CBS Sports released their top 25 college football head coaches rankings Wednesday and the Badgers’ new head coach Luke Fickell cracked the list. The author of the article, Tom Fornelli, listed Fickell as the ninth best head coach in the country heading into the 2023 college football season.
Fickell joined the Badgers ahead of their 24-17 win over Oklahoma State in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in December and will be at the helm for his first season in Madison this year. He brought in offensive coordinator Phil Longo and his “Air Raid” offense from North Carolina and defensive coordinator Mike Tressel joined him from Cincinnati, where they were together for multiple years.
In total, Fickell went 57-18 in his six seasons leading the Bearcats and even led them to a College Football Playoff appearance in 2021. Players like Desmond Ridder, Alec Pierce and Sauce Gardner have come through his programs in recent years.
Now in Madison, the head coach has brought a great amount of assets out of the transfer portal, reeled in some top recruits and energized Badger fans ahead of his debut season at the helm. If Fickell can lead Wisconsin into playoff contention in 2023, he could become an instant legend in Madison.
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