Wisconsin AD Confirms Support for Coach Fickell Amid 2-5 Season Struggles

The Wisconsin Badgers are enduring a challenging 2025 football season, with a 2-5 overall record and a five-game losing streak, including consecutive shutout losses at home. Despite growing fan calls for head coach Luke Fickell's dismissal, Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh has publicly affirmed his support for Fickell, emphasizing the coach's shared frustration with the team's performance and the players' character amid adversity. McIntosh highlighted the program's commitment to long-term investment, pledging increased funding for infrastructure, staffing, and recruiting to elevate Wisconsin football's competitiveness. This stance comes as Wisconsin struggles offensively, ranking near the bottom nationally, and continues a decline since Fickell's 2022 hire, which followed a successful tenure at Cincinnati. McIntosh's message underscores a belief in Fickell's potential and the expectation that improvements may take time but will yield positive results. The athletic director's support contrasts with the broader coaching instability in college football this season and signals a cautious approach to making coaching changes at Wisconsin.