When an athletic director leaves for a conference job, it usually sparks celebration. But for Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell, it likely sparks panic. Chris McIntosh, the man who hired Fickell and served as his biggest safety net, is officially leaving Madison for the big leagues.
On April 12, Badgers insider Ben Portnoy hopped onto his X handle and revealed that Ian McIntosh traded his AD title for a Big Ten opening:
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“Wisconsin AD Chris McIntosh is slated to leave the school for a newly created position in the Big Ten office, @SBJ has learned. McIntosh will report directly to Commissioner Tony Petitti and focus on the league’s broader strategy,” the SBJ writer tweeted.
Chris McIntosh is stepping into a brand-new role as the Deputy Commissioner for Strategy. Apparently, he’ll be reporting directly to Commissioner Tony Petitti. His job will more or less consist of helping the whole conference figure out how to handle the wild new world of revenue sharing, media deals, and many other changes in college sports.
“To be able to work for the University of Wisconsin, and certainly for the last five years as athletic director, to be able to pour everything I had into transitioning Wisconsin into a changing world, it’s just been an honor. I’ve said along the way that the best thing about Wisconsin is the people. I’ve been surrounded by the best people. People who care about, first and foremost, our student-athletes and about the university. They’ve just given everything to making Wisconsin the best it can be,” McIntosh said of his time in Madison and the Badgers.
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“On one hand, it’s very difficult for me to transition away from a place that’s so important to me. On the other hand, it’s an incredible honor and an incredible opportunity to be able to transition to a position at the Big Ten and to work for an incredible leader like Commissioner Petitti, alongside some top-tier, very capable members of the Big Ten, as we navigate a dynamic period for college athletics,” he added.
While his new job sounds fancy, the timing of his exit is definitely turning some heads back in Madison. He hand-picked Luke Fickell to bring Badgers football back to their glory days right after Fickell’s Cinderella run at Cincinnati with the Bearcats. However, Fickell didn’t come close to replicating that level of success in his coaching season ever again.
In his 3 season at Madison, the Badgers’ head coach is sitting at a 17–21 record and didn’t even get a conference win until very late in the season in his 2025 season (4-8). While most analysts and folks with common sense assumed this would be the end of Fickell’s era, McIntosh had just publicly promised that Fickell would stay through 2026.
Some insiders are calling this jump to the conference office a “soft landing” or even a way to avoid the heat of arguably one of the worst (if not the worst) coaching changes down the road.
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Long before he was an AD, McIntosh was a Badger through and through. He was an All-American offensive tackle. He came back to run the show in 2014 before taking over the top spot from the legendary Barry Alvarez back in 2021. During his time as AD, even if the football program hadn’t shown much of the desired success, he did a pretty good job with other non-football sports and the business side of things.
While the football program struggled, McIntosh’s tenure was a success elsewhere, delivering 12 team Big Ten titles and national championships in volleyball (2021) and women’s hockey (2023, 2025), and his hiring of Mike Hastings immediately paid off with a Frozen Four appearance for the men’s hockey team.
He chose to hire Fickell over the local favorite interim coach, Jim Leonhard, betting everything on a new vision for Wisconsin football. Well, the bet didn’t do any good for them. Let’s say it’s not looking good for Fickell now.
What’s next for Badgers athletics, and what does it mean for Luke Fickell’s job?
So, what happens next for the Badgers? Marcus Sedberry, who is currently the Deputy AD and the football program’s General Manager, is the frontrunner to step in as the interim AD. The school is looking for a permanent replacement.
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Sedberry has a ton of experience, including time with the Philadelphia Eagles and Baylor, and he’s been the one managing the day-to-day roster and NIL strategies lately.
As for Fickell, outside McIntosh’s uncanny loyalty, it was that $25 million buyout that saved him from being jobless. Not sure the AD and program would be in favor of Fickell dropping another losing season. A safe assumption is that they might be more willing to pull the trigger once that buyout number drops a bit. It’s going to be a bewildering year for Luke Fickell and Wisconsin football!
