Luke Fickell jokes about middle school play-calling in response to OC mystery

Wisconsin will need all the help it can get calling plays this week.

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell is shown during the first quarter of their game against Oregon Saturday, November 16, 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. / Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Wisconsin made a big move by firing offensive coordinator Phil Longo earlier this week. Head coach Luke Fickell has been close to the vest with how the team will approach play-calling duties this week against Nebraska, but he has time for jokes.

"There's a bunch of guys that have play-calling experience. I did the offense in fifth grade, seventh grade and right outside of college there for a little while," Fickell quipped with the media on Monday. "Sometimes I think we get it overblown, like who's the guy calling plays? Look, I called it for — I don't want to get into this, but I called it for a lot of years as the defensive guy at Ohio State, while nobody really knew who was calling the defense."

Don’t ever let anyone tell you middle school coaching doesn’t count for anything.

"I've got some play calling experience... fifth grade, seventh grade, right out of college there for a little while." - Luke Fickell. pic.twitter.com/fj3Gv6m3vb

— Dillon Graff (@DillonGraff) November 19, 2024

The Badgers elevated wide receivers coach Kenny Guiton to interim quarterback coach earlier this week, but nobody has assumed the offensive coordinator title. Starting offensive lineman Jake Renfro and some of the offensive players seem to know the plan, but they're not willing to share.

"We have a plan in place. Not going to share what that plan is but excited to show the world on Saturday," Renfro told the media on Tuesday.

Based on the players' reaction to Longo being fired, it seems like a no-hard-feelings type of situation. Quarterback Braedyn Locke said that he had a great relationship with Longo, which "will never fade," despite him no longer being with the program.

Fickell calling offensive plays for Wisconsin on Saturday seems unlikely and his reaction might be more indicative of an overall frustration with the public's fixation with needing to know who is calling plays.

Ultimately, it's clear that Longo's fit with the Badgers was not working. Whoever is calling offensive plays will need to find some offensive rhythm as Wisconsin looks to pick up its sixth win and officially claim bowl eligibility.