Luke Fickell is the Wisconsin Badgers' new head football coach. Here's what you should know about the Ohio native.
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Ohio native Luke Fickell, who led Cincinnati to unprecedented heights the last six seasons, has been hired as the new Wisconsin Badgers head football coach, beating out Jim Leonhard for the job.
Here's what you should know about Fickell.
How old is Luke Fickell?
Fickell is 49 years old.
What was Luke Fickell's coaching record at Cincinnati?
He was 57-18 in six seasons with the Bearcats. His best season came in 2021 when Cincinnati finished 13-1 and was part of the four-team College Football Playoff. Cincinnati was the only FBS team undefeated during the regular season. The Bearcats also finished 11-2 in 2018 and 11-3 in 2019. Cincinnati was 9-3 this season.
What is Luke Fickell's bowl record as a head coach?
2-3. He was 2-2 in bowl games at Cincinnati and he lost the Gator Bowl during the 2011 season when he served as the interim head coach at Ohio State.
What is Luke Fickell's history with Ohio State?
Fickell played at Ohio State from 1993-96 where he was a nose guard on the defensive line and started a school record 50 straight games. He then returned to Ohio State where he was a longtime coordinator from 2002-16. He stepped in as interim head coach in 2011 after Jim Tressel resigned amid a recruiting scandal.
Who is Luke Fickell's family?
Fickell has been married to wife Amy for 22 years. Like Fickell, Amy is a graduate of Ohio State. They have six children together, including two sets of twins. His oldest son, Landon, is a sophomore offensive lineman at Cincinnati. He also has a daughter, Luca, twin sons Aydon and Ashton, and twin sons Laykon and Lucian.
What is Luke Fickell's contract?
The UW Board of Regents approved Fickell's hire on Sunday. Those figures weren't disclosed.
After the 2021 season, Fickell signed a contract extension with Cincinnati through 2028 worth $5 million per year. According to Journal Sentinel reporter Jeff Potrykus, UW officials were willing to pay at least $6 million per year.
Luke Fickell’s wrestling career included three state championships
Fickell is a graduate of DeSales High School in Columbus, Ohio. He earned a college scholarship for football at Ohio State, but he was unstoppable on the wrestling mat.
He won state championships as a sophomore, junior and senior. Fickell had a combined 106-0 record during those three seasons.
Social media:Here's how Twitter is reacting to Wisconsin's decision to hire Luke Fickell as its next head football coach
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about Luke Fickell, Wisconsin Badgers' new football coach
