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Luke Fickell makes major change to Wisconsin coaching staff after Week 12

Bryce Lazenby

By Bryce Lazenby

Published:

Luke Fickell and his Wisconsin Badgers have had an up-and-down season in 2024. The team has lost 3 in a row and the offense has struggled to get anything going over the last month.

As a result, Fickell is making a major change with his coaching staff. Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Phil Longo has been relieved of his duties per an official announcement from the team.

The Badgers have been held under 20 points in 3 straight games. The team is No. 97 in scoring offense, No. 102 in passing offense, and No. 91 in total offense. Regarding the change, Fickell released the following statement:

“This morning, I informed Phil Longo that he will no longer serve as our offensive coordinator,” said Fickell. “After continuing to evaluate the program, I decided we are not where we need to be and believe this decision is in the best interest of the team. I appreciate Phil’s commitment to helping us build our program over the past two seasons and wish him well moving forward. This team still has a lot in front of us and I am committed to doing everything we can to close out this season with success.”

Longo’s stint as Wisconsin’s OC now ends after 23 games. The longtime coach spent 4 seasons as OC at North Carolina before joining Fickell in Madison.

While the Badger offense has been stagnant, it’s hard to not acknowledge the poor hand Longo was dealt this season. Starting QB Tyler Van Dyke suffered a season-ending injury in the team’s 3rd game, and sophomore Braedyn Locke has been inconsistent as the starter.

Still, with 2 games left, Fickell felt like drastic measures were needed as the team seeks to secure bowl eligibility for the 23rd straight season. The Badgers will close out the regular season with games against Nebraska and Minnesota.

Bryce Lazenby

Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Tradition. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.