Whoa! It appears like a scorching BBQ grill is being used to cook the college football programs.
It was expected that things would settle down now that the 2024 season was over.
However, not everyone is fortunate enough to take use of that calming environment.
Luke Fickell, the head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers, turns out to be in the tribe of the unlucky one.
There is no surprise about this. Fickell ultimately proved to be a letdown, as the Badgers ended the season with a 5-7 record.
He discovers four other friends whose boats are sinking as well, so don’t worry.
Fans of Wisconsin have been really frustrated with Fickell.
They have, after all, already forgotten what victory truly tastes like.
Fans have been demanding his dismissal since they are currently 13-13 overall during his reign.
Fickell’s team had finished a dismal 5-7 campaign that included crushing defeats to rivals Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska.
As a direct parallel to his predecessor in Wisconsin, this further revealed his fragility.
Paul Chryst defeated Nebraska 6-0. Perhaps knowing that the Badgers paid someone like Fickell $7,725,000 hurts the supporters even more.
Since he assumed his position in November 2022, the program has become less glamorous.
It appears that the HC is unable to save himself this time.
All College Football posted the tweet from the College Football Report on their Instagram story on February 5. “College Football Head Coach Hot Seat Tiers” was the caption.
It had a table with several categories, including “Icemen,” “Hot Seat,” “Warm Seat,” “Room Temperature Seat,” “Cold Seat,” and “Scorching Hot Seat.” Not surprisingly, Fickell ended up in the first group.
With whom did he end up? Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman, Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell, Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze, and Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables.
Venables guided the Sooners to a disappointing 6-6 regular season in his third season as head coach of the Oklahoma football program.
The Sooners supporters no longer want him because of this. After finishing with a 13-1 season, Florida State won the ACC championship in 2023.
In 2024, Norvell’s program suffered three consecutive defeats at the hands of unranked opponents.
At 5-7, the Tigers also had a poor season finale. This includes a humiliating 17–7 loss to Vanderbilt at home against Freeze and company. What about Pittman?
Due to their decline under the head coach, the Razorbacks’ supporters are not pleased with his return for the sixth season.
They had enough after losing 7–6 in 2022, 4–8 in 2023, and 7–6 in 2024. However, Fickell has received mixed reviews.
As speculation about Fickell’s possible departure intensifies, another story emerges.
In The Athletic, well-known Wisconsin beat writer Jesse Temple made a prediction that the head coach still has some time left.
The expert estimates that Fickell will have four seasons to demonstrate his worthiness of remaining at Wisconsin.
However, it appears that there are only a few votes in support of the HC.
There is increased support for Wisconsin’s “Fire Fickell” initiative. “It’s a now-or-never situation for the HC,” concurs John Buhler, one of Fansided’s college football gurus. “I have serious doubts about Luke Fickell’s ability to stay at Wisconsin.
Fickell has deteriorated into a pitifully average Power Four head coach over the past two years,” the expert stated.
However, the Badgers would incur significant costs if they were to fire their HC.
Luke Fickell has committed to a seven-year deal back in 2022. His contract is set to expire on March 31, 2031, after he signed a one-year extension in January of last year.
According to the estimates, the Wisconsin HC has the 13th-highest contract buyout in Division I, at $40,186,667.
The Badgers do have some experience, though. They made the decision to split from Paul Chryst back in 2022 after he allegedly agreed to a $11 million buyout.
Let’s watch to see if the Badgers stick to their principles or cut Fickell loose!
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