Report: Phil Longo and Jack Bicknell Jr. joining Wisconsin's staff
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Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell has been tirelessly working this past week to reimagine the Wisconsin football program to fit his vision. With a focus on recruiting and finalizing his coaching staff, in addition to preparing for the Guaranteed Rate Bowl on December 27, there has been very little time to sit back and relax.
Just one day after missing out on the opportunity to retain defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, Fickell made a significant move to shore up the Wisconsin offense by reportedly hiring a pair of long-time assistants.
According to Burce Feldman of The Athletic, Fickell has settled on hiring North Carolina offensive coordinator Phil Longo and offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. to join the Wisconsin coaching staff. Both coaches are expected to maintain the same roles they previously held with the Tar Heels.
After averaging under 30 points per game this past season and ranking outside the top 75 in all of the FBS in scoring offense, the move to hire Longo is a big step to help revitalize Wisconsin's offense in 2023.
Longo has extensive coaching experience as an offensive coordinator, including stops at both Ole Miss and North Carolina, most recently. Under his watch, the Tar Heels have been one of the most explosive offenses in the country and have had excellent quarterback play under Sam Howell and Drake Maye.
Known for his ties to the Mike Leach air-read, Longo should help revive Wisconsin's archaic passing attack and maintain many of the power-run elements that the Badgers are known for. While most of his plays are predominately out of the shotgun, he does bring a fairly balanced approach and is a strong developer at the quarterback position. For example, in 2020, North Carolina had a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Javonta Williams and Michael Carter each exceeding 1,400 yards of total offense and combining for 33 touchdowns.
With Longo in the fold, it will now be interesting to see how that shifts Wisconsin's recruiting philosophy over the next couple of weeks, specifically at the quarterback position, where the Badgers have struggled with consistency and depth the past few seasons.
The 54-year-old has over 13 years of experience as an offensive coordinator, Longo has helped orchestrate four straight offenses that ranked in the top 15 in recent years and has a proven track record of developing quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers to play at the next level with six skill players drafted in the past two draft classes out of North Carolina.
The hiring of Longo is a considerable shift for Wisconsin and represents a significant investment in the offense after the firing of former head coach Paul Chryst. Longo is widely regarded as one of the top offensive coordinators in college football, and his ties to Luke Fickell make this a huge get for the Badgers, as he has found offensive success at each of his stops.
Phil Longo hugging quarterback Sam Howell after a big play for North Carolina.
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Following Longo to Madison is offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr., also of North Carolina, per Bruce Feldman.
Like Longo, Bicknell brings a wealth of experience at the Power 5 level, as well as head coaching experience at Lousiana Tech. Like Longo, Bicknell is a New Jersey native and has coached most recently in the Southeast.
Bicknell's most recent stops include the following:
- 2022: North Carolina (OL)
- 2021: Louisville (OL)
- 2020: Auburn (OL)
- 2017 - 201: Ole Miss (OL)
Before his time in the Southeast, Bicknell spent several years as an offensive line coach in the NFL from 2009 to 2015 and was the head coach at Louisiana Tech from 1999 to 2006.
The Wisconsin Badgers needed a new offensive line coach after Bob Bostad recently accepted a job at Indiana, and Bicknell provides plenty of experience with the position.
Both Longo and Bicknell have demonstrated an ability to recruit well in college as well, which should only help as the Badgers rebuild their identity on offense.
Beyond the reported hirings of Longo and Bicknell, Luke Fickell will reportedly bring wide receivers coach Mike Brown with him from Cincinnati. Brown is a strong recruiter and a young coach whom his players love.
While Wisconsin has not yet made these hirings official multiple outlets have confirmed the move for Longo, and now it will be about bringing in the players necessary to match the shifting philosophy on offense. The Badgers require quarterback help after the transfer of Graham Mertz, and the expectation is that Longo could play a role in helping UW land a high-upside quarterback via the transfer portal and/or the 2023 recruiting class.
The hirings of Longo and Bicknell signal that Luke Fickell is serious about changing the dynamic at Wisconsin and is looking to improve the play on offense come next season.
Related links:
- Freshman wide receiver Skyler Bell earns All-American Honors by College Football news
- Three upperclassmen enter the transfer portal for the Badgers
- Wisconsin DC Jim Leonhard moving on from UW after the bowl game
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