Many thought it was just a matter of time before Jim Leonhard would be the head football coach at Wisconsin. Leonhard was named interim coach on Oct. 2 after a surprising firing of Paul Chryst. A star player at Wisconsin, Leonhard was a Wisconsin guy. A Badger through and through.
Also, it was how Wisconsin does business. They don’t go for the splashy hire. It goes for the fit. But, Wisconsin Director of Athletics Chris McIntosh felt the program needed a boost from outside the program. In a diversion from the “Wisconsin Way,” McIntosh went out and wooed Luke Fickell to Madison.
What is to make of a splashy move from the Badgers? The entire thing is definitely a diversion from business as usual. Firing Chryst five games into the season. Not going with the next-in-line or internal candidate. It really comes down to two simple things in my mind.
If you’re a Wisconsin #Badgers fan, you can be excited about the hiring of Luke Fickell and disappointed in how things panned out for Jim Leonhard. Both can be true.
— Dillon Graff (@DillonGraff) November 27, 2022
Recruiting
The Badgers have long been considered a solid program simply finding guys who “fit their system.” Find diamonds in the rough.
Bringing in Fickell and his recruiting team is a huge coup for Wisconsin. At Cincinnati, Fickell recruited better regularly than every Big Ten School not named Michigan and Ohio State. With the Badgers’ resources and Madison as one of the best college towns in America, Wisconsin should be next in line behind Michigan and Ohio State with Fickell at the helm.
Not only is Fickell proven to be able to recruit, he’s also known for developing talent at an elite level.
Sources: Luke Fickell will bring strength coach Brady Collins with him to Wisconsin. He’s been Fickell’s most trusted aide since he began at Cincinnati. He helped nine Bearcats develop into NFL Draft picks last season. A key hire, as Wisconsin will be a developmental program.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 28, 2022
The Bearcats had four players selected in the 2021 NFL Draft alone and nine players picked the next year, which ranked third among all programs trailing only Georgia and LSU. For Wisconsin to bring in a coach who can evaluate and develop talent will allow the Badgers to keep up in a rapidly evolving Big Ten landscape with USC and UCLA set to join the conference.
Wisconsin lured away a coach who has seemingly waited for the perfect opportunity, meaning the Badgers have sold him on the potential for this program to be the spot where he can compete for Big Ten championships.
Luke Fickell: "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." #Badgers
— Benjamin Worgull (@TheBadgerNation) November 27, 2022
Higher ceiling
The Badgers felt the need for a splash hire. With USC and UCLA coming into the conference this year, the Big Ten West likely becomes significantly tougher road for the Badgers to the Big Ten Championship game.
Leonard, I feel, could have gotten the Badgers back to the 9-win program of the past. He would have been a strong hire. But, for Wisconsin to go outside the box and land a splash hire who was waiting for the perfect fit in Fickell, is a huge moment for the program.
Luke Fickell will consider keeping Jim Leonhard on staff…whether or not Leonhard wants to stay is TBD. #Badgers
— Evan Flood (@Evan_Flood) November 29, 2022
With Fickell, the ceiling is higher for Wisconsin football in my opinion. He took the Bearcats to the College Football Playoff. He has shown the ability to do this already and I think has everyone sees that as a possibility at Wisconsin. I don’t think that would have been the case if Leonard was hired as head coach.
Conclusion
Well, it wasn’t the Wisconsin Way, I think the move to Fickell was the best move for the Badgers program. It stinks to lose Leonhard – who decided to not be the defensive coordinator under Fickell -but I think it was time for the Badgers to make a splashy move. Get a perspective from outside the program.
With Fickell I really believe the Badgers could go to the College Football Playoff very soon in his tenure. Well I loved Leonhard as a player and now as a coach at Wisconsin, I didn’t view him as taking the Badgers to that level. It does stink losing him completely from the program though.
On Wisconsin! pic.twitter.com/lkgkPWmrO1
— Jim Leonhard (@jimleonhard) December 7, 2022
It may be a bit uncomfortable for fans, for those close to the program. That may be a good thing. A game-changing move that’s a bit uncomfortable could provide the most growth for the Wisconsin program.
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1 Comment
We will see what comes of this something needed to change to get back to the Wisconsin way of winning pk