According to multiple reports, Wisconsin is zeroed in on making current Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell their next head coach. As noted by Matt Fortuna, Fickell just finished up his sixth season with the Bearcats, as they finished the 2022 regular season with a 9-3 record. In his six seasons with Cincinnati, Fickell is 57-18, including a berth in the College Football Playoff this past season. The Badgers fired head coach Paul Chryst earlier in the season after they got off to a rough start.
Wisconsin is targeting Luke Fickell
From Pete Thamel of ESPN:
Wisconsin has targeted Luke Fickell to be the school's next head coach, sources told ESPN. No deal is signed, but there's a strong push by the Badgers to try and land Fickell in the next 48 hours.
Fickell, of course, has ties to the Big Ten as he played at Ohio State and was an assistant coach for the Buckeyes after his playing days. There were even plenty of rumors in the past that Fickell would someday become the coach at Ohio State.
One interesting note is that Fickell's son, Landon, is currently a sophomore offensive lineman for the Bearcats. Whether or not this could weigh in on Fickell's decision to leave Cincinnati is not clear at this time, though there is a chance he could transfer to the Badgers to stay with his dad.
In addition, Cincinnati is joining the Big 12 in July of 2023, so they would then be in a Power 5 conference.
Nation, do you think Fickell will leave Cincinnati for the Badgers?