Wisconsin Athletics Director Chris McIntosh defended head coach Luke Fickell and committed to “more Athletics-funded investments” in a public letter to fans Monday morning after the football program was shut out in back-to-back games for the first time since 1968.
McIntosh called the season a “disappointment,” saying “it has fallen well short” of the program’s standards and said he is committed to rebuilding with the “support and significant involvement” of Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin.
He said Fickell shares “the same disappointment and frustration,” but coaches and players “continue to demonstrate the work ethic and values that represent UW Football.”
The Badgers have lost five in a row. They currently rank last in the Big Ten standings, and with a 2-5 record, risk missing a bowl game for the second-straight season.
McIntosh also pledged more financial support for football, saying his department “must provide our coaches the tools necessary to succeed.” These include “more Athletics-funded investments in infrastructure, staffing and, most importantly, student-athlete recruiting and retention.”
He said the move has Mnookin’s “support and significant involvement,” and the health of Wisconsin Athletics “matter deeply” to her, calling Mnookin a “strong partner” of UW Athletics from the beginning.
He cautioned fans, saying the impact of these investments “may not be immediate,” but said a “new era of college athletics” makes them necessary.
The statement comes less than 48 hours after the Badgers fell 34-0 to the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes, extending their losing streak to five and suffering back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1968.
McIntosh met with the team ahead of the game this week to address Fickell’s job security. Players said they left the meeting with the understanding Fickell will return next season, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. Those players were not identified, as they were directed to not relay the contents of the meeting with the public.
At a press conference Monday, Fickell said he has not been told whether he’ll return next year as head coach. He also said he’s never asked, as worrying about it “doesn’t do us any good.”
"I have not been told. I’m not worried about that," Fickell said. "I understand if we don’t meet expectations and we don’t do the things we need to do, anything can happen.”
Wisconsin would owe Fickell roughly $25 million if they fired him at season’s end.
The Badgers travel to Eugene, Oregon, to face the No. 6 Oregon Ducks Saturday at 6:00 p.m.
Nick Bumgardner is the managing editor of The Daily Cardinal. He previously served as features editor, and wrote for the state and campus news desks as a senior staff writer on rural issues, the 2024 presidential election and the UW System budget. He has written in-depth on labor policy, UW campus closures and local Madison persons of interest. You can follow him on Twitter at @nickbum_.
