Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh offered his support to Badgers coach Luke Fickell following Saturday’s 27-10 loss to Maryland. After chants of “Fire Fickell!” erupted from the Wisconsin student section several times during the contest, McIntosh backed his third-year coach publicly.
“When you have kids that have given it all and are faced with, as a program, adversity like this, I think it’s a time for our people to come together,” McIntosh told the Wisconsin State Journal. “I think it’s a time for me to express my support.”
Fickell arrived at Wisconsin ahead of the 2023 season following a successful run at Cincinnati, including leading the Bearcats to the College Football Playoff. He has been unable to replicate that success in Madison. He’s now 15-15 overall with an 8-11 mark in Big Ten play. Wisconsin went 7-6 in his first season but fell to 5-7 last fall, failing to make a bowl for the first time since 2001.
The Badgers won their first two games this season over Miami (Ohio) and Middle Tennessee, but followed that up with ugly losses to Alabama and Maryland. Wisconsin trailed Maryland 20-0 at halftime and did not reach the end zone until the final minute.
“I don’t think there’s anyone in the building that thinks that where we are at this moment in time right now this is what Wisconsin football is,” McIntosh said. “I have great respect for those former players who have given this program their all and see it that way. I’ll come back to what I said earlier: What’s left to be done about that? What’s left to be done about that is to learn from what happened on a day like today and grow.”
Luke Fickell buyout: What it would cost Wisconsin to move on from struggling Badgers football coach
David Cobb
If Fickell was fired this season, Wisconsin would owe him 80% of what’s remaining on his initial deal. At season’s end, he will have four years and approximately $31.5 million left on the seven-year contract he agreed to in November 2022. That would put his season-ending buyout figure at approximately $25 million.
Wisconsin fans, particularly the student section, made their feelings about Fickell known throughout Saturday’s game. In addition to the chants, the Badgers were booed off the field as they went into halftime trailing 20-0.
“I feel what their pain is,” Fickell said after the contest, acknowledging he heard the grumbles. “There’s nothing we can do but keep grinding. I don’t get upset, I don’t lose my mind about what they feel. They’re passionate. That’s why you sign up for this place.”
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