Badgers AD backs team amid 'Fire Fickell' chants

Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh voiced his support for coach Luke Fickell and the program Saturday after Maryland handed the Badgers a 27-10 home loss, which featured several "Fire Fickell!" chants by the student section.

Speaking with the Wisconsin State Journal and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, McIntosh shared his "belief in the program and the people around our program, specifically Luke," and reiterated his support for the players. Fickell fell to 15-15 in two-plus seasons as Wisconsin coach after consecutive losses to Alabama and Maryland. He is under contract through the 2031 season and is earning $7.7 million this fall.

The Badgers were booed as they headed to the locker room down 20-0 to Maryland at halftime and didn't reach the end zone until 28 seconds remained in the fourth quarter.

"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," McIntosh told the two outlets. "I think it's a time for me to express my support."

McIntosh, a former Wisconsin offensive lineman, fired coach Paul Chryst midway through the 2022 season and hired Fickell, who guided Cincinnati to the College Football Playoff in 2021. Although Fickell had no direct ties to Wisconsin -- unlike Chryst and Jim Leonhard, the team's interim coach in 2022 -- Fickell's hire was largely celebrated.

The Badgers have endured several quarterback injuries during Fickell's tenure but could be in danger of missing bowl games in consecutive seasons for the first time since a stretch from 1985 to 1992. Fickell is 78-40 as an FBS coach.

McIntosh acknowledged the fans' sentiment, saying, "Apathy is worst case, and so we're far from that." He also said he isn't concerned about his job security. McIntosh is under contract through June 2029.

"I don't think there's anyone in the building that thinks that where we are at this moment in time right now, this is what Wisconsin football is," he said Saturday. "... I'll come back to what I said earlier: What's left to be done about that? What's left to be done about that is to learn from what happened on a day like today and grow."