Why Fickell chose Wisconsin over other Big10 opportunities

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Laker said:
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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Should have just ended your post after “I’m out.”
 

Laker said:
Luke realized Ohio state wouldn’t be available anytime soon. Ditto for Notre Dame. His 2 dream jobs. Michigan State was hot for him and he turned them down. Tucker was their second choice. He was all but signed until his wife visited East Lansing and nixed the deal. She reportedly fell in love with Madison and that’s why he is there. I think he is an upgrade and would have been an upgrade for Minnesota. When I suggested that Minnesota back up a truckload of money to his door a couple of months everybody on here derided me for it. The next 3-4 years will tell whether the Gophers missed the boat or were super smart in not hiring him.
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No it won't, we already have our coach.
 

GopherGod said:
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.
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Now that's the case because Smart isn't coming back. It wasn't the case when Smart was working for Alabama 7+ years ago. He was the best, and highest paid assistant in the country at that time. He also turned down other head coaching jobs and even more money to become the DC at Georgia at that time because he was next in line at Alabama. Then Georgia finally offered him the head coaching job and he left.
 


This whole thread is weird. Fickell didn't want to leave Ohio because his two special needs sons got some of the best care possible in Cincinnati. His wife likely had a lot of pull since raising 6 kids, including two with special needs, as a football coaches wife would be hell. While OSU likely was never an option, he would have gladly taken ND, but his team was still playing and he didn't (knowingly) interview for that. He picked Wisconsin because they do have some good pieces leftover, his team wasn't playing anymore, and also because they started throwing around a shit ton of money and they also have amazing medical facilities that his children could use, if necessary. There's nothing more to it.
 



Bob_Loblaw said:
How the hell would you know?
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Your note is very imprecise.
How would I know that Frost was a drunk and philanderer?
That was common knowledge for anyone who could read between the newspaper lines and Husker Blogs. In addition, I have a source very close to the team and its donors.
As to Fickell, he needed his wife to like Madison before he decided to go there.
That is not something a philanderer would do. I admit I do not know for sure that he drinks like Frost but there has not been a shred of rumor suggesting that.
 


Plato said:
Your note is very imprecise.
How would I know that Frost was a drunk and philanderer?
That was common knowledge for anyone who could read between the newspaper lines and Husker Blogs. In addition, I have a source very close to the team and its donors.
As to Fickell, he needed his wife to like Madison before he decided to go there.
That is not something a philanderer would do. I admit I do not know for sure that he drinks like Frost but there has not been a shred of rumor suggesting that.
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Yet, somehow even you could deduce what I was saying despite my lack of precision.

I'd love to hear more of your Luke Fickell family dynamic fan fiction. Since you don't know anything about his life and you're filling in all the gaps, in your world what's his wife's favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Are you going to somehow write yourself into this narrative? Maybe the goofy, yet loveable neighbor?
 



Good lord.....bad enough that we have multiple Fickell threads but now this one has devolved into some weird discussion about the personal lives of Fickell and Frost.....must be the off season...yep its the off season.... :)
 

Your skin is so thin as to be almost transparent. Your lack of self-confidence manifests itself as aggression. Anything else you want to add?
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
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.
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I'm not so sure about that. I think Kirby was waiting for Richt to get fired. I mean, he played for Georgia for crying out loud. I don't think his goal was to follow Saban's footsteps of winning natty's at Alabama.

I'm far more of an SEC fan than a B1G fan, and I'm pretty sure I heard it this way. But I'll admit I could be wrong, which is why I started with "I'm not so sure". : - )
 

GopherTheJugular said:
I'm not so sure about that. I think Kirby was waiting for Richt to get fired. I mean, he played for Georgia for crying out loud. I don't think his goal was to follow Saban's footsteps of winning natty's at Alabama.

I'm far more of an SEC fan than a B1G fan, and I'm pretty sure I heard it this way. But I'll admit I could be wrong, which is why I started with "I'm not so sure". : - )
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Woah woah woah. This is a Luke Fickell post. Please create a Kirby Smart one, or preferably, another Luke Fickell one and discuss it there.
 



GopherTheJugular said:
I'm not so sure about that. I think Kirby was waiting for Richt to get fired. I mean, he played for Georgia for crying out loud. I don't think his goal was to follow Saban's footsteps of winning natty's at Alabama.

I'm far more of an SEC fan than a B1G fan, and I'm pretty sure I heard it this way. But I'll admit I could be wrong, which is why I started with "I'm not so sure". : - )
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He left Georgia once to go back to work for Saban, and he turned down multiple, higher paying jobs to stay at Alabama, including Georgia as a higher paid DC. Georgia was always going to be an option if the head coaching job opened up, and if they wanted to hire Smart, but that was no guarantee. If Alabama would have opened before Georgia, Smart would have been Alabama's head coach.
 


GopherWeatherGuy said:
He left Georgia once to go back to work for Saban, and he turned down multiple, higher paying jobs to stay at Alabama, including Georgia as a higher paid DC. Georgia was always going to be an option if the head coaching job opened up, and if they wanted to hire Smart, but that was no guarantee. If Alabama would have opened before Georgia, Smart would have been Alabama's head coach.
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Can't disagree with the bolded, I doubt he stays the coordinator while someone else comes in as HC. But do you think he would have left head coach at 'bama for HC at Georgia? I'm not looking to argue, just curious. I think he would have, which probably would make the rivalry even better.
 

GopherTheJugular said:
Can't disagree with the bolded, I doubt he stays the coordinator while someone else comes in as HC. But do you think he would have left head coach at 'bama for HC at Georgia? I'm not looking to argue, just curious. I think he would have, which probably would make the rivalry even better.
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No I don't.
 


Laker said:
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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You think it’s more difficult to win at Cinci than WMU? You do realize it’s just your opinion that Fleck has hit his ceiling. I’d be haply betting against Fickell ever winning a B1G title at Wisconsin. You really expected Fleck to do that here already? We comprehend your take just fine, that’s why we are all shitting on it.
 


I don't care if Fickell can do a Triple Lindy, it's not going to save Grand Lakes University.
 

I can't believe some people were, at the same time:

A: Nervous that Michigan would poach PJ Fleck
B: Jealous that Wisconsin got Cincinnati's coach because he's better than what we have

Any P5 school in America, including the CFP contenders, could fill their hypothetical opening with PJ Fleck and the general consensus would be that Alabama, USC, Michigan, etc made a good hire.

Minnesota has a very good coach that would be suitable for any FBS program. Wisconsin has an accomplished one too. So does Nebraska. That's how the Big Ten rolls. But no fear, no fear at all.
 

fmlizard said:
I can't believe some people were, at the same time:

A: Nervous that Michigan would poach PJ Fleck
B: Jealous that Wisconsin got Cincinnati's coach because he's better than what we have

Any P5 school in America, including the CFP contenders, could fill their hypothetical opening with PJ Fleck and the general consensus would be that Alabama, USC, Michigan, etc made a good hire.

Minnesota has a very good coach that would be suitable for any FBS program. Wisconsin has an accomplished one too. So does Nebraska. That's how the Big Ten rolls. But no fear, no fear at all.
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A - has been a thing since 1985. There are fans that live in constant fear of coaches leaving because Holtz did.

B - I don't see much jealousy. I see Badger fans trying to convince everyone they are headed for dominance under Fickell, doing their best to convince everyone that they are still the team to beat in the West and trying to convince themselves that they can be on the level of Ohio State.
 

MNVCGUY said:
A - has been a thing since 1985. There are fans that live in constant fear of coaches leaving because Holtz did.

B - I don't see much jealousy. I see Badger fans trying to convince everyone they are headed for dominance under Fickell, doing their best to convince everyone that they are still the team to beat in the West and trying to convince themselves that they can be on the level of Ohio State.
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Disagree. I am jealous of wisconsins 2023 national championship
 

MNVCGUY said:
A - has been a thing since 1985. There are fans that live in constant fear of coaches leaving because Holtz did.

B - I don't see much jealousy. I see Badger fans trying to convince everyone they are headed for dominance under Fickell, doing their best to convince everyone that they are still the team to beat in the West and trying to convince themselves that they can be on the level of Ohio State.
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As far as "B" goes, Fickell did very well with transfers. He's a very good HC. It will be interesting to see how it all works out for Wisc come next Fall, looking forward to the matchup at the Bank.
 

Some guy said:
Disagree. I am jealous of wisconsins 2023 national championship
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So you must believe in Unicorns then if you are capable of being jealous of something that is make believe and never going to happen. :)
 

MNVCGUY said:
So you must believe in Unicorns then if you are capable of being jealous of something that is make believe and never going to happen. :)
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Is Wisconsin going to be better the next 10 years than the last 10 years?
 

PMWinSTP said:
As far as "B" goes, Fickell did very well with transfers. He's a very good HC. It will be interesting to see how it all works out for Wisc come next Fall, looking forward to the matchup at the Bank.
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Remains to be seen how he did in the transfer department. 3 of them are QBs and 4 are WR so I guess he improved odds of getting guys that will pan out at those two spots.

I agree that Fickell is a good coach and I expect the Badgers to remain a tough opponent and a strong rival. I just don't know that Fickell is going to elevate them to that upper level of the Big Ten because I don't think schools like Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa are capable of getting into that upper tier on any sort of consistent basis in the current college football landscape.

When it is all said and done he probably ends up with a winning percentage very similar to the one Chryst had.
 

Some guy said:


Is Wisconsin going to be better the next 10 years than the last 10 years?
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If I was betting with real money I would bet the under. They probably settle into that 80+ tier. Coincidentally I also think we will slide up into that same tier and Iowa will remain there.
 

Gophers1992 said:
Fickell is a damn good coach. So is PJ Fleck. I'm not sure why we need to be crapping our pants over facing him for the next 10 years.
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no way he's there in 10 years but no way I'm here in 10 years either so I'll have to watch from above.
 

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