In a surprising move, the Wisconsin Badgers did not give head coach Luke Fickell a customary one-year extension on Wednesday. Wisconsin has generally looked to keep the contracts of head coaches at their original length, hence the standard one-year extensions that come yearly from the athletic board.
However, according to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, Fickell asked Athletic Director Chris McIntosh not to provide the one-year extension after a disappointing 2025 campaign.
“Athletic director Chris McIntosh,
in a statement to ESPN, said Fickell asked him not to put the extension on the table,” Rittenberg wrote. “Fickell received one-year extensions in 2023 and 2024, with his contract currently running through March 2032.”
“I respect his request and determined that the current terms of Luke’s contract will be maintained,” McIntosh said in the statement to ESPN. “Luke is completely focused on a successful 2026 campaign. There is no one more competitive than Luke, and he holds himself to the highest standards. He is committed to meeting and exceeding the expectations of everyone connected to Wisconsin — his own, the team’s, the university’s, alumni, supporters, fans, and the entire state.”
The news comes after multiple statements of confidence for Fickell in 2025 during the team’s struggles, as well as the announcement that the head coach would return in 2026. With increased financial support, Wisconsin was one of the busiest teams in the transfer portal this offseason, landing over 30 transfers as it retooled the roster for the 2026 season.
Wisconsin extended the contracts of volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield and soccer coach Paula Wilkins on Wednesday.
