Wisconsin football: Updates on Luke Fickell’s assistant coaching staff

The Wisconsin Badgers shocked many throughout school soccer by formally hiring Luke Fickell to be their subsequent head coach final Sunday.

The transfer signaled a altering of the guard at Wisconsin underneath Chris McIntosh and left the standing of the previous teaching employees up within the air, specifically Jim Leonhard, who many assumed would earn the top teaching function.

Luke Fickell and the athletic division shortly posted a number of employees openings on Monday, in an try and get issues up and operating as quickly as potential. With purposes due by December 5 at 11:55 p.m. CST, the expectation is that Fickell will announce nearly all of new hires on December 6 to additional kick-start recruiting and the power program.

Whereas Wisconsin remains to be taking purposes, there have been loads of developments over the previous week that make clear what the employees could appear like.

Here’s a have a look at what we all know to date. 

Brady Collins will oversee the power program

One space the place Luke Fickell and Cincinnati have been nice was participant growth. An enormous cause for that was the work of Brady Collins, who was the Director of Sports activities Efficiency at UC. He’ll include Fickell to Madison and convey with him a number of assistants as effectively. That transfer is simply awaiting an official announcement per a number of reviews, as Collins will take over because the Director of Soccer Power and Conditioning. 

Collins took over because the Director of Sports activities Efficiency underneath Fickell in 2017 after working as a power coach at Ohio State and Mississippi State. He helped information the Bearcats to sending 9 gamers to the 2022 NFL Draft, the third most of any program within the nation behind solely Georgia and LSU. 

Collins succeeds Shaun Snee, who was the power coach at Wisconsin for the previous two seasons. 

Recruiting division has new management

Luke Fickell spent chunk of his introductory press convention discussing the significance of recruiting. He additionally talked about that two key recruiting staffers are following him to Madison.

In keeping with a number of reviews, Pat Lambert and Max Stienecker are in Madison and already attending to work underneath Fickell. Lambert was beforehand the Director of Recruiting at Cincinnati, whereas Max Stienecker was the Director of Recruiting Technique. These two assistants performed an integral function in enhancing Cincinnati’s recruiting over the previous few years and can now be tasked to do the identical at Wisconsin.

Luke Fickell understands the significance of a recruiting division, and I’d anticipate extra employees members to affix that group too. Fickell stated that the 2023 recruiting class is the “No. 1 precedence” given how shut early signing day is. Lambert and Stienecker are doubtless working extra time proper now with coaches on the highway and a number of tight ends coming to campus this weekend. 

Nearly all of Wisconsin’s offensive employees shall be gone

This could not come as an enormous shock after the offense has underperformed the previous three seasons, and the group was assembled by former head coach Paul Chryst and consisted of lots of ‘his guys.’ 

Former offensive line coach Bob Bostad has already accepted a place at Indiana to turn into their run-game coordinator and offensive line coach, that means that Fickell will herald new blood in that space. 

The expectation is that Fickell will doubtless do the identical in all places else on the offense as effectively. 

It has been reported by a number of shops that Fickell’s passing sport coordinator/vast receivers coach, Mike Brown, will comply with him. Brown performed three years within the NFL and has been the vast receivers coach underneath Fickell since 2019 after starting his profession as a operating backs coach at Liberty. He helped develop 2021 second-round decide Alec Pierce of the Indianapolis Colts. It isn’t but identified if Brown will nonetheless maintain the title of passing sport coordinator at Wisconsin, however that may doubtless rely upon how issues shake out with the remainder of the offensive employees. 

It’s unlikely that Fickell brings over many others from his offensive employees at Cincinnati following some turnover on the employees primarily based on their success in 2021, however the title to look at is offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli. The previous Cincinnati quarterback has risen by the ranks at Central Michigan and Cincinnati. He has expertise teaching each quarterbacks and operating backs previously. He’s additionally a robust recruiter, and it is going to be fascinating to see if he joins Fickell. Guidugli is a candidate for the top teaching job at Cincinnati, but when he would not get the job he might be Madison sure in some capability. 

Past Mike Brown and doubtlessly Gio Guidugli, I’d anticipate Fickell to rent from outdoors, however we will see. 

Defensive employees nonetheless very fluid

Defensive assistants Mike Tressel and Colin Hitschler are already on the highway recruiting for Wisconsin, signifying that they are going to in all probability be two of the coaches made official early subsequent week. 

Tressel was not too long ago named the 2022 AFCA Assistant Coach of the 12 months for his work at Cincinnati as a co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. An extended-time assistant at Michigan State, Tressel has in depth recruiting ties within the Midwest and has held quite a lot of roles. 

This previous season was Hitschler’s first as a co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach after a number of seasons as a safeties coach underneath Fickell. Hitschler has spent a number of years within the NFL in numerous capacities and likewise spent a while at South Alabama earlier than becoming a member of Fickell in Cincinnati in 2018. 

Whereas each coaches have sturdy resumes, the most important query remaining is, what about Jim Leonhard?

From all accounts, Leonhard has each alternative to remain at Wisconsin as defensive coordinator. Fickell stated he’s “positively” considering retaining Leonhard on his employees, however it’s now as much as Leonhard. 

It has been broadly lined how necessary the College of Wisconsin is to the previous All-American security, and his household additionally want to keep. At this level, it’s a ready sport, and till Leonhard makes an official choice any roles on Wisconsin’s protection employees stay fluid. 

For instance, Tressell has been a particular groups coordinator and linebackers coach far longer than he has been a defensive coordinator. Luke Fickell may make the titles and cash work to maintain him and Leonhard, assuming Fickell has a bigger wage pool than anticipated. 

Hitschler may additionally slide into a unique function as effectively primarily based on his expertise, so proper now, actual job titles on the protection stay up within the air, and are frankly one thing that Fickell could make work primarily based on how issues shake out with Leonhard. 

One other fascinating part to look at with the defensive employees is the standing of Wisconsin line of defense coach Ross Kolodziej and outdoors linebackers coach Bobby April. Of the present assistants, past Jim Leonhard, these two have the perfect odds of probably staying in Madison. Kolodziej is a Wisconsin man and has accomplished an amazing job with the line of defense the previous two seasons after a number of years as a power coach. The truth that he has ties within the state may additionally make him an necessary individual to assist with in-state recruiting. April, alternatively, is broadly considered one among Wisconsin’s prime assistants and a robust recruiter. If Leonhard have been to remain, retaining April turns into extra believable, although I’d anticipate April to garner important outdoors curiosity from the school and NFL ranks. 

Cornerbacks coach Hank Poteat is one other risk, however there are hardly ever too many holdovers when a brand new head coach is available in. 

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