Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell Big Ten Media Day - Photo by Sports Illustrated
MADISON, WI (WSAU) – The Wisconsin Badgers and head coach Luke Fickell have agreed to a new seven-year extension to keep him in Madison through the 2032 season.
According to a press release from the UW Athletic Board, the recommended extensions for Luke Fickell, women’s volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield, women’s soccer coach Paula Wilkins, and men’s soccer coach Neil Jones were approved during a meeting of the board on Wednesday afternoon.
Fickell, who has a record of 13-13 with the program since taking over the job in 2023 from former head coach Paul Chryst, has recorded back-to-back top 30 recruiting classes but failed to get the Badgers to a bowl game for the first time in nearly 22 years after posting a record of 5-7 during the 2024 season.
While speaking about the importance of Wisconsin’s 2024 and 2025 recruiting classes, Fickell stated that fans will be able to see them on the field sooner rather than later. “I’m not saying it’s an immediate. If you’re really counting on a ton of freshmen, it’s not going to be the easiest thing in the world. But I do think where we’re headed in college, it’s almost closer toward the NFL. You’re going to have to rely upon these guys, and that’s why it’s great that 16 of them are coming in early. When spring ball starts, they’re going to be put in a position to earn opportunities to play… I think you have to rely upon young guys a lot more. What we’re seeing in a trend is those second-year guys that either can’t play there or don’t see themselves playing there aren’t the ones that are staying as backups and developing. It’s going to be the younger guys.”
According to 247 Sports, the Badgers currently have the 27th-ranked recruiting class in college football, which includes highly coveted four-star guard Hardy Watts and four-star pass rusher Nichols Clayton.
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