Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell has agreed to a deal to become the next head coach for the University of Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Athletic Department officially hired Luke Fickell as the university’s new head football coach at 5:00 p.m. Sunday.

Fickell, now the 31st head coach in program history, takes over for Paul Chryst, who was fired Oct. 2.

“This is a destination job at a program that I have admired from afar for years,” Fickell said in a statement from the athletic department. “I am in total alignment with Chris McIntosh’s vision for this program. There is a tremendous foundation here that I can’t wait to build upon.”

Over his six years as the head coach of the University of Cincinnati, Fickell guided the Bearcats to a 57-18 record, two New Year’s Six Bowl appearances and a College Football Playoff appearance in 2021. For his success in 2021, Fickell won eight national coach of the year awards, as well as the American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, an award he won three times while at Cincinnati. This season, Fickell’s Cincinnati team finished 9-3.

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Prior to to his time at Cincinnati, Fickell spent 14 years coaching in various roles at Ohio State, including a season as the Buckeye’s interim head coach where he went 6-7. Fickell spent 11 of his 14 years at Ohio State as the co-defensive coordinator, a role he thrived in before accepting the job at Cincinnati.

Fickell will hold an introductory news conference Monday as he, alongside athletic director Chris McIntosh, ushers in a new era of Wisconsin football.

𝐀 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐄𝐑𝐀 𝚰𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐃𝚰𝐒𝐎𝐍

Welcome @CoachFick ! pic.twitter.com/ybE9U3b3nu

— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) November 27, 2022