Why Fickell chose Wisconsin over other Big10 opportunities

The major difference is that Fickell was given a shot to be Ohio St's head coach for a year, and then they had their worst season in 23 years, and then brought in Meyer instead. They could have hired him again in 2019, but went with Ryan Day instead.

If Saban would have left or retired when Smart was still at Alabama, he would have been hired immediately to replace him.
We're not talking about Ohio St. or Alabama, we're talking about Minnesota. The idea that a coordinator for OSU (most any coordinator, really, let alone one for 12 years) doesn't have the "resume" to be the head coach at Minnesota is so laughably stupid that I can't believe people are taking up multiple posts trying to defend the position.
 

A DC of a scandal ridden team with a losing record at Ohio state

I suppose you’re right. Gerry Faust also qualified for the job


Me using the word qualified was the wrong word


Edit:
Upon further review I never used the word qualified. I said resume. I don’t think he resume was that impressive. One season of a losing record at Ohio state. DC for two great head coaches. Last Ohio state coordinator to leave major flop at Purdue. I don’t think he had the resume to get a power 5 job in 2016 and it’s why he ended up at cincinatti
As I've already stated, at the time he didn't want to leave Ohio (this is well-known and not debatable), and he wasn't going to get OSU, so he went to Cincinnati when Tuberville left. He absolutely could've had a number of Power 5 jobs if he wanted, but again, he wasn't going to leave Ohio.

Your position is that he worked under great head coaches, and that gives him a worse resume? Do you realize how stupid that sounds?
 

I'll go on record of saying I think Fickell was a great hire for Wisconsin. With that being said, there are plenty of examples of someone coming in and changing who/what a team is and it not working out. I am hoping Fickell/Wisconsin is another RichRod/Michigan scenario!!!

Or Nebraska.
 

We're not talking about Ohio St. or Alabama, we're talking about Minnesota. The idea that a coordinator for OSU (most any coordinator, really, let alone one for 12 years) doesn't have the "resume" to be the head coach at Minnesota is so laughably stupid that I can't believe people are taking up multiple posts trying to defend the position.

I'm not arguing that. He had the resume to become a HC at Minnesota. However, PJ had a better resume as a HC at that time, and he still does today.

I'm arguing that he could have had his pick of any job outside the top few at that time. Despite being an alum and loyal to Ohio St for years, they clearly saw something in him that they didn't like enough to hire him as a HC not once, but twice.
 

As I've already stated, at the time he didn't want to leave Ohio (this is well-known and not debatable), and he wasn't going to get OSU, so he went to Cincinnati when Tuberville left. He absolutely could've had a number of Power 5 jobs if he wanted, but again, he wasn't going to leave Ohio.

Your position is that he worked under great head coaches, and that gives him a worse resume? Do you realize how stupid that sounds?
i mean you stating something doesn’t make it true lol

My position is he didn’t have a resume to get a power 5 AD excited
 


doubtful. At that time they would have more likely hired Dabo Swinney from Clemson with his ties to Alabama and who had proven himself as a successful HC by the time Kirby left for Georgia.

I disagree. It was pretty well known that Smart was the HC in waiting at that time and he had coached with Saban for a decade. Despite Saban being 64 at the time Smart left, it was apparent he wasn't going anywhere for awhile.
 

He had the resume to become a HC at Minnesota.
Perfect, thank you for admitting I'm right.
However, PJ had a better resume as a HC at that time, and he still does today.
I never said otherwise, nor did I ever even bring up P.J.
I'm arguing that he could have had his pick of any job outside the top few at that time. Despite being an alum and loyal to Ohio St for years, they clearly saw something in him that they didn't like enough to hire him as a HC not once, but twice.
Saying that he can't get the OSU job has nothing to do with his ability to get hired at 95% of the jobs in the country. Not being deemed worthy of one of the top 5 jobs in the country doesn't mean you can't get hired at the overwhelming majority.
 
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i mean you stating something doesn’t make it true lol
No, the fact that it's true is what makes it true.
My position is he didn’t have a resume to get a power 5 AD excited
Ah, moving the goal posts I see. Yeah, most ADs don't like a guy who's been one of the most successful coordinators at a blue blood program for more than a decade. Great call.

Hazell was never a coordinator at OSU, by the way.
 
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No, the fact that it's true is what makes it true.

Ah, moving the goal posts I see. Yeah, most ADs don't like a guy who's been one of the most successful coordinators at a blue blood program for more than a decade. Great call.

Hazell was never a coordinator at OSU, by the way.
Okay big shooter

Guy can get hired for 95% of jobs in the country and he picks cincinatti LOL
I’m excited for him to be in charge of Wisconsin because if that’s true he truly is an idiot
95% of jobs is all but 8 jobs by the way
 



Okay big shooter

Guy can get hired for 95% of jobs in the country and he picks cincinatti LOL
I’m excited for him to be in charge of Wisconsin because if that’s true he truly is an idiot
95% of jobs is all but 8 jobs by the way
Unfortunately for those other jobs, they aren't in the state of Ohio. You can continue to ignore this fact if you wish, but nonetheless it's a fact.

I don't know why he finally decided that he was willing to move his family, but I suspect that it's because his (six) kids are all at or near high school age and more independent than they were 5-6 years ago.
 

I simply do not believe Fickle is a giant dumb ass like Scott Frost was.
Frost dominated a non-P5 conference. So did fickle. Frost wanted elite athletes and was going to use that to dominate the west. The disparity between his athletes and the west of the west athletes was not as great as it was at his previous stop compared to that conference. Fleck was the same at WMU.

Could Fickle rattle off 14 straight west titles? Sure. But it isn’t as easy to dominate a P5 conference. The talent disparity isn’t as great typically. Sure—Georgia, LSU, Alabama, sometimes tOSU, etc but wisconsin isn’t like that.

Frost is a moron. Maybe Fuke Lickle is too. Time will tell.
 

Unfortunately for those other jobs, they aren't in the state of Ohio. You can continue to ignore this fact if you wish, but nonetheless it's a fact.

I don't know why he finally decided that he was willing to move his family, but I suspect that it's because his (six) kids are all at or near high school age and more independent than they were 5-6 years ago.
I don’t really care but why is six in parentheses? Were you going to do the academic 6 (six) thing? Truly curious.
 

(this is well-known and not debatable) so says the oracle.

I would suggest a bit humbler approach and consider that even the thinnest pancake has two sides.
 



(this is well-known and not debatable) so says the oracle.

I would suggest a bit humbler approach and consider that even the thinnest pancake has two sides.
How does humility play into stating facts? I guess if stating well-known facts makes me "the oracle," then guilty as charged.

I would suggest cutting out the ad hominem bullshit and minding your own business.
 

When you join others at a table, don't you wonder just a little why everyone suddenly has a colonoscopy appointment and seem happy to be going.
 

When you join others at a table, don't you wonder just a little why everyone suddenly has a colonoscopy appointment and seem happy to be going.
You don't know me nor anything about me. Fuck off.
 



Geeze, didn't think I could despise wiscosin any more than I already do, but the OP found a way.
I don't know but for some reason people keep posting about that crap state and school. Seems to be an obsession. Wisconsucks is a below average place to take a dump on the way to Chicago.
 

How does humility play into stating facts? I guess if stating well-known facts makes me "the oracle," then guilty as charged.

I would suggest cutting out the ad hominem bullshit and minding your own business.
Lol
 




How the hell would you know?
Yeah I’m kind of trying to figure this thing out too. Frost was damn impressive at UCF and was a Nebby alumn. I didn’t know or hear anything about his drunken behavior until after the fact. Was this known ahead of time? If so, what’s the dirt on Fickell, is he of the same mold? On paper, great hire. On paper! Plenty of other “great hires” bombed. I still think that the spread/air raid won’t work that well. It’s predicated on you having way better athletes, the recruiting is too close I think. Guess we will see.
 

Yeah I’m kind of trying to figure this thing out too. Frost was damn impressive at UCF and was a Nebby alumn. I didn’t know or hear anything about his drunken behavior until after the fact. Was this known ahead of time? If so, what’s the dirt on Fickell, is he of the same mold? On paper, great hire. On paper! Plenty of other “great hires” bombed. I still think that the spread/air raid won’t work that well. It’s predicated on you having way better athletes, the recruiting is too close I think. Guess we will see.
Plato cannot prove Fickell doesn't beat his wife.
 

Fickell is a great hire if it works out. If he can attract high end skilled position talent to WI and maintain that OL and defense, WI will go next level. However, I would say it is just as likely that he hits with a few positions and misses with others. Then the results will be a middling team that doesn't have a strong identity.

To be honest the best thing MN could ask for is for WI to go against being a run and defense team and let us claim that identity. We have produced more draftable OL and defensive prospects as WI the last few years and hopefully that trend continues to build. Fleck has had enough success with QB, WR and RB development, I feel like he can compete with Fickell if Fickell doesn't catching lightning in a bottle in year 1 or 2.
 

I disagree. It was pretty well known that Smart was the HC in waiting at that time and he had coached with Saban for a decade. Despite Saban being 64 at the time Smart left, it was apparent he wasn't going anywhere for awhile.
I have never heard at anytime of Smart being the HC in waiting but have seen and heard Dabo’s name mentioned many times and even mentioned today as a possible replacement when Saban retires.
 


And on a side note....did we really need a second Fickell thread?
Yes. This. Especially since the last one was mostly fueled Bucky fans posting on a Gopher board to tell us why Finkel is the Baby Jesus of college football.
 

I’m out. Not a Wisconsin fan. Reading comprehension is not a strong point for a lot of people on this board. My point is getting Fickelll was a big swing for Wisc. The Wisc brain trust realized they needed to change the identity of the program for what’s coming in the new Big10. If they wanted to be a slightly above average team they would have stayed the course like Minnesota. A couple things about some misinformation. Fickell was handed the reins ar OSU with a bowl ban and reduction in scholarships. Meyer was already to take over. Not ideal circumstances. Fickell had an undefeated team go to the playoff. Fleck has never won a Big 10 championship. WMU in the Mac was never at the level of UC. My posts basically say that Minnesota needs to make a bold move if they expect to move up. A nice goal would to beat at least one of Big 10 east powers every once in a while. Winning 6 bowls in a row against soft competition is mental masturbation for the row the boat crowd. In a year from now, no one will care if you won the Bad Boy Mowers Bowl whatever that is. Excuse me for wanting better for the Gophers. With Fleck the Gophers have hit their ceiling.
 




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