Luke Fickell will be the next football coach at the University of Wisconsin, pending Board of Regents approval.
The shocking news came on Sunday and was confirmed by former UW athletic director Barry Alvarez, who heard the news earlier in the day from his successor, Chris McIntosh.
“I think it’s a home rental,” Alvarez said.
Jim Leonhard looked like the leading candidate to take over after serving as interim for the final seven games of the 2022 regular season, but McIntosh pulled off his second big break in eight weeks: Firing Paul Chryst was No. 1; pulling off a coup and landing Fickell, one of the hottest names in the market after the work he did in Cincinnati, may be even more surprising.
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“You know what, I love Jimmy,” Alvarez said. “I think Jimmy would have done a good job. I hate going there. Jimmy did a great job and he’s a great coach. I do not want to say anything. All I know is that I love Jimmy. Jimmy did a great job for us, a great job, and I have all the respect in the world for him. I don’t want to go any further. I’m just gonna say good things about our new guy.
“There is a new era and I am delighted. Our fans should be thrilled for that.
A look back at the career of Wisconsin football coach Luke Fickell
Player career
Luke Fickell, left, was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. He played for St. Francis DeSales High School, where he was a two-time Ohio first-team defensive tackle and a three-time state champion.
He enrolled at Ohio State and spent the 1992 season in a redshirt. He made 50 straight starts at the nose guard from 1993-1996 and started the 1997 Rose Bowl before graduating.
Fickell was undrafted and signed with the New Orleans Saints. But he tore his anterior cruciate ligament and spent the season on injured reserve before being released.
MARK HALL, Associated Press
First years of training 1999-2001
When Fickell’s playing career ended, he began coaching at Ohio State in 1999 as a graduate assistant. After one season, he was hired at Akron as a defensive line coach for the 2000 and 2001 seasons.
Terry Gilliam, Associated Press
2002-10 Ohio State Assistant
Jim Tressel, right, hired Fickell as an assistant coach in 2002. Fickell served as special teams coordinator from 2002 to 2003, then linebacker coach in 2004. In 2005, Fickell became defensive co-coordinator along with his linebacking responsibilities. He was named the American Football Coaches Association’s Assistant Coach of the Year in 2010. As an assistant under Tressel, the Buckeyes were 99-17 and won the 2002 BCS National Championship.
Terry Gilliam, Associated Press
2011 Ohio State acting coach
Fickell provided a stopgap to the Ohio State football program as interim coach in 2011. The Buckeyes went 6-7 in their transition season from Jim Tressel, who resigned, to the hiring of Urban Meyer.
Jeff Haynes, Associated Press
2012-16 Ohio State Assistant
Fickell played and coached alongside Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel, left. Vrabel served as defensive line and linebackers coach from 2011 to 2013. When Meyer took over, he retained Fickell as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2012 to 2016 before Fickell left for Cincinnati.
During the five-season streak as an assistant under Meyer, the Buckeyes were 61-6 and won the College Football Playoff Championship in 2014.
Terry Gilliam, Associated Press
Cincinnati hires Fickell in 2017
The University of Cincinnati hired Fickell in 2017 to replace Tommy Tuberville. It was his first full-time head coaching job and it kept him in the state he was born in and played collegially in. . He is the winningest coach in Bearcats football history.
John Minchillo, Associated Press
Championship Pedigree
It took Fickell a few years to make the Bearcats a championship contender and better. Cincinnati has reached the AAC Championship Game in three consecutive seasons, starting in 2019 and winning the title in 2020 and 2021.
Aaron Doster, Associated Press
History of college football
Fickell and the Bearcats made history in 2021. Cincinnati was a perfect 13-0 and became the first five-man team to make the college football playoffs since its inception in 2014. The Bearcats lost in the Cotton Bowl against Alabama 27-6 to finish 13-1.
Jeff Dean, Associated Press
Develop talent
Fickell found and developed talent. A record nine Bearcats have been selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner (1) is the highest Bearcat selection after being selected fourth overall by the New York Jets.
There have been 17 Bearcats selected in the NFL Draft since Fickell arrived in 2017. Among them is Packers tight end Josiah Deguara.
There were dozens of selections from his time at Ohio State. Among them are: DEs Joey Bosa and Cameron Hayward, LB Ryan Shazier, DBs Donte Whitner, Malcolm Jenkins, Marshon Lattimore, Malik Hooker, Denzel Ward, Eli Apple and Bradley Roby.
Jeff Dean, Associated Press
Contact Jim Polzin at jpolzin@madison.com.
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