Another Big 10 coach tops Luke Fickell as coach with most to lose in 2026

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It’s no secret that the Wisconsin Badgers have a very crucial year ahead of them this season. After three disappointing campaigns under head coach Luke Fickell, which included the program’s first losing seasons since 2001, the athletic department made a significant investment in the football team this offseason.

As a result, the Badgers were big players in the transfer portal and are looking to bounce back in a big way in 2026. Fickell, of course, is in the midst of the seven-year contract that he signed back in November of 2022. After several votes of confidence in the head coach last season, Wisconsin is hoping he can turn things around as he did at Cincinnati.

But Fickell is certainly one of the head coaches in the NCAA with the most to gain or lose this season. Ranking the coaches with the most to lose, CBS Sports had Fickell as the No. 4 coach on the list, ahead of fellow Big Ten coach Mike Locksley, who came in at No. 5.

“Fickell’s value has torpedoed since the Badgers hired him away from Cincinnati,” CBS Sports’s Brad Crawford wrote. “Everyone within the sport raved about the move, as close to a sure thing as Wisconsin could get, considering Fickell’s multiple conference titles and the Group of Five’s first playoff appearance with the Bearcats. 

“Fickell carried a reputation as one of the sport’s premier program-builders, but none of that has shown up in Madison. Three seasons later, the results haven’t matched the billing, a 17-21 overall record that includes an ugly 10-17 mark in the Big Ten. The biggest reason Fickell’s tenure has never taken off is simple: Wisconsin has lost its identity. For decades, the Badgers won with a formula that was easy to understand through a physicality-first mindset. They developed offensive linemen, dominated the line of scrimmage, ran the football and played hard-nosed defensively.”

“Under Fickell, Wisconsin attempted a dramatic philosophical shift toward a more modern spread attack, but the transition has produced more confusion than progress. The Badgers have struggled offensively, quarterback play has been inconsistent, and the program has often looked caught between two different visions of football. The results have been alarming. After a modest 7-6 debut season in 2023, Wisconsin regressed to 5-7 in 2024 and then bottomed out at 4-8 in 2025. It forced Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh’s hand in November, after he committed to increased investment and said the athletic department was evaluating the program and would stick with Fickell for at least one more year.”

In addition to the schematic issues, Crawford highlighted the lack of player development, be it transfer portal misses or overall improvement on the roster, as a key issue under Fickell.

“What’s perhaps most concerning is that player development — a cornerstone of Wisconsin’s historical success — has not been evident. Critics inside and outside the program have pointed to transfer portal misses, roster attrition and a lack of improvement at key positions. The Badgers’ 2026 portal haul includes 33 transfers, newcomers who will ultimately decide Fickell’s fate based on their play and execution.

“There are signs of hope that Wisconsin’s recruiting momentum has improved dramatically in recent months. The Badgers’ current 2027 group of commits rank 13th nationally, but will those pledges back off if the 2026 season goes south? That remains undecided.  Wisconsin didn’t hire Fickell to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten while talking about future recruiting classes. They hired him to elevate the program into a playoff contender. Until the wins start coming, however, Fickell’s tenure will be remembered less for what was promised than for what never materialized.”

Fickell has been on many hot seat lists from college football’s top insiders this offseason, but he’s not the only Big Ten coach facing the heat.

Crawford listed USC’s Lincoln Riley at No. 1 on the list, followed by Florida State’s Mike Norvell and LSU’s Lane Kiffin.

He pointed to USC’s No. 1 recruiting class in 2026 and the Trojans’ CFP window, as the breakthrough has yet to come for Riley at USC.

“Is there a coach nationally with more at stake from a premium perspective than Riley? Given USC’s No. 1 signing class, the return of quarterback Jayden Maiava, and a schedule that includes several quality matchups, the window for CFP validation is now for the Trojans,” Crawford wrote.

“At most programs, a 9-4 season like 2025’s finish would generate optimism. At USC, it simply raises the next question: When is the breakthrough coming? That’s the reality Riley faces entering his fifth year with the Trojans. He was hired away from Oklahoma to restore one of college football’s bluebloods to championship contention, not merely keep USC relevant.”

So, there’s a lot at stake for a couple of Big Ten coaches here this season.

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