On an official visit that included touring Wisconsin’s facilities and meeting with coaches, Billy Edwards’ schedule allowed for three hours of free time before a nice dinner where the Badgers’ brain trust could deliver the big pitch.
Rather than explore State Street or relax back in his room to catch his breath during an already whirlwind recruiting process, the Maryland transfer quarterback opted to watch film with newly hired offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes. The two became so engrossed in the tape that the hours flew by, and both showed up late to dinner.
Ahead of a critical Year 3, head coach Luke Fickell is banking on that shared kinship between his new quarterback and offensive coordinator to help Wisconsin get back on track after a disappointing 2024 season that ended with the Badgers missing a bowl game for the first time since 2001. The offense ranked No. 101 nationally in points per game, No. 99 in yards per game and No. 114 in third-down conversions.
No one expected those struggles when Wisconsin hired Fickell away from Cincinnati in 2022. He built a Group of Five powerhouse at Cincinnati, winning 11 or more games in three seasons and leading the Bearcats to the College Football Playoff in 2021. He was considered one of the hottest coaching candidates in the country, but waited for the right job before accepting the Wisconsin offer.
The hire was widely praised. CBS Sports gave it its only “A+” grade of the cycle, which also included Arizona State hiring Kenny Dillingham and Nebraska hiring Matt Rhule. As CBS Sports wrote at the time, it was “a home-run hire for a Badgers program that needed a spark.”
And yet after two seasons, Fickell is 13-13 and already rebooting the program. He fired offensive coordinator Phil Longo, whose Air Raid-style offense never clicked in Madison, in favor of a more ground-heavy approach. Asked about the pressure ahead of this season, Fickell knows what’s at stake.
“I felt it in Year 1, I felt it in Year 2, believe me, I don’t sleep well when we don’t play well,” Fickell told CBS Sports. “I don’t sleep well when I don’t feel like we’re growing and getting better. And, unfortunately, there are times when it’s a rollercoaster, and that’s not good enough in this league. We’re 5-2 with some really big games in front of us and an opportunity to maybe do something big, and we went the opposite direction.
“So there’s no more pressure than that on myself, whether it’s what fans expect, what the program expects. I live it every single day.”
Grimey offensive makeover
Marcus Sedberry deserves the initial credit for connecting Fickell and Grimes.
After Fickell fired Longo and sought a philosophical shift on offense, he reviewed options with Sedberry, Wisconsin’s deputy athletic director and general manager. As Fickell listed traits he wanted in his next coordinator, Sedberry had a suggestion: Have you thought about Jeff Grimes?
The two had worked together at Baylor, and Sedberry believed Fickell and Grimes would mesh well. Fickell didn’t know much about Grimes but trusted his GM and scheduled a call. Grimes says he initially wasn’t interested.
“When I was first contacted, I was like ‘Yeah, I don’t know. I don’t think so,'” Grimes told CBS Sports. “I was happy and wasn’t looking for another job.”
Grimes had just completed a single season at Kansas that fell short of expectations but offered hope. The Jayhawks lost five games by one score and returned starting quarterback Jalon Daniels for 2025.
But the more Fickell and Grimes talked, the more they understood what Sedberry saw. A turning point came when Fickell brought the entire offensive staff to Grimes’ home. The conversation focused less on Xs and Os and more on leadership and philosophy.
Fickell most important question for Grimes was simple.
“Do you believe this game is continuing to evolve, and if we don’t evolve with it, then we’ll become obsolete?” Fickell asked.
Grimes agreed wholeheartedly, and a deal quickly came together. He liked the idea of coaching in the Big Ten and reviving a more physical offense — something Wisconsin had long been known for under coaches like Bret Bielema and Barry Alvarez.
“I think this is a place that has won a lot of games for a long period by playing a physical brand of football and leaning on their big people,” Grimes said. “And so the more we talked, the more I think we just both realized that it was just the right fit.”
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New Badgers offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes gathers his group on the sideline while coaching at Baylor. Getty Images
Ups and downs
It’s the latest stop in a winding journey for the former UTEP offensive tackle. His résumé includes high points, such as winning a national championship at Auburn and being a two-time Broyles Award finalist. It has also been marred by setbacks, including being fired at Baylor two years after a 12-2 season and Sugar Bowl win.
That experience has given Grimes perspective heading into this pivotal 2025 season.
“I’ve been fired, I’ve been hired, I’ve been hot, I’ve been cold,” the Wisconsin OC said. “So I don’t pay any attention to that whatsoever. It’s a big year for us, but every year is a big year. The pressure on college football now is high, but nobody puts more pressure on coaches than we put on ourselves.”
Grimes says the rollercoaster nature of coaching humbled him and reminded him what truly matters — namely, his family and faith. In previous stops, he let positive press go to his head. The sport requires such full immersion that it’s easy to become consumed by the outside noise.
But after going from one of the country’s top assistants to unemployed in two years, he knew he needed more.
“If your identity is entirely made up of what you do on the field, then you’re going to crumble,” he said. “You’re going to ride the ups and downs of the waves that come in this wild game.”
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Wisconsin QB Billy Edwards lines up under center in the Badgers’ spring game. Getty Images
The right guy under center
Edwards had several options after entering the transfer portal.
Michigan saw him as a potential bridge to No. 1 overall recruit Bryce Underwood. Returning to his home state to play for Virginia was appealing, too.
It was a difficult decision, but conversations with Fickell and Grimes ultimately sealed it. At Wisconsin, he knew he would enter as the starter and not have to look over his shoulder. The Badgers loved his toughness and willingness to embrace difficult moments. The 6-foot-4, 219-pound quarterback rushed for seven touchdowns in 2023 as Taulia Tagovailoa’s bruising backup.
Maryland didn’t have a winning season with Edwards as the starter, but he remained committed and intense. He helped lead the Terrapins to the No. 17 passing offense nationally and threw for a season-high 373 yards in a win over USC.
“He’s just a real pro,” Grimes said. “He prepares for each practice like he’s preparing for a game. The time that he puts into it, the willingness and eagerness on his part to be ahead of the game with all the plays that are going to be on the script and called that day. He’s got a great presence about him. I think he’s a guy that other people see confidence in and will follow when they step in the huddle.”
A new school with a new coordinator comes with challenges, but Edwards wanted to get out of his comfort zone and grow. He’s embraced the structure and intentionality of Fickell’s practices and emerged from spring optimistic.
“We’re capable of anything,” Edwards said. “We’ve seen how the scheme works, we’ve seen how our players match the scheme and what we can do offensively now.”
When you go to a state where football matters, you can feel the passion everywhere. From The Great Dane in Madison to the world’s largest Culver’s in Edgerton — where this writer had some frozen custard — people want to talk about the Badgers and the Packers. It’s what makes Camp Randall one of the best environments in the country.
But when those teams aren’t performing, passionate fan bases can turn. Ohio State’s Ryan Day hired private security after receiving death threats following a loss to Michigan. Illinois coach Bret Bielema said he can often tell how fans feel about him based on gas station interactions.
Fickell hasn’t experienced that in Madison. Despite a losing season, fans have been supportive — so much so that it almost bugs him.
“When someone is nice I wonder why they are because I’m more pissed at myself,” he admitted. “And maybe even some of them are, but I understand what the expectations are like and we live it every single day.”
Still, he’s grateful for how the community has embraced his family. He’s committed to turning things around and helping Wisconsin contend in a new-look Big Ten that now includes USC and Oregon.
Fickell believes his 2024 team wasn’t big or tough enough. He called the Big Ten a “grown-ass man’s league” and made size and strength a top offseason priority, particularly on the defensive line. Wisconsin added four defensive linemen and three edge rushers. Kentucky edge transfer Tyreese Fearby and USC lineman Parker Petersen were both ranked among the top 15 at their positions and top 100 overall in the 247Sports transfer rankings.
With a physical quarterback like Edwards and renewed emphasis in the trenches, Fickell feels good about where things stand.
It won’t be easy. The schedule includes Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa and Illinois.
But this is what Fickell signed up for. And now it’s time to deliver on the hope his hiring inspired back in November 2022.
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