Wisconsin Hires Luke Fickell: REPORT

The Wisconsin Badgers are reportedly hiring Luke Fickell as the next head coach of the program.

Following a 6-6 season after the firing of Paul Chryst and the elevation of Jim Leonhard to the interim position, the Badgers and AD Chris McIntosh have decided to hire Fickell as the new head coach of the program, according to Tom Oates.

Source close to #Wisconsin football program confirmed that #Badgers will name Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell as head coach and plan to announce it later today.

— Tom Oates (@TomOatesWSJ) November 27, 2022

ESPN reported earlier Sunday that the two sides were moving towards a deal, but nothing had been finalized. Now, it appears it’s all but officially announced. That official announcement could come later today.

Saturday night, the Badgers lost a rivalry matchup to Minnesota, and many expected Jim Leonhard to be announced as the permanent coach in the immediate aftermath.

When that didn’t happen, speculation started swirling about what might be going on behind closed doors. Now, it looks like fans have their answer.

McIntosh and the Wisconsin Badgers might be totally off Leonhard and now aiming to score Fickell.

Would Luke Fickell make sense for Wisconsin?

If Fickell is successfully hired by Wisconsin, it would be a gigantic move for the program. Fickell is a proven winner, and he’s turned the Bearcats into a G5 powerhouse.

In his six years at Cincy, Fickell is a very impressive 57-18 with a CFP appearance last season. Imagine what he could do with significantly more resources in the B1G with the Badgers.

I like Jim Leonhard a lot and think he’s a great coach. However, if Wisconsin can land Luke Fickell, the Badgers simply have to do it. He’s one of the best coaches in America and signing him would send the clear message Wisconsin is here to compete for titles. Hopefully, Leonhard sticks around as the DC of the Badgers. Either way, a new era of Wisconsin football is here.