Fickell to Wisconsin

[golfnut69]

https://www.espn.com/college-football/s ... kell-coach

[anEngineer]

Fickell has been very loyal to Cincinnati and has actually achieved the goal of a P5 seat, but the lure of B1G may be too much. It would be a huge disappointment for their fans and make their next hire critical to maintain the momentum. Being in the top 4 of the AAC is more of a bowl guarantee than being in the bottom half of the Big 12.

[greenie78]

Pretty much a guarantee he's leaving now.

[Bicoastalwave]

Couldn’t happen to a worse group of fans (well I guess UCF or LSU would take the cake)

[IM42lane]

Good! Go already!

[BC Wave]

So losing to Tulane might get you a gig in the B1G..

Remember when it meant getting fired before the next game?

The times they are a-changing?

[Jaxwave]

You guys don’t get it. Fickell and Fitz if it comes to that will absolutely take a better job for higher pay. It’s not about playing for championships.

[DfromCT]

He better win and win quickly. His terminated predecessor was 67-26 in 8 seasons.

[anEngineer]

You guys don’t get it. Fickell and Fitz if it comes to that will absolutely take a better job for higher pay. It’s not about playing for championships.

If you can't win there, you're not going be there long.

[Ruski]

Pretty sure he turned down other BIG10 gigs, including Michigan State. Could see him actually stay at Cincy until Ohio St comes calling. Or at least Penn St.

Wisconsin is gonna move down the Big10 totem pole when USC/UCLA arrive anyway.

[tpstulane]

Great article in the Athletic on his leaving. He had the ND job last year but told them to wait until after the playoff. They refused and hired Marcus Freeman, ironically a former Fickell assistant at Cincy. .

Here’s something from another article in the Athletic.
Facilities

The question for many Bearcats faithful in the wake of Fickell’s departure is: Why now? After a decade spent in realignment wilderness, Cincinnati is set to finally join the Big 12 and a Power 5 conference in a matter of months, in no small part due to the sustained success Fickell achieved on the field. He signed a new contract extension in February through the 2028 season that paid him $5 million a year, increased his annual salary pool to $5.2 million and included promises of a new permanent indoor practice facility, those last two being top priorities for Fickell. The practice facility, which is slated to be built on the existing footprint of Cincinnati’s current Sheakley Athletics Center practice field, has been estimated at a total cost of $100 million and is in the planning stages. Cincinnati’s program has long been a stepping-stone job, dating to Mark Dantonio, Brian Kelly and Butch Jones. But so many of the resources and benefits Bearcats head coaches have long sought.

https://theathletic.com/3941906/2022/11 ... ed_article

[DfromCT]

IF Willie's shot at the GaTech job is gone, Cincinnati would be an interesting place for Willie to land. They can offer him $5 million/year and it's a move to the Big 12. Probably a better landing spot for Fritz than GaTech. Who knows if they'd be interested, but I think it's inevitable we lose Willie.

[tpstulane]

IF Willie's shot at the GaTech job is gone, Cincinnati would be an interesting place for Willie to land. They can offer him $5 million/year and it's a move to the Big 12. Probably a better landing spot for Fritz than GaTech. Who knows if they'd be interested, but I think it's inevitable we lose Willie.

They’d probably go with a younger guy. And that $5 million will likely increase with Big12 $$$$.

[HoustonWave]

IF Willie's shot at the GaTech job is gone, Cincinnati would be an interesting place for Willie to land. They can offer him $5 million/year and it's a move to the Big 12. Probably a better landing spot for Fritz than GaTech. Who knows if they'd be interested, but I think it's inevitable we lose Willie.

I agree D. It’s clear there is no intangible tie between Fritz and Tulane or Dannen. He wants out. And why not, it’s his profession which Tulane continues to openly disrespect, given Gibson Hall’s actions and especially non-actions. The Stanford job is also open, which is another place where Willie’s high academic environment experience would play well.

[DfromCT]

IF Willie's shot at the GaTech job is gone, Cincinnati would be an interesting place for Willie to land. They can offer him $5 million/year and it's a move to the Big 12. Probably a better landing spot for Fritz than GaTech. Who knows if they'd be interested, but I think it's inevitable we lose Willie.

I agree D. It’s clear there is no intangible tie between Fritz and Tulane or Dannen. He wants out. And why not, it’s his profession which Tulane continues to openly disrespect, given Gibson Hall’s actions and especially non-actions. The Stanford job is also open, which is another place where Willie’s high academic environment experience would play well.

I agree, Houston. I just don't see him as a West Coast guy. Maybe I'm wrong, but I see him as a Midwest guy with midwest values and mores.

[HoustonWave]

IF Willie's shot at the GaTech job is gone, Cincinnati would be an interesting place for Willie to land. They can offer him $5 million/year and it's a move to the Big 12. Probably a better landing spot for Fritz than GaTech. Who knows if they'd be interested, but I think it's inevitable we lose Willie.

I agree D. It’s clear there is no intangible tie between Fritz and Tulane or Dannen. He wants out. And why not, it’s his profession which Tulane continues to openly disrespect, given Gibson Hall’s actions and especially non-actions. The Stanford job is also open, which is another place where Willie’s high academic environment experience would play well.

I agree, Houston. I just don't see him as a West Coast guy. Maybe I'm wrong, but I see him as a Midwest guy with midwest values and mores.

True. It's a different world on the left coast. But at his age, while there may still be some professional challenge at a new school, he's probably looking at that huge pay increase over a five-year period, with possibly a large severance on the back end. No doubt he'd prefer the Midwest. Has the Nebraska position been filled? I'm sure Willie's agent is working overtime--at 10-2 it may be now or never.

[golfnut69]

I agree D. It’s clear there is no intangible tie between Fritz and Tulane or Dannen. He wants out. And why not, it’s his profession which Tulane continues to openly disrespect, given Gibson Hall’s actions and especially non-actions. The Stanford job is also open, which is another place where Willie’s high academic environment experience would play well.

I agree, Houston. I just don't see him as a West Coast guy. Maybe I'm wrong, but I see him as a Midwest guy with midwest values and mores.

True. It's a different world on the left coast. But at his age, while there may still be some professional challenge at a new school, he's probably looking at that huge pay increase over a five-year period, with possibly a large severance on the back end. No doubt he'd prefer the Midwest. Has the Nebraska position been filled? I'm sure Willie's agent is working overtime--at 10-2 it may be now or never.

Nebraska hired Matt Ruhle on Saturday...look for Stanford to target Chris Petersen