Pete Thamel: Luke Fickell, Wisconsin expected to be finalized in 24 hours; Jim Leonhard told he's out

Jim Leonard is no longer the promised prince at Wisconsin. Following the news of the Badgers wanting Luke Fickell of Cincinnati as their next coach, he’s out of the running.

According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, Leonard — along with other candidates for the job — have been told they’re out of the search, and Fickell to Wisconsin has materialized.

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“There’s a few steps remaining for this deal to come together, per sources,” wrote Thamel. “It’s expected to be finalized within the next 24 hours. All candidates, including interim coach Jim Leonhard, have been told they’re not getting the job.”

Last season, Fickell led the Bearcats to the College Football Playoff, and he’s impressed over six seasons at Cincinnati, amassing a record of 57-18. Continuing, Thamel elaborated on why Fickell would be interested in leaving what he’s built for the Badgers.

“Fickell has strong roots in the Big Ten, as he’s a long-time assistant coach and coordinator at Ohio State and played there collegiately,” added Thamel. “He’d been picky about jobs over the years as Cincinnati rose to the top of the Group of Five, being selective about the Midwestern footprint.”

Of course, Fickell would replace longtime Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst, who was let go earlier this season and has watched his former defensive coordinator — the aforementioned Leonard — takeover the Badgers over the remainder of 2022. Leonard was considered a candidate to eventually take over the job for many seasons, but never separated himself from the pack over his time.

Leonard has been considered a great defensive mind and the most likely successor to Chryst, but his football career will likely continue somewhere else.

There’s many reasons why Wisconsin would want Fickell, but Thamel believes the Badgers are impressed with his ability to build a program from the ground up.

“Fickell’s attraction to the Badgers brass, along with his record and roots in the league, is his ability to build a program,” stated Thamel. “Fickell turned Cincinnati into one of the country’s best development programs, taking modest recruits and consistently churning out strong teams.”

Now, it seems as if it’s all coming to fruition and Luke Fickell will likely be the next coach of the Wisconsin Badgers.