Wisconsin officially announces Luke Fickell as head coach, releases public comments on hire

The Wisconsin Badgers officially have their successor to Paul Chryst, announcing late on Sunday night that they have hired Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell to take over as the new head coach. In the official announcement, Fickell made his first public comments on accepting a new job.

“My family and I are thrilled to join the Wisconsin family,” Fickell said. “This is a destination job at a program that I have admired from afar for years. I am in total alignment with Chris McIntosh’s vision for this program. There is a tremendous foundation here that I can’t wait to build upon. This world-class university, athletic department and passionately loyal fan base all have a strong commitment to success and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

The position became open earlier this season, when Wisconsin decided to part ways with Chryst. Afterwards, Jim Leonard took over as the program, steering the Badgers to victories over programs like Northwestern and Purdue.

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. Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh addressed the hire in a statement of his own.

“I am incredibly excited to announce Luke Fickell as our new head football coach and to welcome his entire family to Madison,” McIntosh said. “Luke is one of the top football coaches in the country. He is a proven winner, recruiter and developer of players. Equally as important, he shares our values. Coach Fickell is focused on giving our student-athletes the best opportunities possible and is attuned to the changing landscape of college athletics.

“I have every confidence that he will respect and honor the foundation that has been set for our football program over the years while embracing the exciting opportunities ahead.”

According to Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Fickell’s deal with Wisconsin will be between $6 to $6.5 million per season. It’s at least a $1 million pay raise, as Fickell was making $5 million per season at Cincinnati.

Moreover, Fickell’s predecessor in Chryst was in his eighth season as the Badgers coach when he was fired in-season, having compiled a 67-26 record in that span. He is the third-winningest coach in program history and led Wisconsin to an Orange Bowl victory in 2017 and a Rose Bowl appearance in 2019. However, he was off to just a 2-3 start during the 2022 season. 

Additionally, Chryst is a former Badgers quarterback and tight end who took over the head coaching position in 2015 following three seasons as the head coach at Pittsburgh. Prior to that, he was an offensive coordinator at Wisconsin from 2005-11.

Steve Samra contributed to this report