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Luke Fickell has not been told he'll be back as Wisconsin Badgers head coach in 2026

Lorin Cox|
Oct 11, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell leads his team out of the tunnel at Camp Randall Stadium.
Oct 11, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell leads his team out of the tunnel at Camp Randall Stadium. | Ross Harried-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin Badgers fans are getting mixed messages about the future for head coach Luke Fickell.

On Monday morning, athletic director Chris McIntosh put out a public letter promising to provide additional support and investment for Fickell and the football program, despite an embarrassing losing streak that culminated in back-to-back home shutouts.

Then Fickell held his weekly Monday press conference, and he revealed that he has not been told whether he'll be back for the 2026 season. He hasn't asked.

"I have not been told. I’m not worried about that," Fickell said. "I understand if we don’t meet expectations and we don’t do the things we need to do, anything can happen."

Related: Badgers players believe Wisconsin athletic director won't fire head coach Luke Fickell

McIntosh's public letter didn't directly say Fickell will be back, but it mentioned the head coach by name before doubling down on support for the team.

It came off as a public vote of confidence, but evidently that hasn't trickled down to a direct confirmation of the coach's job security.

Fickell acknowledged the letter from the athletic director and thanked him for the support.

It's clear that the football program will get more investment and attention this offseason and moving forward. It's still a little less clear whether Fickell will be part of that.

It could depend on how much fight the Badgers show over the final five games of the season. A win over a Big Ten opponent would go a long way toward ensuring his return.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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