share an ability to lead, strategize and recruit better than their contemporaries, and they are remembered long after their time in charge is complete.

This week on the Big Ten blog, we're taking a look at the top-five coaches over the years for each program in the conference. Some names are more widely recognized than others, but all had a positive impact on the fortunes of their respective programs.

Next up: Wisconsin.

Barry Alvarez, left, and Bret Bielema oversaw some of the best seasons in Wisconsin football history. AP Photo/Andy Manis

1. Barry Alvarez, 1990-2005 (119-74-4)

Was there any doubt the godfather of Wisconsin football's resurgence would stand atop this list? Alvarez -- a College Football Hall of Famer -- took over a terrible program in 1990 and orchestrated one of the most remarkable turnarounds in college football history, culminating with a victory against UCLA in the 1994 Rose Bowl. He returned to the Rose Bowl in 1999 and 2000 and won those games, too. Here's how revered Alvarez, now Wisconsin's athletic director, is in Madison: When the Badgers unexpectedly lost their last two coaches to other head-coaching jobs, players asked Alvarez to come out of retirement and lead the team on an interim basis. He accepted both times, coaching the 2013 Rose Bowl and the 2015 Outback Bowl. Alvarez's bowl record improved to a stellar 9-4 after Wisconsin beat Auburn in overtime in the 2015 Outback Bowl, and players doused him with Gatorade and hoisted him on their shoulders.

2. Bret Bielema, 2006-12 (68-24)

Bielema's stunning departure for Arkansas in December 2012 left a bitter taste among the Badgers' fan base. But during his seven-year run in charge at Wisconsin, the Badgers accomplished some pretty amazing things. Bielema, Wisconsin's former defensive coordinator who was Alvarez's handpicked successor, went 12-1 in his first season and won Big Ten coach of the year honors. He won at least nine games in five of his seven seasons, became the first coach to guide Wisconsin to three consecutive double-digit-win seasons and helped the Badgers win three straight Big Ten titles. Bielema's 2-4 bowl record stands out, particularly when juxtaposed against Alvarez's postseason success. But Bielema continued the winning tradition established under Alvarez, and his overall record speaks for itself.

3. Ivy Williamson, 41-19-4 (1949-55)

Williamson's 1949 team finished 5-3-1, beginning a string of six consecutive winning seasons that brought great prominence to the football program and the university. Consider that his predecessor, Harry Stuhldreher, finished with a winning record only four times in his 13-year coaching career. Williamson's 1951 team, which had the famed "Hard Rocks" defense, set school records that still stand for scoring defense, total defense, rushing defense and lowest opponent average per rushing attempt, among others. In 1952, behind the strength of the great tailback Alan "The Horse" Ameche, Wisconsin won its first league title since 1912 and appeared in its first-ever Rose Bowl -- a 7-0 loss to USC. From 1950-54, Wisconsin finished no worse than third in the league and closed the season ranked in the top 20 each time. Williamson went on to work as the Badgers' athletic director from 1955-69.

4. Phil King, 65-11-1 (1896-1902, 1905)

King won the program's first conference championship when his team captured the inaugural Western Conference title in 1896. Wisconsin also won league titles in 1897 and 1901. His 1901 team finished 9-0 and outscored opponents 317-5. Fans who watched the Badgers at home generally went home happy. He went 43-3-0 in home games, and his .935 home winning percentage is the best for any Badgers coach with at least 10 home games. He also coached Wisconsin's baseball team to two conference championships and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1962.

T5. Milt Bruhn, 52-45-6 (1956-66)

Bruhn's teams won two conference titles and made two Rose Bowl appearances, though Wisconsin lost the 1960 Rose Bowl to Washington and the 1963 Rose Bowl to USC. He became the first coach in program history to lead the Badgers to multiple Big Ten championships. Bruhn's 1962 team was ranked No. 2 entering its Rose Bowl game against No. 1 USC, marking the first 1-2 matchup in a bowl game. USC held off a furious comeback to win 42-37 in one of the most memorable bowl games in history. Bruhn coached four more seasons and then served as Wisconsin's athletic director from 1967-69.

T5. Dave McClain, 46-42-3 (1978-85)

McClain's win-loss record is not indicative of the impact he had on the Badgers' program. When he took over for John Jardine in 1978, the Badgers had experienced just one winning season in the previous 14. After three rebuilding years, McClain helped Wisconsin qualify for the 1981 Garden State Bowl, a 28-21 loss to Tennessee, which marked the Badgers' first bowl appearance in 18 years. In 1983, Wisconsin beat Kansas State in the Independence Bowl for the program's first-ever bowl victory. McClain was the first Badgers coach to have four consecutive winning seasons since Williamson from 1949-54. Although McClain's Big Ten record was under .500, some of his biggest victories came against conference powers, including a memorable 21-14 upset of No. 1 Michigan to open the 1981 season. McClain died of a heart attack at age 48 on April 28, 1986, after working out on an exercise bicycle at Camp Randall Stadium and collapsing in a sauna. Following his death, the university named the football practice facility in his honor, and the Big Ten named its football coach of the year award after McClain.