Lower than 24 hours after discovering out that he will not have the chance to guide the College of Cincinnati soccer crew to a 3rd straight American Athletic Convention championship, Luke Fickell is headed to Madison, Wisconsin, to take over the Wisconsin Badgers program.
Sources confirmed to The Enquirer that Wisconsin has reached an settlement with Fickell and is anticipated to call the 49-year-old Ohio State alumnus and former Buckeyes participant and longtime assistant its subsequent head coach as early as Sunday.
Fickell knowledgeable Cincinnati that he was leaving, in accordance with sources. Cincinnati cornerbacks coach and particular groups coordinator Kerry Coombs will function the interim head coach.
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Fickell, who’s 57-18 in six seasons at Cincinnati, together with a 9-3 mark this season, was requested following Friday’s house loss to Tulane if he would entertain any suitors if he was pursued this offseason. Fickell stated it was “too onerous to consider” that for the time being.
“You realize what? It is too onerous to consider,” he stated. “Hopefully there are some issues that may occur and we nonetheless have an opportunity to play so you do not know. It isn’t the time to consider these sorts of issues. We have got to get again up there and handle these seniors specifically. Be certain their heads are up they usually’re able to roll, no matter’s thrown our method this subsequent week or two.”
Following a win by Central Florida over South Florida on Saturday, Fickell and Cincinnati had been formally eradicated from taking part in of their fourth straight AAC championship recreation.
A complete of 5 FBS coaches had been fired earlier than Week 6, together with Wisconsin’s Paul Chryst. Fickell was requested in regards to the pattern Oct. 4 throughout his weekly information convention.
“It is actually a nasty place that we’re headed on this career,” he stated.
Wisconsin determined to half methods with longtime coach Chryst following a 2-3 begin. The Badgers, underneath interim coach Jim Leonhard, wrapped up their common season with a 6-6 (4-5 Huge Ten) file following a 23-16 house loss Saturday to rival Minnesota.
Chryst, a Wisconsin alumnus, was let go after seven-plus seasons. Chryst went 67-26 in his time in Madison, together with a 6-1 file in bowl video games. Chryst’s Badgers misplaced three of their first 4 video games final yr however completed 9-4.
“I believe it is just a little unhappy to see a man like Paul Chryst, who has been at his place so long as he has and executed what he is executed, to be out after 5 video games,” Fickell stated within the Oct. 4 press convention. “Similar factor at Nebraska (Scott Frost), your alma mater. Look, I do not know what is going on on there. I simply assume it is a dangerous pattern for our children. Not for us; we’re professionals. We perceive you are evaluated on wins and losses. However I believe the instance that we’re setting for our younger guys is, hey, if it is not proper, simply change it and eliminate it in the midst of what you are doing. No marvel we’ve got extra transfers.”
Fickell led the Bearcats, who’re set to affix the Huge 12 Convention on July 1, 2023, to back-to-back AAC titles in 2020 and 2021. Fickell was named the AAC Coach of the Yr 3 times (2018, 2020-21). He was named the consensus Nationwide Coach of the Yr final season after main Cincinnati to a 13-0 file and a berth within the Faculty Soccer Playoff. Fickell’s Bearcats misplaced to top-ranked Alabama within the CFP semifinal after turning into the primary Group of 5 crew to crack the four-team playoff.
Fickell gained at the very least 9 video games in every of the final 5 seasons at Cincinnati. No different head coach completed that feat within the 135-year historical past of the Bearcats soccer program.
Fickell, whose eldest son Landon is a sophomore offensive lineman for the Bearcats, signed an extension with Cincinnati final offseason that paid the coach $5.05 million per yr by way of 2028. UC will obtain $3.5 million for the contract buyout.
This text initially appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Luke Fickell leaving Cincinnati to take Wisconsin soccer job
