The Wisconsin Badgers challenged the Oregon Ducks from bell to bell on Saturday. Wisconsin gave No. 1-ranked Oregon all they could handle. However, the Ducks prevailed 16-13 after a late-game interception.
Offensive issues plagued the Badgers in their frustrating loss to the Ducks. With Wisconsin 5-5 and a decades-long bowl streak on the line, head coach Luke Fickell made a change.
Fickell dismissed offensive coordinator Phil Longo. Longo’s near-two-year run in Madison is over, as he didn’t quite meet expectations since his hiring.
Coach Fickell announces coaching changehttps://t.co/LUoEAznxmu
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) November 17, 2024
“Wisconsin football head coach Luke Fickell announced a coaching change on Sunday. Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Phil Longo has been relieved of his duties,” a release on Wisconsin’s athletics page read.
The release featured a quote from Fickell about the departing coach.
“This morning, I informed Phil Longo that he will no longer serve as our offensive coordinator,” he said via UWBadgers.com. “After continuing to evaluate the program, I decided we are not where we need to be and believe this decision is in the best interest of the team.”
“I appreciate Phil’s commitment to helping us build our program over the past two seasons and wish him well moving forward,” he said. “This team still has a lot in front of us and I am committed to doing everything we can to close out this season with success.”
The Badgers hope to attain bow eligibility in their next two tries. They play Nebraska this weekend before playing rival Minnesota on November 30.
