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Coach vs. Coach: Matt Rhule/Luke Fickell

Originally posted on Mike Farrell Sports
By Mark Pszonak | Last updated Mar 28, 2025 9:59 AM ET

As with the other coach vs. coach article this week (Dillingham/Sanders), Matt Rhule and Luke Fickell were hired in close time proximity. Actually, it was only one day apart, with Rhule getting hired on November 26, 2022, and then Fickell landing in Madison on the 27^th. With two seasons behind them at their new jobs, it is time to take a look at how both have done and what their trajectories are.

Matt Rhule

Rhule’s hiring came with a great deal of fanfare. While his most recent coaching job, in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers, ended without much success, his previous time in college was enough to get everyone in Lincoln excited. Quickly turning around Temple and Baylor, two programs that were far from stable when he arrived, is not an easy feat, and Coach Rhule excelled at both. However, Nebraska was a different situation than Baylor and Temple, mostly because of expectations. The Cornhuskers were desperate for a winner after years of disappointment and Coach Rhule was brought in to be their savior. To this point has he succeeded? The negatives are that he has only gone 12-13 overall and 6-12 in the Big Ten. The positives are that in 2024 Nebraska finished 7-6, which earned them their first bowl game since 2016 and first bowl win since 2015. These aren’t epic accomplishments, but after years of languishing with Mike Riley and Scott Frost in charge, there is renewed optimism in Lincoln.

Nov 18, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule walks the sidelines during the fourth quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium.© Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Luke Fickell

Head Coach Paul Chryst’s sudden removal from Wisconsin during the 2022 season came as a surprise to many. The hiring of Coach Fickell a couple months later was seen as a quality addition after he led Cincinnati to a 57-18 record in his six seasons with the Bearcats. Less than two weeks after arriving in Madison, Coach Fickell hired Phil Longo as his offensive coordinator, who was a unique choice considering his coaching philosophies contradicted much of what made Wisconsin a winning program for the previous 30 years. Wisconsin’s first season ended with a 7-6 record and a bowl loss. 2024 was more disappointing, with a 5-7 finish, which resulted in the Badgers’ first non-bowl season since 2001 and second since 1995. Midway through the 2024 season, Coach Fickell fired Coach Longo. New offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes was brought in to help regain the Wisconsin offensive identity that made it an annual winner. Overall, it has been a topsy turvy two seasons for Coach Fickell.

Conclusion

Over the last two seasons, both Coach Rhule and Coach Fickell have compiled 12-13 records. Obviously, not awe-inspiring, but when looking at the big picture, they are heading in different directions. Coach Rhule has helped revitalize a program that desperately needed it. He has a star quarterback, Dylan Raiola, for likely two more seasons, and an improved defense. Also, at his previous two college jobs, Temple and Baylor, during his second season the teams combined for a 13-12 record, then in his third they combined for a 21-7 record. The hope around Lincoln is that the same kind of massive turnaround will happen in 2025. For Coach Fickell, he did correct the mistake of hiring Coach Longo, but unlike the optimism in Lincoln, there is plenty of uneasiness in Madison. The Badgers aren’t accustomed to missing bowl games and being irrelevant in the Big Ten, but that has quickly become the reality of the situation. He needs a bounce back season in 2025 to help quiet the critics, which will be very difficult with Alabama, Michigan, Iowa, Ohio State, Oregon, Indiana and Illinois on the schedule. Despite having the same record through two seasons, Coach Rhule is the clear winner here. Coach Fickell still has time to rebound, but he needs to do it very quickly.

This article first appeared on Mike Farrell Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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