MADISON, Wis. (AP) 鈥� Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell acknowledged Tuesday he was of athletic director Chris McIntosh, but doesn’t believe his friend leaving will have a major impact on his future with the Badgers.
Fickell was going to have to start producing more victories regardless.
鈥淚 think the easiest thing for us right now is to understand you鈥檝e got to win,鈥� Fickell said after a morning practice. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not beating around the bush.鈥�
Fickell spoke one day after the announcement that McIntosh was leaving Wisconsin to take a newly created job as the Big Ten鈥檚 deputy commissioner for strategy. McIntosh, who had been since the summer of 2021, and continued to back him as the Badgers went 9-15 over the last two seasons.
Fickell said McIntosh had let him know 鈥渓ast week at some point in time鈥� about the possibility of this move. Fickell added that 鈥渋t鈥檚 not easy to lose a friend.鈥�
鈥淎nytime there are changes with people you know were in your corner, it鈥檚 always a little difficult, disappointing, whatever you want to say,鈥� Fickell said. 鈥淏ut so is life. You鈥檝e got to be able to move and continue to go on.鈥�
Marcus Sedberry, who had been Wisconsin鈥檚 deputy athletic director/chief operating officer, is working as interim athletic director until a permanent successor for McIntosh is announced. Sedberry previously worked at Baylor, Arkansas and Central Florida as well as with the Philadelphia Eagles.
鈥淲hen you鈥檝e been to other places and seen how things are done, you get a lot of experiences 鈥� good and bad 鈥� you take a lot of things in, you recognize how things are done,鈥� Fickell said. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 one of the great things about Marcus. He鈥檚 been in the NFL. He鈥檚 been in several different spots.鈥�
McIntosh hired Fickell away from Cincinnati at the end of the 2022 regular season after that October. The move earned rave reviews at the time because Fickell had gone 53-10 in his last five seasons at Cincinnati and had led the Bearcats to a berth in 2021.
Fickell has gone 17-21 at Wisconsin thus far. The Badgers last year after snapping what had been a Power Four-leading streak of 22 straight winning seasons.
McIntosh continually stood behind Fickell.
He made public comments supporting Fickell after a to Maryland in September. After Wisconsin was shut out at home against and in consecutive October weekends, McIntosh sent a letter to season-ticket holders saying the school planned to in its football program to 鈥減rovide our coaches the tools necessary to succeed.鈥�
Wisconsin had lost six straight games when McIntosh said as coach beyond the 2025 season. The Badgers responded by splitting their final four games with wins over then-No. 24 (No. 23 College Football Playoff) and (then-No. 21 CFP).
McIntosh鈥檚 promise to increase Wisconsin鈥檚 football investment also helped the Badgers add 34 transfers 鈥� including 27 from other Football Bowl Subdivision programs 鈥� this offseason.
Fickell said it was helpful to have an athletic director he knew so well but added that the expectations don鈥檛 change after McIntosh鈥檚 departure.
鈥淲e all understand this is big-boy ball and this is big business,鈥� Fickell said. 鈥淚t comes down to doing your job and doing it really well. 鈥� In the spots where I鈥檝e been, there鈥檚 been different relationships with each AD. I think each one of them are unique. However it goes and whatever it is, what helps the relationship best of all is having success on the field and having a good product. I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 going to change.鈥�
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