Fickell to Badgers

Submitted by GoBlueUSMC on November 27th, 2022 at 12:39 PM

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.

https://twitter.com/TomOatesWSJ/status/1596913336045932545?s=20&t=Z9t9fjYZ-B3U--4JbD7q0g

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Clarence Beeks

November 27th, 2022 at 12:58 PM ^

Bad day to be a sports reporter in Wisconsin and find out your “sources” aren’t so strong…

Multiple sources informed the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that as soon as the window closes, Leonhard will lose the interim tag.

https://www.outkick.com/wisconsin-badgers-hire-jim-leonhard-head-football-coach-report/

This was less than a week ago. And it’s not the type of thing that responsible journalists would go to the mat on without strong sourcing. So, have to wonder if the loss yesterday cost Leonhard the job.

 

Joined: 09/06/2008

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rice4114

November 27th, 2022 at 12:42 PM ^

Looks like some good coaching coming to the big ten. Of course I thought that when Purdue Nebraska and Minnesota made their last hires. That division needs players/recruits badly. 

Joined: 08/26/2010

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Ezekiels Creatures

November 27th, 2022 at 12:43 PM ^

 

Wow, he is saying it is done.

 

https://twitter.com/TomOatesWSJ/status/1596913336045932545?s=20&t=Z9t9fjYZ-B3U--4JbD7q0g

 

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Sideline

November 27th, 2022 at 2:05 PM ^

I’m with you. Head-scratcher to me. Good recruiter? Sure. But he did well at Cincy because he got those “Tier-1” level players that were borderline and basically played with a Big Ten team against a MAC-level schedule… now he’ll have a Big Ten team, playing a Big Ten schedule.

Also, there were rumblings that if UW didn’t retain Leonhard, they’d risk losing Braelon Allen to transfer (and Michigan was talked about mid-season?) 

Joined: 12/09/2009

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NeverPunt

November 27th, 2022 at 2:31 PM ^

I think they could see a lot of attrition. Nothing against Fickell but Wisky is a strange insular community of a football program, and if they went outside to hire a good coach (which is probably smart) I wouldn’t be surprised if some current players and recruits take it personally and look elsewhere.

 

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iMBlue2

November 27th, 2022 at 4:44 PM ^

Sure, but that’s why I said I wasn’t as impressed as others…cincy fans are others.  I think he’s earned a shot at a big job like a many who do well at lesser jobs.  I just think he will be mediocre at this level and think Leonhard would be better overall.

Joined: 11/24/2017

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jmblue

November 27th, 2022 at 12:44 PM ^

Interesting.  This suggests that OSU isn't looking to move on from Day anytime soon.

Fickell's got a nice résumé, but if it's true that OSU has been steering recruits to him that it doesn't have room for, he'll have to work a bit harder on that front now. 

So what happens to Jim Leonhard?

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jmblue

November 27th, 2022 at 12:49 PM ^

Day's definitely safe for next year.  (I don't think OSU will ever actually fire Day, but at some point they might encourage him to look for a pro job.)  But if I'm Fickell and I want that job, I'd stay at Cincinnati and see what happens at OSU the next couple of years.  This suggests to me that someone told him not to bother.

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bronxblue

November 27th, 2022 at 12:49 PM ^

Good hire on paper but the fact remains that Cincy is a good place to recruit to in the AAC (it's no surprise that MSU started trending down when teams like Cincy and UK started picking up those kids OSU didn't want from the region who used to go to Dantonio) and Cincy's offense this year was pretty bad (SP+ 66th offensively, basically the same as Wisconsin's at 69).  Fickell should get them to be better than they were the past couple of years but it's not a given that they'll replicate his success there.

Joined: 11/22/2008

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bronxblue

November 27th, 2022 at 1:50 PM ^

I'm not sure Fickell would want to keep Leonhard; he's a defensive coach already and if I'm Leonhard I'm going to be pretty annoyed that I got passed over for a job because the garbage offense my former guy built fell apart.  Wisconsin's defense took a small step back this year but even in their losses they played pretty well (they lost to Iowa 24-10 despite giving up a total of 146 yards of offense).  

Joined: 11/22/2008

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Ezekiels Creatures

November 27th, 2022 at 12:53 PM ^

 

I can confirm. I've been told that the "deal is done" and "he's coming."

 

https://twitter.com/MrKeithJenkins/status/1596916523452727298

Joined: 03/14/2019

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treetown

November 27th, 2022 at 12:53 PM ^

Since this is sort of a double post, I'm copying part of a comment.

Sl OT: Do other programs have books like the John U Bacon series about Michigan football? there seems to be a lot of material but do they lack people willing to write about it? This Wisconsin situation, the Iowa nepotism situation, the Minnesota situation from Jerry Kill to PJ Fleck, so much stuff. Anyone aware of any books?

Are the media and alumni of those programs just more reticent?

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