It felt like the writing was on the wall for now former Wisconsin Badgers OC Phil Longo. Following the 16-13 loss to Oregon, a game the Badgers let slip away, head man Luke Fickell decided enough was enough and he fired Longo as his offensive coordinator.
With two games left in the season, the Badgers are 5-5 on the year and hoping to extend their impressive 22-year bowl stream. Once the offseason arrives, though, Fickell is going to have to go all-in on finding a big-time name to take over the offense.
Already, several assistants have been floated around. However, one person in particular needs to be at the top of the list for Fickell. That'd be Ohio State co-offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, who fans are already calling a potential dream hire on social media. Will Fickell give him a call in the near future? We sure hope so.
Wisconsin has fired Offensive Coordinator Phil Longo, the school announced pic.twitter.com/sNZyD8TBm9
— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 17, 2024
Brian Hartline would be a massive get to be Luke Fickell's new OC
There's no question that Fickell is going to have to make some sort of a splash with his next hire. Longo was the wrong call from the start. Throughout history, Wisconsin's identity has been to focus on the ground game and have opposing defenses have all kinds of issues in stopping its running backs.
However, Longo brought a pass-heavy mindset to Madison with him. This year, starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke went down with a torn ACL, which was a massive setback for the squad. Backup QBBraedyn Locke took over as QB1 and he's been rough to watch all season.
His interception against Oregon with under two minutes to go was deflating. It was also his seventh straight game with at least one INT. Longo put the ball in his hands with the game on the line far too many times, but that should have never been the case.
Hartline has been a stud for the Buckeyes and he'd likely love the chance to run his own offense. Not only that, but Hartline has been a rock star recruiter, which would be an added bonus for Fickell and his staff. Fickell needs to make a head-turning move here, as he'll be entering his third full season in town this fall. If the money is there, Hartline needs to be the first call he makes.