Former Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell left the program to take a Power-5 job with the Wisconsin Badgers.
Wisconsin fired its former head coach, Paul Crist, in the middle of the season, with many predicting that interim man Jim Leonard would replace him full-time once the season was over.
However, with larger fish in the main training tank, the Badgers instead hired Luke Fickell is from Cincinnati, who several programs have tried to lure away from Ohio in previous seasons. However, Wisconsin appears to be a perfect fit for Fickel, who will be returning to the Big Ten for the first time since his previous stint as Ohio State’s interim coach.
For Cincinnati, losing Fekle shouldn’t affect their potential move to the Big 12, though it’s an intriguing timing. Although Fickell has helped catapult the Bearcats to new Group-of-5 heights, they won’t be drastically reduced depending on who they hire to replace him.
Wisconsin hires Luke Fickell as its next head coach
Fickell went 57-18 during his time in Cincinnati, and is now returning to his Big Ten roots. He was a former player and assistant coach at Ohio State before taking over the Bearcats.
Fickell’s entry into the Big Ten comes at a critical time. USC and UCLA are scheduled to join the conference in 2024. Ohio State and Michigan remain near the top of the CFP rankings, and are persistent threats to finish in the top four each season. USC will likely vault Ohio State into a playoff spot after the Buckeyes’ decisive loss to Michigan on Saturday.
Wisconsin had to hire a big name to match the looming storm, and they did just that in Fickell.
Vickel had to leave Cincinnati at some point. Obviously, the time is now. It remains to be seen if the Badgers are the right fit.
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