Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell said in a radio interview on Wednesday that former NFL Coach Of The Year Mike Vrabel could be around the Badgers’ program in some capacity this year or at least this offseason.
Fickell was on with ESPN Milwaukee’s Jason Wilde and Mark Tauscher, and he said the following about Vrabel spending time with the program — as shared by BadgerExtra’s Colten Bartholomew:
“I’m not sure what the future really looks like, but I know that we’re going to have a visitor here that’s gonna spend a little bit of time, hopefully, around us coming up in the spring. See how deep we can get involved here.”
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Vrabel was Fickell’s teammate and roommate at Ohio State in the late 1990s. The two have maintained a close relationship, including coaching together on the Buckeyes’ defensive staff from 2011-2013.
Fickell's quote re: Vrabel on @WildeAndTausch
"I'm not sure what the future really looks like, but I know that we're going to have a visitor here that's gonna spend a little bit of time, hopefully, around us coming up in the spring. See how deep we can get involved here." https://t.co/oUeDXlC4Zu
— Colten Bartholomew (@CBartWSJ) February 7, 2024
Vrabel is out of an NFL job at the moment. The Tennessee Titans fired him after the 2023 season. He won NFL Coach Of The Year in 2021 when he led the Titans to a 12-5 record and the No. 1 seed in the AFC entering the playoffs.
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Fickell’s program, meanwhile, experienced some coaching turnover this offseason. Wide receivers coach Mike Brown took the same position at Notre Dame. Safeties coach Colin Hitschler moved laterally to Alabama, and offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. moved to an off-field role. Hires have been made at those positions (Kenny Guiton, Alex Grinch and A.J. Blazek respectively), but Fickell is clearly still working on improving the staff any way he can.
This partnership would be a slam-dunk for the Wisconsin program. Vrabel brings an exceptional coaching record and is sure to have a positive impact on the growing team.
For Vrabel, maybe this is how he stays connected to the game while he awaits another NFL head coaching gig. Either way, it’s good news for Wisconsin.