Luke Fickell jumped out of the Cincinnati frying pan straight into the Big Ten fire, and the Wisconsin Badgers are the ones who have been burned.
Rather than elevating the program as promised, Fickell has stumbled to a 17–21 start with the Badgers. With back-to-back losing seasons, the program has hit a low point it hasn’t seen since Barry Alvarez’s team in 2001.
For 22 straight seasons, Wisconsin football was defined by winning records, Big Ten titles, and annual bowl trips.
NIL may have reshaped college football, but that’s no excuse to abandon Wisconsin’s football identity. Fickell’s transition hasn’t just been rocky; back-to-back losing seasons mark a drought the program hasn’t experienced since the 1991 and 1992 seasons.
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This is the current state of Wisconsin football under Fickell. Given the sheer lack of results, his seat is scorching hot heading into a make-or-break season for the Badgers.
An expanded roster budget only amplifies the pressure on Fickell and his coaching staff to show clear progress. If not, this could be his final season in Madison.
With new athletics director Shawn Eichorst now at the helm, moving on from Fickell is financially far less complicated than it was a year ago.
What Is Luke Fickell’s 2026 Salary?
Fickell is under contract through 2032 and set to make $7.8 million this season, ranking him in the top 25 nationally, according to USA TODAY’s college football coaches salary database. But sitting right in the middle of the Big Ten salary stack is a far cry from his actual on-field production.
How Much Is Fickell’s Buyout After This Season?
According to reporting from The Athletic, Fickell’s buyout drops to $19.2 million after this season. While that remains a steep price for Eichorst to navigate, it is a manageable hit for a program of Wisconsin’s size if Fickell fails to turn things around in Madison.
Can Fickell Earn Any Bonuses This Season?
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If Fickell can turn things around in Madison, he stands to benefit financially. According to USA TODAY’s college football coaches salary database, he can earn up to $1.45 million in incentives if Wisconsin qualifies for the College Football Playoff and makes a deep postseason run.
Who Are Wisconsin Coaching Replacement Options?
If Wisconsin decides to fire Fickell at some point, it won’t have to look far for replacements. Plenty of realistic options have deep ties to Madison, including three current FBS head coaches who would be natural fits for the program.
At the top of the list is former Badger Jason Eck. After leaving his mark at Idaho, he took over last season at New Mexico and immediately put together a 9-4 record, nearly pushing the Lobos into the Mountain West conference championship game.
Should Eck continue his winning ways at New Mexico, he could be a natural target for the Badgers. A La Crosse native, Eck played offensive line for Wisconsin under Alvarez from 1995 to 1998 before starting his coaching career as a graduate assistant for the program in 1999.
Dickert might be comfortable with the Demon Deacons, but the Badgers could be intriguing enough to lure him away from the ACC. Coming off an impressive 9-4 first season, Dickert’s stock continues to rise.
Not only does Dickert have the coaching resume to support a move to the Big Ten, but his deep roots in the state are hard to ignore. Having grown up in Oconto, Wisconsin, and played college football at UW-Stevens Point, local recruiting won’t be an issue.
After leaving Washington State for Wake Forest, speculation quickly began about when Dickert might make another jump toward the Big Ten or even the SEC. He has overachieved at every stop and if Wisconsin wants to take a chance, he could be a natural fit.
With North Dakota State officially making the leap to the Mountain West after two decades of dominating the FCS, the Bison are finally in the FBS. Head coach Tim Polasek has the program primed to prove it belongs from day one.
Polasek has posted a 27-3 record with the Bison since taking over from Matt Entz, capped by an FCS national championship in his very first season. If Wisconsin ever wanted to take an untraditional route and look for a hidden gem, landing a native Badger state product like Polasek could make a lot of sense.
It also helps that Polasek also has deep Wisconsin ties.
He grew up in Iola, Wisconsin and played quarterback for Concordia University Wisconsin, and coached at Wisconsin–Stevens Point from 2003 to 2005. If he were to ever leave the Bison, an opportunity in Madison could be hard to pass up.
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