Cincinnati Bearcats Head Coach Luke Fickell to Wisconsin ?!?!

vhcat70

Heisman
Feb 5, 2003
57,418
38,482
0
Fick can be choosy. Worse choices than Whisky. Daughter going to IU to play volleyball. Maybe he follows her.
 

RDF922

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
1,129
1,486
113
I’d say he will take Whisky and do damn fine there.
When CMS retires, he’s near the top of the list to replace
 

UKWildcats1987

Heisman
Sep 9, 2021
18,151
30,540
113
My daughters fiancé is a Bearcats fan and this is what I just told him. There are better power 5 jobs out there than Wisconsin!

Maybe he doesn't want a big time job. Who knows but it is interesting. Wisconsin is a lot less attractive if they do away with divisions. With divisions you could at least win the JV division and play for big 10 title.
 

3236

All-Conference
Dec 12, 2003
6,745
3,432
77
Fickell will still hit Ohio for recruits while at Wisconsin.
Yeah all those big ten teams want to get some next tier stuff behind osu and mich out of ohio. I mean even Nebraska was pulling from there but slowed down when frost got there. I know the staff is picking from TN some but they really need to get back to pounding middle Tennessee. Tons of players there. Wolford leaving makes us do a reset on it a little.
 
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IFerg1969

All-Conference
Oct 3, 2009
2,485
4,912
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With Texas and OU leaving the BIg 12 to join the SEC, the conference takes a big hit. Still some decent teams but it loses some cache. Still, he got UC to the 4 team playoff (albeit in an unusual year that allowed for it). Wisconsin has never been to it or really even threatened to qualify for it. Of course, the playoff will be expanded at some point. Who knows. I agree with everyone else though, I really can't believe he hasn't gotten more looks for a bigger job. Schools should've been blowing up his phone.
 

3236

All-Conference
Dec 12, 2003
6,745
3,432
77
With Texas and OU leaving the BIg 12 to join the SEC, the conference takes a big hit. Still some decent teams but it loses some cache. Still, he got UC to the 4 team playoff (albeit in an unusual year that allowed for it). Wisconsin has never been to it or really even threatened to qualify for it. Of course, the playoff will be expanded at some point. Who knows. I agree with everyone else though, I really can't believe he hasn't gotten more looks for a bigger job. Schools should've been blowing up his phone.



Wisky also in the weak division where you can make some headway in short order possibly. Although Rhule is going to have something more formidable than what it has been at Nebraska. Iowa will be the one that suffers from the investment in coaches there.
 

maysvilleky

All-American
Aug 13, 2003
15,769
5,109
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After the blow out to Michigan, there were those calling for Day’s head. If Fickell had held out 1 more year he may have been able to make the move to OSU.
 
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UKWildcats1987

Heisman
Sep 9, 2021
18,151
30,540
113
With Texas and OU leaving the BIg 12 to join the SEC, the conference takes a big hit. Still some decent teams but it loses some cache. Still, he got UC to the 4 team playoff (albeit in an unusual year that allowed for it). Wisconsin has never been to it or really even threatened to qualify for it. Of course, the playoff will be expanded at some point. Who knows. I agree with everyone else though, I really can't believe he hasn't gotten more looks for a bigger job. Schools should've been blowing up his phone.

That's not quite true on threatening to qualify for playoff. They were going to the playoff in 2017 but lost a close game to OSU in Big 10 title game 27 to 21. They win they are in.
 

Corbiniter

Freshman
Nov 15, 2022
48
69
0
So it’s a done deal according to ESPN

Does that mean we could have easily gotten fickle and got rid of this trash that we currently have? Lol blows my mind
 

SPECT imaging

All-Conference
Aug 6, 2018
854
1,403
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This is great news for uk football recruiting. Doubt UC can do much better than Fickell when it comes to recruiting and they were beginning to become a thorn in our side.
If Fickell takes the Wisky job, several committed members of UC's 2023 class will probably end up in Madison and several others in Lexington. UC might target another OSU assistant coach?
 

will.ksr

All-American
Nov 18, 2008
5,358
7,422
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BIG10 TV money pays more than BIG12 money. He'll have a better recruiting budget, higher assistant salary pool, and better facilities. He'll easily be able to lock down in-state recruiting, and be competitive for the occasional high 3 stars and 4 stars in Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Dakotas. Canada has been producing more P5 players so maybe he'll have an advantage there too?

He'll also get to compete in a pretty mediocre BIG10 West so he'll get extensions for life barring a collapse that reaches across two seasons. Seems like good stability for a guy with multiple school age children.
 
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vhcat70

Heisman
Feb 5, 2003
57,418
38,482
0
FWIW, Fickell's DW really, really likes Cincy. Oldest son is FR OT at UC. Have 4 kids HS age & younger. Net, family cohesion could be a big deal.
 

UKWildcats1987

Heisman
Sep 9, 2021
18,151
30,540
113
Wisconsin is a good job. Just look at the conference. He would be competing with teams like Iowa and Purdue for the division each year.

Divisions most likely gone in 2024 and if they stay he will have usc and ucla in the west with him.
 
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VaxxedObamaCat

All-American
Aug 1, 2022
1,933
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Home run hire. I can't believe he took that job but I guess it's a matter of timing. All of the good jobs are taken.
 

Ukbrassowtipin

Heisman
Aug 12, 2011
82,109
89,931
0
With cincy moving to the big12 and Texas and Oklahoma leaving they would've been a player for top dog.

Big10 much more stable conference of course. Should be able to turn Wisconsin as the team in that division since it's significantly weaker than the other one.
 

rucker4

All-Conference
Oct 20, 2021
1,260
1,891
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Matt Rhule and Luke Fickell are now Big Ten Coaches … Big Ten Mega Media Deal ain’t no joke
Nebraska is paying Ruhle $9 million annually and while yet to be reported, belief is Fickel's deal will be in that neighborhood too.

The Big 10 West suddenly much more competitive with two huge hires the past two days. Coaches salaries in the league will only go up and up as more hires happen in the years ahead. Iowa still has Ferentz obviously, but any small slip and you see them jump on a new HC and by that time coaches salaries to be competitive in the league will be even higher.
 

rucker4

All-Conference
Oct 20, 2021
1,260
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Big10 much more stable conference of course. Should be able to turn Wisconsin as the team in that division since it's significantly weaker than the other one.
There's only one year left of division play in the Big 10. That's being scrapped starting in 2024 when USC and UCLA come to the league.
 

rucker4

All-Conference
Oct 20, 2021
1,260
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BIG10 TV money pays more than BIG12 money. He'll have a better recruiting budget, higher assistant salary pool, and better facilities. He'll easily be able to lock down in-state recruiting, and be competitive for the occasional high 3 stars and 4 stars in Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Dakotas. Canada has been producing more P5 players so maybe he'll have an advantage there too?

He'll also get to compete in a pretty mediocre BIG10 West so he'll get extensions for life barring a collapse that reaches across two seasons. Seems like good stability for a guy with multiple school age children.
Again, division play going away in Big 10 starting in 2024 when USC and UCLA enter the league.
 

The-Hack

Heisman
Oct 1, 2016
24,463
42,984
0
Fickell will still hit Ohio for recruits while at Wisconsin.
True, but some players like to stay “at home,” or “close to home” so Cincy and UK go head-to-head for those players.

I bet the main factor for staying close to home is how many older family members like to go to the games.

All four grandparents still going to the games? Stay near!
 
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Grumpyolddawg

Heisman
Jun 11, 2001
28,377
37,117
113
Nebraska is paying Ruhle $9 million annually and while yet to be reported, belief is Fickel's deal will be in that neighborhood too.

The Big 10 West suddenly much more competitive with two huge hires the past two days. Coaches salaries in the league will only go up and up as more hires happen in the years ahead. Iowa still has Ferentz obviously, but any small slip and you see them jump on a new HC and by that time coaches salaries to be competitive in the league will be even higher.

I think Fickle is a great hire, and Wisconsin will remain a competitive program. But Rhule at NU is a different story. Nebraska has basically zero instate recruiting and was dependent on Texas kids under Osborn. Getting out of Big12 lost their recruiting base and they haven't been able to establish a base in Big10 country. We'll that and PED testing. For Nebraska to ever become what thei fans want they will have to hire an elite recruiter, like Urban. I don't think Rhule is that guy.
 
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TucsonCat

All-Conference
Sep 10, 2022
2,807
3,424
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These moves always bewilder me. People like Chris Petersen or probably PJ Fleck most notably. Where they are offered every great job, and they take almost lateral jobs a year later. Do they panic and take the first job when they think they might have passed the iron being hot.
 
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