The Badgers head coach is heading into a crucial Year 3.
The Wisconsin Badgers are heading into a crucial year under head coach Luke Fickell, as they look to bounce back from a disappointing campaign that saw them snap a 23-year bowl game streak with a 5-7 season.
Fickell, hired with a seven-year deal back in 2022 to revamp the Badgers’ program after the firing of former head coach Paul Chryst, has gone 12-13 in two seasons at Wisconsin, and has struggled to make his mark on the field.
While Wisconsin’s recruiting classes have regularly ranked near the Top 25, the on-field product hasn’t been up to par, with injuries at the quarterback position and differences in scheme being key issues.
Still, the Badgers head coach has a strong pedigree, having accumulated a 76-38 career coaching record, including a 57-18 stint at Cincinnati, where he made the College Football Playoff in 2021.
Heading into Year 3 at Wisconsin, where does Fickell rank among Big Ten coaches?
USA Today’s Paul Myerberg ranked all 18 Big Ten coaches, with Ohio State’s Ryan Day topping the list fresh off a National Championship. Here are his full rankings.
1. Ryan Day, Ohio State
2. James Franklin, Penn State
3. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
4. Dan Lanning, Oregon
5. Matt Rhule, Nebraska
6. Curt Cignetti, Indiana
7. P.J. Fleck, Minnesota
8. Bret Bielema, Illinois
9. Lincoln Riley, USC
10. Greg Schiano, Rutgers
11. Luke Fickell, Wisconsin
12. Jonathan Smith, Michigan State
13. Barry Odom, Purdue
14. Sherrone Moore, Michigan
15. Jedd Fisch, Washington
16. Mike Locksley, Maryland
17. Deshaun Foster, UCLA
18. David Braun, Northwestern
Looking at the rankings, the top thing that instantly stands out is Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck being several spots above Fickell. Here’s what Myerberg had to say about Fleck:
“Fleck isn’t everyone’s taste, as even he might admit. But he’s won at a relatively high level at a program that lacks the same history and resources as the Big Ten’s best. Minnesota has reached the postseason in every non-COVID year but Fleck’s first, including at least eight wins in four of the past five full seasons, including finishing No. 10 in the final rankings in 2019. He also led Western Michigan to a New Year’s Six bowl before being hired by the Gophers.”
Additionally, former Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema is above Fickell at No. 8, while Matt Rhule, who was hired in the same cycle as the Badgers’ head coach, is at No. 5.
Why is Fickell at No. 11?
“Like [Lincoln] Riley, Fickell has struggled since joining the Big Ten with major fanfare,” Myerberg wrote. “After turning Cincinnati into a Group of Five powerhouse and reaching the College Football Playoff, Fickell has gone 12-13 in two full seasons with the Badgers, including last year’s team ending a run of 22 consecutive bowl appearances with the program’s first losing record since 2001. His missteps since arriving in Madison, notably at quarterback, makes this a huge season for Fickell’s future.”
Myerberg is right about Year 3 being a significant year for Fickell. If he can will the Badgers back to bowl contention amid one of the toughest schedules in college football, that would be a step in the right direction heading into a massive 2026 campaign.
But, if similar struggles continue for Fickell with a roster that is made up of almost exclusively “his guys”, then more questions will arise heading into 2026.
Give your thoughts on the rankings in the comments below. Is Fickell too low? Too high? Where should he be ranked?