Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell made USA TODAY Sports’ recent list of the most overpaid college football head coaches.
Fickell, whose salary of $7,825,000 ranks No. 21 nationally, was listed along with USC’s Lincoln Riley ($11.5 million), North Carolina’s Bill Belichick ($10.1 million), Florida’s Billy Napier ($7.47 million) and Auburn’s Hugh Freeze ($6.37 million).
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The former Cincinnati head coach is just 14-16 through his first 30 games with the Badgers. That mark includes a 7-6 record in 2023, a disappointing 5-7 finish to the 2024 season and a somewhat alarming 2-3 start to 2025. That 2025 start, to be specific, includes an ongoing streak of multi-score defeats against Alabama, Maryland and Michigan, respectively. The team has lost eight consecutive games against Power Four opponents dating back to 2024, seven of those losses coming by multiple scores.
None would argue against the start of Fickell’s tenure at Wisconsin falling far short of expectations. However, some may disagree on the future outlook of his tenure; Fickell’s current buyout sits north of $27 million, which could be prohibitive for a Wisconsin program without a history of paying such totals.
USA TODAY’s Paul Myerberg hints that a move could soon follow, especially if the Badgers’ season continues to trend negatively.
This seemed like the perfect marriage: Fickell’s program at Cincinnati embraced the same physical style that helped turn Wisconsin into one of the most consistently successful programs in the Power Four. The results have been shockingly poor. The Badgers went 7-6 in 2023, dropped to 5-7 last season and are 2-3 so far in 2025. While the roster is young, the lack of on-field success could make this a three-and-out coaching tenure. Fickell is making $7.8 million in total compensation as part of a deal that runs through the 2031 season, with a current buyout of $27.5 million.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: USA TODAY ranks Luke Fickell among college football overpaid coaches
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