Only One Coach Is Under More Pressure Than Luke Fickell and Wisconsin Badgers in 2026

The pressure will be higher on Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers than just about any other team or coach in college football.

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell is shown during the third quarter of their game against Maryland Saturday, September 20, 2025 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Despite some late-season success and a productive offseason, Luke Fickell remains firmly on the hot seat entering the 2026 season.

His first three years with the Wisconsin Badgers haven't met the high expectations he came in with, and few other coaches in the country will be under as much pressure as he is this fall.

CBS Sports college football writer Brad Crawford ranked the Top 10 coaches with the most at stake this season, and he had Fickell at No. 2 behind only Mike Norvell at Florida State.

College football coaches (10) facing the most pressure to win in 2026: https://t.co/JGicByWgWX pic.twitter.com/1DQCEFuN7n

— Brad Crawford (@BCrawford247) February 20, 2026

2. Luke Fickell, Wisconsin

Is it too little, too late for Fickell? Like others facing pressure in 2026, he received public backing from his athletic director toward the tail end of last season after Wisconsin chose not to absorb a sizable buyout and move on from the third-year coach after his second consecutive lackluster campaign. Since taking over at Wisconsin, Fickell is 10-17 against Big Ten opponents, has struggled against ranked competition (2-11) and failed to move the needle in recruiting.

Brad Crawford, CBS Sports

Injuries played a signficant factor in the Badgers' struggles last season, but it's also the staff's responsibility to build and develop a roster with enough quality depth to withstand those absences.

That's part of why Fickell went out and added over 30 players in the transfer portal this winter, reshaping his team with greater competition coming at almost every position.

Related: Wisconsin Badgers Roster Still Has a Lot To Prove After Transfer Portal Additions

He is counting on this increased investment from the athletic department to be the big difference in 2026.

That, along with a schedule that looks much easier on paper, should put Wisconsin in position for significantly more wins this fall than last.

Fickell's job security will be tied to just how much improvement they show and how close they can get to Big Ten contention in year four.

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