Inside Luke Fickell’s Bold Power Play: Who’s Next on Wisconsin’s Firing Line?

When the dust settles on a dismal 4-8 season—the Badgers’ worst in 35 years—is the solution found by shaking up the coaching ranks, or merely rearranging deck chairs on a sinking ship? Wisconsin’s head coach, Luke Fickell, certainly thinks a fresh handshake is in order, having shown AJ Blazek the door as offensive line coach after just two unfruitful seasons. Word on the street, notably from Evan Flood at Badgers Blitz, is that Fickell’s eye is set on Eric Mateos— the former Arkansas line guru with a Baylor connection to offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes. It’s a decisive move that acknowledges the gravity of the situation but also begs the question: can new blood on the line translate to a revived Badgers offense, or is it only the beginning of a deeper overhaul? With fans restless and the program’s pride on the line, Fickell stands firm—but how long can patience last in Madison? Take a closer look at what’s stirring behind the scenes. LEARN MORE.

Wisconsin football coach Luke Fickell is shaking up his staff after the Badgers’ worst season in 35 years.

According to Badgers Blitz’s Evan Flood, Fickell has fired offensive line coach AJ Blazek, who had spent the past two seasons in Madison, and Fickell apparently has a replacement in mind.

“Per sources, Wisconsin has zeroed in on former Arkansas offensive line coach Eric Mateos, who was not retained by new head coach Ryan Silverfield,” Flood wrote. “This is a preferred candidate of offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes. Two worked together while at Baylor.”

Blazek, an Iowa alumnus, came to Wisconsin after three seasons as the offensive line coach at Vanderbilt. He previously served in the same position at the likes of North Dakota State, Rutgers, and Western Illinois. At UW, Blazek succeeded Jack Bicknell Jr., who was moved to an off-field role before leaving for West Virginia before this past season.

Whether Blazek is replaced with Mateos or not, it’s no surprise that Fickell is making changes in the aftermath of the 2025 season. The 4-8 campaign featured the second losing record under Fickell in three years, and after a string of decisive losses, fans called for his job so much to the point that athletic director Chris McIntosh came out and publicly supported Fickell more than once, confirming he would be back for another season.

The Badgers lost six consecutive games by at least two scores while never scoring more than 14 points in the middle of the season before a stunning 13-10 upset of 23rd-ranked Washington on Nov. 8. Two weeks later, Wisconsin again pulled off an upset, as the Badgers soundly beat No. 21 Illinois 27-10.

In three seasons, Fickell is 17-21 as the Wisconsin head coach. Before taking the job, he went 57-18 at Cincinnati, which he took to the Peach Bowl and then the College Football Playoff.

The post Wisconsin football coach Luke Fickell isn’t getting fired, but he’s firing people appeared first on ClutchPoints.