The Wisconsin Badgers football program is finalizing a deal to make Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell its next head coach over interim head coach Jim Leonhard, among others, according to a Sunday report from ESPN.
Twitter had more than its fair share of reactions to the hiring as a flurry of tweets either supported or questioned the move from the five-year Cincinnati head coach that made the Bearcats the first Group of Five program to make the College Football Playoff.
Wisconsin Badgers hire Luke Fickell in a complete stunner. Why it’s a good move even if it means Braelon Allen won’t be there. pic.twitter.com/4ZrQEZdzAz
— Tapping The Keg Sports (@TappingTheKeg) November 27, 2022
“I did not see this coming,” Charlie Tritschler of Tapping the Keg Sports said. “I thought it was (Jim Leonhard)'s job. I thought, even though the Badgers didn't have the best finish this season, I still thought Leonard was going to get this job and the Badgers were going to keep it in-house.”
Forbes SportsMoney contributor Andrew Wagner hoped Fickell would soon replace another Big Ten rival. The three-time AAC head coach of the year spent more than 14 years as an assistant coach for the Buckeyes, even taking up the mantle of interim head coach in 2011 before Ohio State hired former-Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer.
I’m taking solace in the likelihood that Fickell will eventually bail for Ohio State.
— Andrew Wagner (@ByAndrewWagner) November 27, 2022
Mental Game Podcast host Brandon Saho reflected on Luke Fickell's time with the Bearcats and how he turned a program that went 4-8 the year before into a College Football Playoff contender.
Luke Fickell changed Cincinnati football. He built UC into a College Football Playoff contender. 20 years ago, you’d be lucky if 5,000 fans showed up at Nippert Stadium. As a lifelong Bearcat fan, I saw things I didn’t think were possible in Clifton. Thank you @CoachFick.
— Brandon Saho (@BrandonSaho) November 27, 2022
Barstool Sports' Dan Katz, who stormed the Kohl Center court following a three-point win against the then-No. 8 Purdue Boilermakers, called himself the “world's biggest Ryan Day fan” after the news broke of Luke Fickell to Wisconsin football.
I am now the world’s biggest Ryan Day fan. Love that guy. He’s got things going in the right direction @DoubleVodkaDon
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) November 27, 2022
https://t.co/LlwHdhOGdp pic.twitter.com/bQU2tzQXj1
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) November 27, 2022
New York Post Sports and Entertainment reporter Ryan Glasspiegel said he rooted for Jim Leonhard to get the job after he led the Badgers to a 4-3 record since the program let go of Paul Chryst following a 34-10 Illinois Fighting Illini win in Camp Randall Stadium. Leonhard took a statement victory over a Big Ten West champion in the Purdue Boilermakers and a one-point win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers and interim head coach Mickey Joseph.
Feel awful for Jim Leonhard. Great Badger, would’ve been happy for him to get the job.
— Ryan Glasspiegel (@sportsrapport) November 27, 2022
Wowwwww https://t.co/Xka5xjhKx0
— Ryan Glasspiegel (@sportsrapport) November 27, 2022