New Wisconsin new head football coach Luke Fickell, left, is shown with athletic director Chris McIntosh at a welcome event Monday, November 28, 2022 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis. Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Wisconsin athletic director's endorsement of Luke Fickell fails to cool down hot seat

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Lorin Cox | Last updated Sep 21, 2025 2:49 PM ET

Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh called a special meeting with reporters from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Wisconsin State Journal on Saturday to reaffirm his support for head coach Luke Fickell.

On the surface, it might seem like an important show of support for Fickell from his direct boss, but the overall effort rings hollow.

The public relations effort from the athletic department feels like a crisis response following a disastrous 27-10 loss to Maryland, during which fans at Camp Randall Stadium chanted "Fire Fickell" at multiple low points.

"When you have kids that have given it all and are faced with, as a program, adversity like this, I think it's a time for our people to come together. I think it's a time for me to express my support," McIntosh told reporters. "It's sharing my belief in the program and the people around our program, specifically Luke [Fickell]."

Spoke with #Badgers AD Chris McIntosh about the state of the program, "Fire Fickell" chants and his own job security. Check it out here:https://t.co/PWIJhmfHrH
— Colten Bartholomew (@CBartWSJ) September 20, 2025

The athletic director made it clear that he stands behind his head coach, pointing to the amount of young talent and injuries the team is dealing with as partial explanations for the early season struggles.

He sees this moment as adversity that the team can get through, and he wanted to make an effort to acknowledge the hard work his players and coaches are doing.

It's a nice sentiment, but it doesn't accomplish much.

McIntosh has no choice but to support Fickell up until the point that he would decide to fire him. Every day the head coach keeps his job is a sign of support from the athletic department.

The biggest problem is, his endorsement lost a lot of credibility during Wisconsin's last coaching change.

McIntosh previously gave a public show of confidence to former head coach Paul Chryst in September of 2022. Less than four days later, he fired him after the Badgers lost to Illinois 34-10.

Over a 96 hour stretch, McIntosh went from "very confident" in Chryst to firing him.

It makes it hard to trust that the athletic director's support of Fickell lis meaningful, especially when McIntosh's own job security is in question.

Some Wisconsin fans have called for his firing as well, and new reporting suggests the athletic department front office could face a shake up.

Pete Nakos from On3 reported that sources told him "changes could be coming to the athletic department when it comes to who is making the decisions about the future of Fickell and the Wisconsin program."

Hot seat check: Who's feeling the heat after Week 4?

More: https://t.co/Awb9XiL5KL pic.twitter.com/G1lNKIaYnu
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) September 21, 2025

So his support of Fickell might not mean a lot if McIntosh could also lose his job.

A lot is up in the air right now for the Badgers football team. How Fickell handles the bye week and the difficult schedule that follows will go a long way toward shaping the long-term future of the program.