Fickell is entering a huge year looking to revamp his program.
The Wisconsin Badgers haven’t had the smoothest transition under head coach Luke Fickell, who has gone 12-13 in his first two seasons at the helm, while missing the program’s first bowl game in 22 years.
Hailed for his success leading the Cincinnati Bearcats, Fickell and his developmental approach were expected to take over in Madison. However, coaching issues, injuries, and roster concerns have all been prevalent, leading the Badgers to a sub-.500 record under Fickell so far.
Now heading into Year 3, the pressure is on for the Badgers head coach. He’ll have a roster almost entirely comprised of ‘his guys’, be it players from the transfer portal or via high school recruiting.
But, is Fickell on the hot seat entering Year 3? Let’s take a step back and evaluate.
The Badgers head coach signed a seven-year contract back in November of 2022 worth just under $8 million annually, marking a significant investment from Athletic Director Chris McIntosh.
Now, Wisconsin had gone 7-6 in 2022, but the program seemed on a decline under former head coach Paul Chryst, with his offenses looking stale and recruiting being behind the times of the current era.
So, a ‘retool’ was necessary going to a new coaching staff. But, Fickell and Co. have struggled through that process, namely at the quarterback position, where they’ve been forced to play backups after starters faced injuries.
Heading into Year 3, the Badgers have a completely new team, landing 25 transfers in the portal while hauling in another strong recruiting class. But, that comes with one of the toughest schedules in the country, as Wisconsin has to face Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa, among other teams.
That hasn’t left much hope for a strong season, with bowl eligibility potentially being an uphill battle to climb.
So, facing another disappointing season, will Fickell be fired? I don’t think so.
Wisconsin entered a major commitment with Fickell’s seven-year contract, and I think McIntosh will let him see a fourth year. After all, the head coach is prided on development and 2026 will truly be when his recruiting classes are starting to see the field and becoming meaningful contributors.
Following that is when the hot seat talk could start. But, it shouldn’t happen before that, even with the disappointing results recently. Still, overall, Fickell must figure out the quarterback position both in the short-term and the long-term if his teams want to have success in the tough new-look Big Ten.
It’s perhaps that position that will ultimately define his fate at Wisconsin.