When it comes to the first few years of the Luke Fickell tenure with the Wisconsin Badgers, there have admittedly been a number of problems, with one of the top criticisms being the head coach’s shift from embracing the ‘Wisconsin’ way.
It all started with the hire of offensive coordinator Phil Longo, which was a massive shift from what Wisconsin historically had been successful at, but it also was seen in recruiting and other areas. While the Badgers have consistently compiled top-35 classes, outside of a rough 2026 cycle, the 2027 class was the first time they truly dominated in-state recruiting.
Now, has that been a real issue? Not necessarily, as the Badgers have found talent elsewhere, which is a much-needed thing in today’s world of college football.
But there’s also seemingly been a bit of a different vibe between some alumni and Fickell, who has drawn criticism from former Badgers players at times. This offseason has had a much different vibe, though.
Not only has Wisconsin killed it in the strongest in-state class in years, but we’ve seen a ton of alumni back on campus talking to the players, with one hire helping that in a big way.
“It’s always been a priority. I think we’ve done a hell of a lot better job,” Fickell said about embracing Wisconsin more, be it in recruiting or alumni visiting more. “That’s the truth. We’ve hired a guy in [former Badgers fullback] Bradie Ewing that has kind of helped us link a lot better with the former players who always want to be informed. And we’ve done a better job within the state of building relationships.
“And to be honest with you, I mean, it’s a great year in the state. But the vision, the understanding, the seeing of what’s happening within, I think those guys are a great example. I think there’s 9 guys from the state next year that have been around us for the last year and a half and have seen a growth that I don’t know that everybody outside here has seen. It’s hard to the naked eye to see the roots of the things that have grown within our program. But those guys are a great example of, you know, relationships still matter and about how you do things from within. That is not always seen on Saturdays, but I promise you it will be.”
It’s a promising sign from Fickell, who has shifted his ideology to embrace the state more, both from a relationship and a football perspective. Wisconsin hired Jeff Grimes as their offensive coordinator last year to put more emphasis on the run game. Now, it’s not like everything will be the same as before, but there seems to be more of a priority and understanding from the head coach about the position he’s in.