It is a long way away from happening, but Luke Fickell is still very much on the hot seat a third of the way through his third season at the helm of the Wisconsin Badgers football program. Inspired by what Benjamin Henderson put together over on Hail Florida Hail when it comes to Billy Napier's days being numbered, are there any interesting candidates out there to potentially replace Fickell come 2026?
Napier is sitting on arguably the hottest seat in college football. His Gators are 1-2 on the year and he is only 20-20 through his first 40 games as the Florida head coach. While they did start the season off with a home win over LIU, they dropped a pair of games they honestly could not afford to. Falling to South Florida in-state was bad in Week 2, only to be outdone by DJ Lagway's pitiful Week 3 vs. LSU.
Truth be told, Wisconsin still has a ways to go before kicking Fickell out the door. His Badgers went 2-1 in non-conference play, as they probably should have. It would have taken a near-miracle to beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa, but their two non-conference home games over Group of Five opponents Miami (OH) and Middle Tennessee were a little too close for comfort. It all comes down to Big Ten play.
In the event it does not work out for Fickell in Madison, here are 10 strong candidates to replace him.
10. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner
With Georgia Tech off to a great start, the Yellow Jackets' star offensive coordinator may finally get his big opportunity to be a Power Four head coach. While he has no connections to Wisconsin, his offensive prowess and play-calling makes him a decent candidate to work at any number of jobs. Getting a Power Two job would be huge for him, but he might leave Georgia Tech for an ACC post.
9. Wake Forest Demon Deacons head coach Jake Dickert
Had he have not taken the Wake Forest job last offseason, Jake Dickert would have been so much higher up on this list. The former Washington State head coach drew some interest from Michigan State before the Spartans were able to pry Jonathan Smith away from his alma mater of Oregon State. Dickert is from Wisconsin and played his college football in-state at Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
8. Clemson Tigers defensive coordinator Tom Allen
Tom Allen leaving Penn State for Clemson looks to be a regrettable move. While he did have success last year coordinating the Nittany Lions' defense, he may be ready for his second shot at leading a Power Four team after his lengthy run with Indiana. He may not know offense, but his teams always played hard on defense. With the right offensive coordinator, he should be able to work in Wisconsin.
7. North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren
Although Dave Doeren has become a low-key institution at North Carolina State, he could potentially leave Raleigh to come back to Madison. He served at Bret Bielema's defensive coordinator from 2006 to 2010 before taking over as Northern Illinois' head coach in 2011. The fact that Wisconsin is performing below expectations with better resources than North Carolina State, this could happen...
6. Tulane Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall
Tulane Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall is arguably the hottest name that could be on the coaching carousel. He has been outstanding at both Tulane and Troy previously. While he has strong Kentucky ties, he is also from Huntsville, Alabama. Should either marquee SEC job open up, he might be a top candidate. Wisconsin is a bit of a reach for him, but Sumrall is a fantastic coaching candidate.
5. Penn State Nittany Lions offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki
Admittedly, it might be a tad controversial to hire Andy Kotelnicki. He was Lance Leipold's greatest disciple, but Penn State's offense has not taken the next step under his direction just yet. That being said, the guy has strong Wisconsin ties. He played center at Wisconsin-River Falls and served under Leipold at Wisconsin-Whitewater before eventually following him over to Buffalo and then to Kansas.
4. Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell
The best potential candidate Wisconsin could hire to replace Fickell would have to be Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell. He has been in Ames for a decade now, having had tremendous success there and before that at Toledo. Campbell is every bit a Midwesterner, an Ohio guy at heart. If USC were to open up, he should be Jennifer Cohen's first call. Campbell is a way better version of Fickell.
3. South Florida Bulls head coach Alex Golesh
Although he does not have any Wisconsin ties, South Florida head coach Alex Golesh does not seem like he will be coaching in Tampa for a fourth season after this. The Josh Heupel disciple is from Ohio and coached at places like Toledo, Illinois and Iowa State before first getting connected with him. He is the guy Jamie Pollard should hire if Campbell ever leaves. He is actually be a great fit for Wisconsin.
2. Baylor Bears head coach Dave Aranda
How much zen can one possibly have? Dave Aranda is in year six at Baylor, but nobody really has any idea if he is a good head coach or not yet. Every season under his watch has been so unpredictable. That being said, he could bring a calm steadiness to the sidelines he once roamed in Madison. Prior to coordinating the LSU defense from 2016 to 2019, he followed Gary Andersen to Madison in 2013.
1. Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold
It may come down to a bidding war, but if Wisconsin boosters want him, Lance Leipold can be had. David Booth may be willing to back up the Brinks truck for him at Kansas, but Wisconsin has always been home for the longtime college head coach. He has won everywhere he has been before, from Wisconsin-Whitewater, to Buffalo, to Kansas. Leipold may be 61, but he is worthy of getting a shot.