Luke Fickell arrives in Madison to take over as Wisconsin football coach

Gutting for Leonhard but this is the biggest HR Wisconsin could’ve hit. Sucks for the players now and they will complain with every right to do that but you can’t make the future of your university decision on a guy who won the locker room. I mean he had 3 losses below Avg tms

LFG! Program needed a shock to the system in the worst way. Will it immediately turn around? Who knows, but worth a shot.

Ballsy. The incest/nepotism in Wisconsin athletics (especially football) has gone on long enough. 👍🏼

Feel bad for JL. Getting passed over for the dream job you wanted is awful. But college athletics is a results based business. Had he won yesterday. I think this is a different conversation today.

Splash hire. Big risk, big reward. JL was the safer hired to be sure but not sure he was ready or gets us to CFP.

Leonhard was a question mark, Fickell is an answer.

Mac made a business decision vs an emotional one. Shocked that he did it. This instantly gets people engaged.

greatest day in program history

Good hire. Change directions without changing standards. Jimmy ends up as NFL DC or gets another college HC job. Fickel gets Badgers to think playoffs instead of just B1G West championship. Remember that Barry had zero ties to UW when he was hired…and he likes this hire, too!

LOVE IT
it’s a “CFP or BUST” hire
USC/UCLA coming to B1G
does Wi want to be in same convo as Mi, tOSU, USC, UCLA OR do they want to be like Iowa, Neb, Purdue, Illinois, etc.
THIS IS THE MOVE to be at the top

It’s a steal. McIntosh knows with USC and UCLA coming UW had to step up in the new world of NIL. If I were the packers I’d be picking up the phone and checking in on Leonhard.

If the badgers wanted to be a contender going forward it was time to make the leap outside of Wisconsin. Jimmy is a great coach but just like a muscle you have to break it down to get stronger. This hire says we are all in on getting the playoffs

McIntosh is his own man for sure. I feel bad for Leonhard, I wanted him to get the job. Thay said I am excited by the hiring of Fickell. He is a proven winner. Interesting times!

change culture… good coach, but how do his offensive systems fit with what WI recruits? Do we get move away from the big OL heavy run in favor of shotgun looks? Is this a Rich Rodriguez to Mich type of hire?

Absolutely gutted for jim but with how far PC let the program regress the last 5 years I think going outside the Barry tree is a prudent move

Grand Slam. newblood. New ideas. Love this move by McIntosh. I feel for Jim Leonhard but this is a big boy move in the new world that is the current college football landscape.

I think the losses at Iowa and Minny cost JL the gig, but I also think it’s time for a change.

The program could use some of that Ohio State mindset Fickell will bring.

Don’t be surprised when he bolts for the Ohio State University in a few years. Loyalty and $5 will get you a nice cup of coffee.

Joke. 3 losses this year with a lousy schedule. Easily should have been6-6. Why would a recruit come to Wisconsin now? Athletes are going other places with better options. You could sell yourself tolineman, running backs and linebackers but that’s gonetoo.I’m done watching or going

I give Mac credit that he is shooting his shot. My heart is still with JL…the ghosts of GA still haunt

I love it! Big BOLD hire! As much as my heart wants Jim Leonhard because he’s a Wisconsin guy and Badger. My head is telling me that Fickell makes us a national power, consistent top 15 program year in and year out. Let’s Go! On, Wisconsin!

Perfect. Great evolution of the programme. The message to the locker room is if he can take Cincinnati to the CFP, why not us?

I hate it. He’s a mid level strong coach. He proved he couldn’t win when he had a stacked Ohio state roster. Winning at conference lower than power 5 proves nothing. Gary Anderson 2.0

I think McIntosh just bet his job on this hire. If this doesn’t work out I think he will be out the door. I personally don’t like it at all, but also realize I’m just a fan.

Chris and badger fans want winning results and hope then they can get them again. Huge victory today!!

solid move. CFB is crazy, changing so fast. The program could use a change as well. Would of been good with Leonhard, to see what he could do. But this the bigger swing you have to take now days. Leonhard will no doubt have many suitors, wish him good luck.

Fans need to understand it could be a mediocre couple of years while it builds, especially if players leave. Feel awful for JL, he’s a player’s coach and felt he could have blossomed into a really good head coach. In the end, we need to get to the next level and LF has done that

I think it’s a pretty good hire it’s kind of a shocking hire I don’t think any of us really saw that coming. I’m going to say it most of this is probably because of first and goal on the five and then we all saw what happened there. But Luke is a proven coach and not a UW guy

He would most definitely move our program forward to the next level where we all expected Barry Alvarez to take it on.
Here’s hoping Jim Leonard is at least asked to stay on as D coordinator. Fickell has to make the best available choice!!