The Wisconsin Badgers are spiraling after a crushing 34-0 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes — their second straight shutout defeat — but head coach Luke Fickell insists he’s not giving up. The veteran coach, now in his third season in Madison, delivered a strong message following the blowout, making it clear that he still believes in his program and his players.
“To not find a way to put points on the board will never give us a chance,” Fickell said after the game, via Jesse Temple of Badger Connect. “We know we have to find a way to be able to do that, and we’ve got to get a hell of a lot better at it.”
When pressed about the team’s struggles, Fickell doubled down on his commitment. “There is no quit in me,” he said, per Zach Heilprin of 96.7 FM “The Zone.” Despite five straight losses and a historically bad stretch of offensive football, the 52-year-old coach remains defiant as Wisconsin prepares for a brutal closing schedule that includes Oregon, Washington, Indiana, Illinois, and Minnesota.
On Monday, Jesse Temple reported that Fickell addressed questions about his job security directly. Asked if he’s been given assurances he’ll return next season, Fickell replied, “I have not been told. I’m not worried about that. I understand if we don’t meet expectations and we don’t do the things we need to do, anything can happen.”
That level-headed answer comes amid growing speculation about Fickell’s future after back-to-back disappointing seasons. Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh recently released a statement expressing his “unrelenting commitment” to improve the program, but confirmed that Fickell will remain in charge for now. “The results are simply not where any of us want them to be,” McIntosh wrote. “But we see the potential in what this team can be.”
Not all fans share that optimism. Social media reactions to McIntosh’s statement ranged from frustration to outright disbelief, with many calling his words “empty” and “meaningless.” Under Fickell, Wisconsin is 15-18 overall and 8-14 in Big Ten play, with the team failing to score more than 14 points in any of its five losses this season.
Still, Fickell’s message hasn’t changed. Even as pressure mounts, he continues to emphasize resilience and accountability — refusing to entertain panic or excuses. Whether that approach buys him time in Madison remains to be seen, but for now, he’s focused solely on salvaging what’s left of Wisconsin’s 2025 campaign.
