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Luke Fickell vs Matt Rhule: Is Wisconsin or Nebraska Better off for the Future?

The Badgers and Cornhuskers are in similar situations, but which program has a better coach?

November 8, 2024
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Aug 30
Aug 30

By Sean Labar 


Luke Fickell and Matt Rhule are both in their second seasons as head coaches in the Big Ten — and with three games remaining in the regular season, they both have a (5-4) overall record. 

Both coaches came into their current situations with a proven track record of winning at the collegiate level and turning struggling programs into successful, winning teams. 

And while Wisconsin has had more recent success than Nebraska in the Big Ten, these are similar fan bases. They have tasted success in the past but it’s been too long since either Big Ten program was competing for national titles.

So with three games left in the 2024 college football regular season, is Wisconsin with Fickell or Nebraska with Rhule better off for the future? 


The Case For Luke Fickell 

It’s easy to see why Fickell was one of the most sought after head coaches when Wisconsin gave him a massive contract in 2022. 

Fickelll chose to come to Madison despite heavy interest from Michigan State, Florida State, West Virginia, and Louisville.

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His accomplishments at Cincinnati almost feel unprecedented. He led the Bearcats to winning seasons in five of the six years he was there, which included multiple conference championships. He was named AAC Coach of the Year three times — and in his biggest feat of all — was the only head coach in college football to lead a Group of 5 team to the College Football Playoff. 

Fickell has proven he can compete with the top teams in the nation without recruiting top-tier blue chip players. 

Despite early struggles in Madison, Fickell has a winning track record. If history is any indication of the future, he will right the ship and lead the Badgers back to winning. 

The Case Against Luke Fickell 

It feels like Wisconsin had a clear identity when Fickell took over, but nearing the end of his second season, the Badgers are no longer viewed as the hard-nosed program that is going to pound the rock on opposing defenses while creating havoc for opposing offenses. 

Fickell attempted to put a spark into the offense by hiring former North Carolina OC Phil Longo. However, his air raid has not translated as the Badgers are averaging just over 200 yards of passing offense per game and haven’t been great on the defensive side of the ball either, specifically on the defensive line.

The Wisconsin fan base doesn’t have to look too far back to remember success. The Badgers finished the 2017 season under Paul Chryst with a (13-1) record and trip to the Orange Bowl. 

It’s difficult to see Fickell suddenly turning things around in Year 3, with a schedule that includes road games against Alabama, Oregon, Indiana, Michigan and Minnesota, and home games against Ohio State, Iowa and others. 

Wisconsin has Fickell under contract through 2031, but if he can’t turn the tide next season, the fan base is going to get impatient. 

Aug 30, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell looks on during the second quarter against the Western Michigan Broncos at Camp Randall Stadium.

The Case For Matt Rhule

Rhule was responsible for a complete turnaround at both Temple and Baylor. In his first season at Temple, the Owls finished with a (2-11) record. By the time he left for Baylor following the 2016 season, he led Temple to back-to-back 10-win seasons that were capped off by conference championship wins. 

Rhule’s accomplishments at Baylor were even more impressive. He inherited a program that was just decimated by a national scandal involving former head coach Art Briles. He won just one game during his first year leading the Bears, but just two seasons later, Baylor finished with a (11-1) record and were ranked No. 12 in the country, earning him Big 12 Coach of the Year honors. 

It’s easy to see how Rhule’s track record for quickly turning around a bad team he inherited should give Cornhuskers’ fans hope for the future. 

Even more notable, Rhule was able to flip 5-star QB Dylan Raiola from Georgia and convince him to come to Lincoln. While Raiola has been far from perfect starting for Nebraska as a true freshman, it’s safe to say the Cornhuskers have a quarterback to build around, which is the biggest key to success. 

The Case Against Matt Rhule 

While Nebraska looked to be trending in the right direction with a big win over Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes in Week 2, the Cornhuskers have lost three-straight conference games and appear to be going in the wrong direction. 

Rhule won’t have any excuse with a QB with the talent that Raiola has, but as of now, it appears as if the Nebraska head coach may be overly loyal to offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield.

Nebraska’s hiring of former West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen this week was a telling move. 

Rhule himself admitted that hiring a former offensive-minded head coach in the middle of the season isn’t something he would normally do, which tells you everything you need to know about him making sure Raiola has the best chance to succeed. 

“Bringing people here, maybe that’s not something I would normally do,” Rhule said. “We have some people that we hire as consultants that do advanced stuff for us each week. We’ll talk to them, Zoom-wise. I think coming into the building this week is good.”

If Rhule can’t find success with a talent like Raiola at QB, he will be out of Lincoln sooner rather than later. 

Nov 18, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule walks the sidelines during the fourth quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium.
Category: College Football, NewsTag: Dylan Raiola, Luke Fickell, Matt Rhule, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Phil Longo, Wisconsin Badgers
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