Cincinnati Bearcats Head Coach Luke Fickell to Wisconsin ?!?!

[WildcatofNati]

These moves always bewilder me. People like Chris Petersen or probably PJ Fleck most notably. Where they are offered every great job, and they take almost lateral jobs a year later. Do they panic and take the first job when they think they might have passed the iron being hot.

Wisconsin is far from "almost lateral" to uc which is a (soon to be upjumped) midmajor.

 

[Perrin75]

Folks who are underselling how big the WIsconsin job is (and can be) have basically ignored the Big 10 for the last 20-30 years. Alvarez and Bielema had huge seasons there and were in the hunt for the National Title on multiple occasions. Madison is an absolutely fantastic College town and Wisconsin has a very engaged fan base. Fickell will not have any issues recruiting thtere. The big question is always going to be the same when you have a mid-major coach jump to a big program. Will their style take hold at a program where the stakes are higher, the schedule is much tougher and pressure is more intense.

Someone also mentioned Nebraska. Let's not forget that Matt Rhule is going to bring an exciting brand of offense to the Big 10. He is also going to have an incredibly rabid fan base that is going to be throwing NIL dollars around like Monopoly money. I look for Nebraska to become one, if not the biggest player in the transfer portal under Rhule. I wouldn't be shocked if they followed Tennessee's path with a very quick return to glory.

 

[rucker4]

I think Fickle is a great hire, and Wisconsin will remain a competitive program. But Rhule at NU is a different story. Nebraska has basically zero instate recruiting and was dependent on Texas kids under Osborn. Getting out of Big12 lost their recruiting base and they haven't been able to establish a base in Big10 country. We'll that and PED testing. For Nebraska to ever become what thei fans want they will have to hire an elite recruiter, like Urban. I don't think Rhule is that guy.

Nebraska fans are as delusional as any fans in America. They can't get out of their own way when it comes to believing they will be very prominent again.

Since Osborne, they've had Solich, Callahan, Pelini, Riley, and Frost as HCs and they are currently on the 4th AD since then. Complete lack of stability.

How will Rhule do? He certainly can't do worse than what Riley and Frost did. Bo Pelini actually had a nice run there.

 

[rucker4]

Folks who are underselling how big the WIsconsin job is (and can be) have basically ignored the Big 10 for the last 20-30 years. Alvarez and Bielema had huge seasons there and were in the hunt for the National Title on multiple occasions. Madison is an absolutely fantastic College town and Wisconsin has a very engaged fan base. Fickell will not have any issues recruiting thtere. The big question is always going to be the same when you have a mid-major coach jump to a big program. Will their style take hold at a program where the stakes are higher, the schedule is much tougher and pressure is more intense.

Someone also mentioned Nebraska. Let's not forget that Matt Rhule is going to bring an exciting brand of offense to the Big 10. He is also going to have an incredibly rabid fan base that is going to be throwing NIL dollars around like Monopoly money. I look for Nebraska to become one, if not the biggest player in the transfer portal under Rhule. I wouldn't be shocked if they followed Tennessee's path with a very quick return to glory.

As an Iowa Hawkeye and Big 10 guy agree on most of your points.

Big question I'm awaiting to be answered with Fickell at Wisconsin is what becomes of Jim Leonhard, the interim guy and great DC who most everyone assumed would get the job permanently.

 

[jameslee32]

He's had a lot of opportunities, just not in Columbus. Midwest boy was waiting on the B1G offer I guess. UC will be fine but it might take a little while in the Big 12. They need to recruit more Texas kids go with the Ohio kids they always get. Trouble is Houston, BYU and UCF want the same kids.

 

[Girthang]

Wisconsin brings in Cincinnati's Fickell as coach

Wisconsin has hired Luke Fickell as its next football coach. Fickell led Cincinnati to the College Football Playoff last season.

www.espn.com

I waited to reply because I thought my initial reaction was a bit knee-jerk, but even after sleeping on it (for a couple days) I still think the same thing.

W.T.F. do the cheesheads think they're doing? Lmao. Fickell has been great for UC, but there's a reason the Badgers have always played more like dairy cows than Badgers. (Even that mascot looks like a cow wearing badger stripes.)

EVERYTHING moves slower in Wisconsin (unless someone smells brats cookin or hears a beer can or tap open). Did you know they can tell you what kind of beer you're pouring by the tell tale sound of the froth mingling with the scent of the malt? THEY MAKE CHEESE... (slowly). Even when they get angry, it takes longer. You can tip one of their cows and be an hour from Madison before they are fully angry (Disclaimer- Unless they're already angry before you tip the cow -- PLEASE do not try this north of Beloit).

Seriously, I just can't see it being a good fit. He'll probably have some success there, but my entire life of dealing with the cheese heads up there just makes me think they'll struggle with this.

 

[BigBlueManSouthCentralKY]

Just read that TN's OC is a possibility at Cincy. He is from Ohio and said to be a great recruiter also.

 

[rucker4]

Just read that TN's OC is a possibility at Cincy. He is from Ohio and said to be a great recruiter also.

I think the guy Cincy hires after listening to both national and Cincy podcasts these past couple days, their next HC will be Jesse Minter, current DC at Michigan. His dad at one time was the HC at Cincy.