Wisconsin's (Presumed) Coaching Search

OnlyTheObscure

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Jul 3, 2025
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Texas Tech, BYU gonna buy those titles. ISU is mid-level in money in the Big 12. Jamie has already laid out the Dire Straits
Beat Texas and BYU or two of the following when they are good Oregon USC Penn St Michigan Ohio State and run the table on the rest.
 

rchawk

All-American
Oct 27, 2001
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Honestly, Wisconsin should look at Fitzgerald or back to Leonard.
I respect the hell out of Fitz but don't think the Badgers will go for him. Madison is a very liberal place. It makes Iowa City look like an NRA convention.
 

Jonesy5960

Heisman
Feb 1, 2023
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I agree. But I think ISU is in a better position than Wisky to make the playoff. ISU just needs to win a sub level conference. Wisky would need to run the gauntlet in the Big Ten.
I agree. Wisky is a much tougher road than either ISU or PSU today.
 

BunchofAholes

All-Conference
Jul 9, 2025
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See Bob Commings, Earle Bruce, and many more.
Earle Bruce? He was hardly a failure at tOSU.

He came within a point of winning the NC his first season. Finished #2 in the country two other seasons. His team finished in the TOP 15 every year he was there except the final (The Cris Carter scandal).

I get that tOSU expects Nattys but Bruce's tenure there isn't even close to the flops that Commings and Frost were at their alma maters.
 

iahawkeyes17

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Apr 22, 2014
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Texas Tech, BYU gonna buy those titles. ISU is mid-level in money in the Big 12. Jamie has already laid out the Dire Straits
Bring up good point. To win the gap between SEC/Big 10 widening over ACC/Big 12 then within latter you got those with the deep pockets like TT, byu and miamis vs those who don’t.

it isn’t even as much leavibg to go to the blue blood but school with $ and willing to invest so much more than the one you are at.
 

Amahawk

Senior
May 1, 2002
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The coaching musical chairs will be interesting during and after this season. A big "what if" is if Kirk Ferentz decides to retire? PSU, and maybe Wisconsin, Iowa, Maryland,UCLA and MSU looking for coaches. Add in ISU if someone poaches Campbell.
 
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RuggieC

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Mar 30, 2014
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Ruhle to PSU - too many connections although that CAN be a mistake
Cignetti to Nebraska
Campbell to Wisky (if he wants to leave). Seem like a better cultural fit for him and the program

But probably more dominos to fall between now and mid November.
 
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Jan 3, 2004
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a couple of thoughts/questions here.

First, I think it is a foregone conclusion that Fickell will be gone shortly after Thanksgiving. I see 3-9 as their best record in all likelihood, and they will not tolerate that kind of losing.

One questions is, does anybody have any thoughts on to what extent, if at all, Barry Alvarez is still involved with the program? He must be 75 years old and we don't really know his health status. I have not heard a thing about him or seen him shown on TV in a long time, so you have to wonder. I realize that he called the shots there for a long time, but with their recent decline, I have to think he is less and less influential.

Secondly, as far as their coaching search, I read on other sites that Matt Campbell would be interested. No idea what level of truth there is to that, but it almost makes more sense than Campbell being interested in Penn State. Just seems like too much pressure at PS

I think Campbell gets a call from both Wisconsin and PSU.
With all the great jobs that are going to need to be filled, I will be shocked if Campbell is still at ISU after this year. Unless they collapse,he gone. Does Cignetti stay at Indiana. Obviously, he will be the top target for someone like PSU.
 

Jonesy5960

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With all the great jobs that are going to need to be filled, I will be shocked if Campbell is still at ISU after this year. Unless they collapse,he gone. Does Cignetti stay at Indiana. Obviously, he will be the top target for someone like PSU.
Cignetti is probably a top target for every elite program looking to make a change, but Indiana isn't ISU. They are in an elite conference with a lot more resources and are already showing out as a CFP contender the past 2 years. I think he probably stays.
 

LetsGoHawks83

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Mar 20, 2015
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The coaching musical chairs will be interesting during and after this season. A big "what if" is if Kirk Ferentz decides to retire? PSU, and maybe Wisconsin, Iowa, Maryland,UCLA and MSU looking for coaches. Add in ISU if someone poaches Campbell.

Good point. Certainly an interesting situation for hiring a new coach at Iowa, if that happens after this season.... Would add to the argument of promoting from within to keep the Strong defense and try to avoid a complete gutting of the staff.

Despite our complaints on things being stale with Kirk, the core program foundation is incredibly strong.
 
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WeBeHerkin

All-American
Aug 5, 2016
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The coaching musical chairs will be interesting during and after this season. A big "what if" is if Kirk Ferentz decides to retire? PSU, and maybe Wisconsin, Iowa, Maryland,UCLA and MSU looking for coaches. Add in ISU if someone poaches Campbell.
GTFO with the Kirk retiring crap. Unless he or Mary has cancer there is NFW he retires after this season
 
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Burgers

Sophomore
Jul 22, 2025
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They were in the playoff last year and were a preseason favorite to win it all this year. They are way better positioned to make noise in the CFP than ISU will ever be.

(Edit - I had only scrolled page 1 of the thread, now I see this was already pointed out). Iowa State was not in the playoff last year.
 

Jonesy5960

Heisman
Feb 1, 2023
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With the current Wisconsin AD, I don't think there's any way Leonhard would go back. But there has also been speculation that the AD will be out, too.

Perhaps the discussion ought to be whether or not Jamie Pollard, a Wisconsin native, would leave his post at ISU for a similar position at Wisky.
A clean sweep with Pollard and Campbell both leaving ISU for Wisky would be a major kick in the nuts.
 

Jonesy5960

Heisman
Feb 1, 2023
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Ruhle to PSU - too many connections although that CAN be a mistake
Cignetti to Nebraska
Campbell to Wisky (if he wants to leave). Seem like a better cultural fit for him and the program

But probably more dominos to fall between now and mid November.
Cignetti to Nebraska isn't happening. Indiana is a better coaching job right now.
 
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Kkhawk

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Dec 28, 2004
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Coaches with Iowa ties that will get looks: Fitzgerald, Seth Wallace and Levar Woods.
 

Ripcord

Junior
Aug 30, 2016
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there are just way, way too many moving parts for me to have high confidence in any opinion that I hold, but having said that, a couple thoughts:

1) I seriously doubt Cignetti is going anywhere. he is 64 years old and has a great thing going at Indiana. Hell, they may end up winning the whole thing. Cignetti might be well on his way to becoming a legend in that state.

2) as far as Ruhle to Penn State, that makes sense superficially (because of the connections and his propensity for job hopping) and/or because he would have more resources & could win the National title at PSU more easily, but somehow I have my doubts. He is probably pretty happy where he is at Nebraska. the fact that he beat around the bush at his press conference and would not rule out moving to PSU makes me wonder. The thing is, Penn State would be firing a good coach who cannot win the big games just to hire another coach with a good record who also cannot win enough big games. So, I just doubt Ruhle goes to PSU.

3) As far as for Matt Campbell leaving, I don't think he would take PSU, but maybe Wisconsin. Or he might just be biding his time waiting for Kirk Ferentz to retire. Or, he might be perfectly happy being the proverbial big fish in a small pond, into which the Big 12 has now devolved. None of us really know his aspirations.

4) If (and this is a big "if") Ferentz retires around the first of December, that just adds another moving part into this very complext equation.

Final Thought to the younger folks here: It is probably imprudent to retire too soon. If you do retire too soon, you may end up doing too many crazy things, such as a) drinking too much, b) jumping out of airplanes, or c) spending too much time pontificating on message boards.
 

hawkeyemark18

Senior
Aug 16, 2019
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The appropriate response. We can't read Kirk's mind. I retired at 62 and loved my work but became burned out and needed to move on. Kirk obviously enjoys coaching which has carried him through his 60s. At 70 who knows how much longer he wants to continue with the travel, crazy hours and the new world of the portal and pay for play.
 

Demger

Senior
Jul 17, 2020
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Is the Jim Leonhard bridge burned? That seems like an obvious hire to fix the defense. He then hires a halfway decent OC and I can see a quick turnaround there.
I was late to this thread and wondered if someone would mention this. They absolutely screwed the pooch not hiring him a few years ago. I would guess 97% of true Wisky fans would love to see Leonhard back as the leader. Their D would be solid on Day 1. They would end up having monstrous O-lineman again, and get back to doing Iowa Football better than Iowa does now.
 
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Aug 14, 2025
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a couple of thoughts/questions here.

First, I think it is a foregone conclusion that Fickell will be gone shortly after Thanksgiving. I see 3-9 as their best record in all likelihood, and they will not tolerate that kind of losing.

One questions is, does anybody have any thoughts on to what extent, if at all, Barry Alvarez is still involved with the program? He must be 75 years old and we don't really know his health status. I have not heard a thing about him or seen him shown on TV in a long time, so you have to wonder. I realize that he called the shots there for a long time, but with their recent decline, I have to think he is less and less influential.

Secondly, as far as their coaching search, I read on other sites that Matt Campbell would be interested. No idea what level of truth there is to that, but it almost makes more sense than Campbell being interested in Penn State. Just seems like too much pressure at PSU.
The conversation SHOULD be, "Wonder if Wisconsin is willing to go hat-in-hand--on their collective knees--to Jim Leonhatd's door?"
 
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