One of the first questions hanging over Wisconsin’s 2026 season is simple: how long does Luke Fickell really have?
That uncertainty got even louder with the Badgers’ latest move in the athletic department. Wisconsin just hired Shawn Eichorst, and his history suggests coaches may not get much breathing room once he decides to make a change.
Fickell’s start in Madison hasn’t lived up to expectations. Some around the program think he has damaged the team badly enough that a turnaround feels out of reach. Others still point to his class of 2027 and argue there’s something worth building on, even if those recruits can’t fix the 2026 team in front of us.
There is at least some reason for optimism in the roster Wisconsin is putting together now. The Badgers landed running back Abu Sama and quarterback Colton Joseph through the portal, and they have enough defensive playmakers to make some noise.
But the bigger issue is who now has the power to judge whether that’s enough. Eichorst’s track record is hard to ignore.
At Nebraska, he was hired in 2013 and moved on from Bo Pelini in 2014. Pelini was replaced by Mike Riley, who had gone 93-80 at Oregon State.
That move did not work out. Riley finished 19-19 in three seasons with the Cornhuskers, and both he and Eichorst were gone after the 2017 season.
That history puts Wisconsin in an uncomfortable spot. Schools have to take risks to win, but deciding to move on from Fickell now would be a major gamble. Eichorst is the one who has to make that call, and he’s walking into it with plenty of scrutiny already waiting.
For now, nobody can say for sure that Fickell is safe. What Badgers fans can do is look at Eichorst’s past and wonder whether this latest coaching decision will follow the same path as Nebraska’s did.
In Other News...
Max Klesmit Just Landed A Chance To Revive His Pro Career
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The move sends Klesmit to a club that competes at the top level of the BNXT League and has already proven it can win at a high clip, with a championship in 2025. For a player who did not get much runway in the G League, the opportunity matters because it offers a real chance to carve out a role and build momentum in a different pro setting. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Boyd's Rough Debut Didn't Tell The Full Warriors Story
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Boyd finished with 11 points on 2-for-10 shooting, and the box score only told part of the story because of the Summer League free throw wrinkle. More important for the Badgers to note is how the Warriors kept putting the ball in his hands and treating him like a point guard, a sign that his first outing was less about the numbers and more about the role they want him to handle. [Read more 🡒]
Why Shamar Rigby Could Become Wisconsins Most Intriguing Fall Sleeper
Shamar Rigby arrives in Madison with a rsum that should at least make Wisconsin pay attention. The Oklahoma State transfer was the Cowboys most productive receiver at the Power Four level last season, finishing with 25 catches for 351 yards and a touchdown, and he did it in an offense that struggled to find much traction around him. For a Badgers team still sorting out its pass-catching hierarchy, that kind of production from a veteran newcomer is enough to keep him on the radar.
Still, Rigbys path to a meaningful role this fall is not exactly clear-cut. Wisconsins receiver room is crowded, the staff has shown an affinity for Chris Brooks Jr. on the perimeter, and Rigby never quite separated himself in spring camp. He brings experience and a track record that suggest there is more here than he showed in the spring, but whether that turns into steady snaps for Wisconsin remains one of the more interesting questions heading into the season. [Read more 🡒]