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Report: Wisconsin Badgers may make athletic department changes after Luke Fickell's slow start

According to a report from On3, the Wisconsin Badgers are looking at changes to the athletic department after Luke Fickell's slow start to the 2025 season.
Lorin Cox|
New Wisconsin head football coach Luke Fickell, right, joins athletic director Chris McIntosh, left, and Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin at a welcome event Monday, November 28, 2022. at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
New Wisconsin head football coach Luke Fickell, right, joins athletic director Chris McIntosh, left, and Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin at a welcome event Monday, November 28, 2022. at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis. | Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin Badgers fans are calling for a new head coach after Luke Fickell's slow start to the 2025 season.

The first changes might actually happen above him in the organization.

According to a new report, On3 national college football reporter Pete Nakos says sources told him that "changes to the athletic department" could be coming.

The report does not specify what changes that might include, but it's a clear indication that the current regime is not satisfied with the results they're seeing from the football program.

Some Badgers fans might want that to include the firing of athletic director Chris McIntosh, but a more likely change could be a shift in responsibilities for department leaders.

One name to watch is football general manager Marcus Sedberry, who also serves as deputy athletic director and chief operating officer.

He replaced Max Stienecker, who left to take the same position at USC earlier this year.

Wisconsin could look to add additional support staff to the athletic department or redistribute different duties to improve their operations.

A bigger emphasis on NIL fundraising and spending could be a welcomed sight.

Badgers fans will be happy to hear of any changes that can help the football program perform better, but simple shifts within the athletic department might not be enough to satisfy the call for accountability.

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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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