While the Wisconsin football team struggled against the Alabama Crimson Tide, coach Luke Fickell remains the man for the future.
Wisconsin limped through a 42-10 loss to the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide without their starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke. Van Dyke went down early with a knee injury, and now likely will not return for the Badgers this season.
Backup quarterback Braedyn Locke has been called a starting-caliber player by the Wisconsin football staff in the past. Locke was again thrusted into playing early due to an injury, like the quarterback had to do last season for Tanner Mordecai. Despite the unexpected occurrences in the game, some Wisconsin fans want to see coach Fickell or members of the staff gone.
Many Wisconsin football fans believe that Fickell has failed to bring a ‘better’ team to the field, with a 9-7 overall record thus far. While some believe Fickell is on his way out, plenty of others feel Fickell needs more time to develop something special in Madison.
The coach brought the Badgers to a bowl game last season, with a 7-5 regular season record. Wisconsin football ranked 21st last season in total offense allowed and possessed one of the top pass-defense units in the country.
Fickell was hired by Wisconsin to become the Badgers coach in November, 2022, and in turn hired coordinators Phil Longo and Mike Tressel.
Head Coach Luke Fickell Remains the Leader For Wisconsin Football
The Wisconsin football program is in the hands of one man moving forward, and barring catastrophic failure, coach Luke Fickell will continue to run the ship.
Fickell kicked off his tenure with the Badgers last season and made it to a bowl game during his first year as the coach. Higher expectations were placed upon the coach by fans this season, but the roster itself still needs time to reach a higher caliber.
The coach was given a team with recruiting classes ranked 44th, 16th, and 27th in the three previous years. Some talent was still left on the roster, while other talent transferred out of the program over time as the changes occurred. Fickell thus far has three classes ranked in the mid-20s, but has utilized the transfer portal to find players to temporarily fill holes on the team.
The coordinators may not be doing their jobs perfectly, but Fickell has been doing what he can to motivate the team on the field. Along with the team on the field, Fickell is also a pivotal part of the recruiting process for the Wisconsin football program. The coach simply needs more time to put out a refined and finished product on the field that can compete with the so called ‘top dogs’ of the college football landscape.
While the coach will be safe, the same cannot be said for Phil Longo and Mike Tressel and their tenure with the Wisconsin football program.
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