The answer to who is badgers football coach is Luke Fickell, the University of Wisconsin’s head football coach. He took over the program in late 2022 and began coaching the Badgers in the 2023 season.
Fickell arrived after a successful run at Cincinnati, where his teams won conference championships and reached the College Football Playoff. Here’s a closer look at his background, how he got the Wisconsin job, what his role involves, and what Badgers fans should know about his tenure.
who is badgers football coach right now?
Luke Fickell is the head coach of Wisconsin Badgers football. The University of Wisconsin–Madison hired him in November 2022, and he started leading the team for the 2023 season. He succeeded Paul Chryst, who had been dismissed during the 2022 season.
Fickell is responsible for the football program as a whole. That includes setting team standards, overseeing practices, directing the coaching staff, helping recruit players, and preparing the Badgers for each game. Coordinators and position coaches handle important parts of the weekly work, but the head coach sets the program’s direction and is ultimately accountable for the team.
Wisconsin competes in the Big Ten Conference, one of the major conferences in college football. The Badgers play home games at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. Fickell’s job is to build a team that can compete in the conference while developing players and sustaining the program over multiple seasons.
Why Wisconsin hired Luke Fickell
Wisconsin was looking for a leader who could bring a strong coaching record and experience building a competitive program. Fickell had spent six seasons as Cincinnati’s head coach, taking the Bearcats from a rebuilding period to regular conference contention. His teams earned attention nationally, especially during the 2021 season.
That year, Cincinnati went undefeated in the regular season, won the American Athletic Conference championship, and became the first team from outside the Power Five conferences to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Bearcats lost to Alabama in the playoff semifinal, but reaching that stage was a major achievement for the program.
Fickell’s background also included years at Ohio State as a player and coach. He had experience in a high-profile football environment, as well as the challenges of building a team at a different program. Wisconsin’s hire brought both experiences together: familiarity with the Big Ten and a record of raising a team’s competitive level.
Luke Fickell’s coaching background
Before becoming a head coach, Fickell built his career through playing and coaching roles at Ohio State. He played defensive line for the Buckeyes in the 1990s, then joined the coaching staff after completing his playing career. His work at Ohio State included coaching defensive line and serving in defensive leadership roles.
In 2011, Fickell served as Ohio State’s interim head coach while the program went through a coaching transition. He then returned to an assistant role under Urban Meyer. That period gave him experience with the responsibilities and pressure of running a major college football program, even before he became a head coach full time.
Cincinnati hired Fickell as head coach in 2016, with his first season in charge coming in 2017. The team improved over the following seasons and became a consistent contender in its conference. His run included two American Athletic Conference championships and the College Football Playoff appearance in 2021.
| Career stage | Role | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio State, as a player | Defensive lineman | Established his connection to Big Ten football. |
| Ohio State, as a coach | Assistant and defensive coach | Built experience coaching players and working within a major program. |
| Cincinnati, 2017–2022 | Head coach | Led a program that won conference titles and reached the playoff. |
| Wisconsin, beginning in 2023 | Head coach | Responsible for leading the Badgers’ program and setting its direction. |
What does a college football head coach do?
A head coach has a wider job than calling plays on game day. Fickell must coordinate the work of coaches, support staff, players, and university departments. His decisions affect how the team practices, recruits, prepares, and responds to setbacks.
Build the coaching staff
College football teams have coaches for different position groups and phases of the game. Offensive and defensive coordinators typically oversee their respective units and help shape the game plan. The head coach hires and manages staff members, sets expectations, and makes sure their work supports the same program goals.
Recruit and develop players
Recruiting means identifying and persuading high school players and transfer candidates to join the program. Coaches assess more than talent. They also consider a player’s position fit, development potential, academic situation, and ability to contribute to the team.
After players arrive, coaches work to improve their skills and understanding of the game. Development takes time, so recruiting success cannot be measured only by a player’s first season. A strong program needs players to make progress, build depth, and be prepared when injuries or other changes affect the lineup.
Prepare the team for games
During the season, coaches study opponents and prepare a plan for the next matchup. That work includes reviewing film, practicing specific situations, and deciding how to use the players available. On game day, the head coach manages decisions across the team and adjusts when circumstances change.
Those responsibilities make a coach’s record only one part of the picture. Player development, recruiting, staff stability, and performance in close games can all shape how a program changes over time.
What kind of program is Fickell trying to build?
Fickell’s Wisconsin team needs to fit both the coach’s approach and the program’s existing strengths. Wisconsin has long been associated with physical football, strong line play, and productive running games. A new head coach can keep elements of that identity while adjusting strategy, personnel, or practice methods.
It is easy to assume that a coaching change means the team will instantly adopt a completely different style. In reality, schemes depend on the players available, the coaching staff, and the opponent. A team may change its offensive or defensive approach over time rather than replace everything in one season.
Fickell’s Cincinnati teams showed that he could guide a program to sustained success and compete beyond its usual conference circle. At Wisconsin, the challenge is to turn that experience into results within the Big Ten. That requires good recruiting, player development, effective coaching, and consistent performance against conference opponents.
How to follow Fickell’s progress at Wisconsin
If you want to judge how the program is developing, look beyond one score or one recruiting announcement. A coaching transition takes time, and different measures can tell you different things about the team. These are useful areas to watch:
- Season results: Wins and losses show the clearest short-term outcome, but the strength of opponents and close-game results also provide context.
- Conference performance: Big Ten games show how Wisconsin is competing against its regular conference rivals.
- Player development: Watch whether returning players improve and whether younger players earn meaningful roles.
- Recruiting and roster depth: A team needs capable players beyond its starting lineup. Depth matters when injuries or departures change who is available.
- Consistency: Strong programs perform reliably across the season, not just in a single high-profile game.
These measures are most helpful when viewed across several seasons. A single result can be affected by injuries, weather, turnovers, or a difficult matchup. Longer-term patterns give a clearer sense of whether the team is progressing.
Who did Luke Fickell replace?
Fickell replaced Paul Chryst, Wisconsin’s head coach from 2015 until partway through the 2022 season. Chryst had played quarterback at Wisconsin and later returned as a coach. His teams won Big Ten West division titles and appeared in major postseason games during his tenure.
Chryst’s departure marked a shift in leadership after several seasons in charge. Athletic director Chris McIntosh announced the change, and Wisconsin then hired Fickell from Cincinnati. The transition involved more than naming a new head coach: Wisconsin also had to plan for changes in staff, recruiting, and how the team would operate.
Fickell is not the first high-profile coach in Badgers history. Barry Alvarez led Wisconsin from 1990 through 2005 and later served as athletic director. His tenure helped establish a period of sustained success and shaped the expectations surrounding the program. That history helps explain why fans closely follow decisions about the head coach.
Is Luke Fickell still the Badgers coach?
Yes. Luke Fickell is the head coach of Wisconsin football. He took the role after leaving Cincinnati and began coaching the Badgers in 2023.
For the latest staff, schedule, and roster details, use Wisconsin Athletics’ official football information. Coaching staffs and player rosters can change, so older articles may not reflect the current setup.
What fans should know about a coaching change
A new coach does not mean every part of a team changes at once. Players may have joined the program under the previous staff, while new recruits arrive on different timelines. Coaches also need time to assess the roster and decide which systems best fit the players they have.
Another common mistake is treating recruiting rankings as a guarantee of future results. Rankings can help describe how a group of recruits is viewed, but they do not determine how each player develops or how well a team performs together. Coaching, health, experience, and fit all matter.
It also helps to distinguish a coach’s title from his responsibilities. Fickell is Wisconsin’s head football coach, not simply the coach of one unit. Coordinators and assistants may lead specific parts of the team, but Fickell oversees the program and makes sure those parts work toward shared goals.
For fans, the most practical approach is to follow official team announcements and evaluate the program over time. Check the schedule and game results, pay attention to player availability, and consider how the team performs across the full season. That gives a more balanced view than reacting to one headline or one game.
Who is badgers football coach? It’s Luke Fickell, who took over Wisconsin’s program in late 2022 and began coaching the team in 2023. Before joining the Badgers, he led Cincinnati to conference titles and a College Football Playoff appearance.
To track his progress, follow Wisconsin’s official schedule and team updates, then judge results alongside player development and conference performance. Looking at several seasons gives you a clearer picture than relying on a single game.