Hire of Luke Fickell and not Jim Leonhard draws mixed reactions

Wisconsin is set to make one of the biggest splashes of the coaching carousel season with the hire of Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell. The news, first reported by ESPN, sent shockwaves around the Big Ten and the country. Most were extremely complimentary of the move, including nearly all of the national media.

Not everyone was a fan of the hire, though. That included current and former players.

Not all the alumni were down on the situation, with some taking the good (Fickell hire) with the bad (likely losing interim coach Jim Leonhard.)

As for fans, some lauded athletic director Chris McIntosh’s decision to go outside of the Wisconsin family while others had concerns with the process and the prospect of not having Leonhard around.