Major Funding Concerns Around Wisconsin Badgers Surfaces as Calls Mount to Fire Luke Fickell

Getting rid of coaches is the new normal in college football, and after Brent Pry and DeShaun Foster’s firing, it feels like a trend. Now, another name’s coming up on the list, and that’s Badgers HC Luke Fickell, whose 27-10 loss against Maryland has put him in this tough spot. With that loss, they are now at 2-2 in the league, and the fans’ war cry is evident after they filled the Camp Randall field with “Fire Fickell” chants. But is it that straightforward for Wisconsin to let go of him? Because paying back a $25 million buyout is not that straightforward.

Look, buyout works as a safety net for coaches, and that’s what happened to Billy Napier and Mike Norvell last year. And even if we go back in history, there’s only one HC who was dismissed in 2023 by Aggies with more than a $75 million buyout, and that’s Jimbo Fisher. So, if Luke Fickell goes, he’ll be the second one. But the program is already short of funds. Big Ten Information and News reflected the same. “Folks may wonder, why did Wisconsin go from winning conference titles under Bret Bielema to facing a potential 2-win season in 2025? The answer is rather easy. They are not a well-funded football program.”

And the concern keeps piling on; as per the Big Ten’s report, the Badgers have spent the least among all other teams in the conference. This means they have no money, so paying a buyout that costs more than $25 million will be a tough task. And despite that, if they plan on firing Fickell, they will owe him 80% of his remaining initial deal. CBS Sports’ David Cobb points straight at it: “Fickell’s contract calls for him to be owed 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.”

So, losing that kind of money might not be that straightforward for them. The worst part is that the problem is not new for them, as back when Bret Bielema was head coach, his assistants kept leaving the program for better deals and more money. It’s pretty clear that with Luke Fickell, the Badgers’ ability to put money into the program is the reason behind their fall. Ironically, even when they decided to pay a hefty amount, it ended up on a bad note for them.

Now, if the teams move in this form, they might be in danger of missing the bowl for the first time since a stretch of 1985 to 1992. But it’s not all Fickell’s fault either. He’s a coach with a 78-10 record who faced multiple QB injuries in his tenure, and even his coaching schemes and hires didn’t pan out. Fickell wanted his team to be a pass-heavy, pro-style offense, which he used to do with Mike Denbrock in Cincinnati, and ended up hiring UNC’s Phil Longo. Under him, the team wenton  playing with an air-raid style that turned out to be the worst for them.

But now that Luke Fickell is in this position, let’s know who can be his possible replacements.

Possible replacement options for Luke Fickell

Getting rid of Luke Fickell might not be possible for the Badgers right now, looking at the hefty $25 million buyout, but what if they managed to bring in that amount? Who can be the possible contenders replacing Fickell? Look, fans have already started the “hot seat” conversations, and even a 42-10 win against Middle Tennessee didn’t stop it. So if he makes a move, one coach that tops the list is Kansas’s Lance Leipold.

That’s right. Because what’s better than bringing in your former staff who already understand your culture deeply? Yes, Leipold was a graduate assistant and a legendary coach at Wisconsin-Whitewater. Look, bringing in success at a program like Kansas is not that easy, but he brought them back into the spotlight with a 3-1 record this season. Old ties and an impressive resume might turn Badger’s fate.

Now, if not Leipold, there’s Tulane’s HC Jon Sumrall, who’s the second coach on the potential candidate list. With a 35-9 record and a 3-1 standing this season, he can be a perfect replacement for Luke Fickell. On top of that, he’s already linked to other programs like Kentucky. So, that instantly shows his demand. Then at last there’s Penn State’s OC Andy Kotelnicki, and what’s better than getting an offensive mind and a coach together? And his record with Penn State shows why his name’s coming up.

Under this man, Penn State recorded the lowest sack percentage of 3.9 in ten seasons and even the lowest tackle for loss percentage of 7.9. So, these are the possible names popping up in the list of possible fill-ins for Fickell. Now, let’s wait and see what his future with the team is.