MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Phil Longo has been fired, the school announced in a news release Sunday night.
“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,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said in a statement. “I appreciate Phil’s commitment to helping us build our program over the past two seasons and wish him well moving forward. 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 news came one day after Wisconsin lost 16-13 to No. 1 Oregon during a game in which the Badgers averaged just 3.6 yards per play — the lowest mark in 23 games under Longo. Wisconsin dropped to 5-5 this season, including 3-4 in Big Ten play.
Longo arrived at Wisconsin with much excitement for his variation of the Air Raid offense, which was a shift away from the traditional pro-style system the Badgers previously used. But Longo’s offense never fully meshed at Wisconsin, as the team struggled to adapt to the change. Wisconsin averaged 23.5 points per game last season, the lowest total for the program in 19 years. Through 10 games this season, the Badgers were only slightly better at 23.9 points per game.
Wisconsin’s offensive challenges under Longo were aided by injuries to the starting quarterback in each season. Tanner Mordecai missed 3 1/2 games last season with a broken right hand, while Tyler Van Dyke sustained a torn ACL in his right knee during the third game this season. Those injuries thrust backup Braedyn Locke into a starting role. Locke completed 55.1 percent of his passes for 1,514 yards this season with nine touchdowns and nine interceptions. He threw an interception in all seven of his starts.
What this means for Wisconsin
Fickell made this move with two games remaining in the regular season to send a clear message that Wisconsin expects more and to give himself time to find the right fit moving forward. It felt as though Fickell and Longo weren’t on the same page regarding how to approach the offense, with Fickell constantly preaching the need to lean on the offensive line more. When Longo was pressed earlier this season about obtaining better results and scoring more points, he noted: “I’m here to please coach Fickell.”
A source with knowledge of the situation told The Athletic that Wisconsin could use tight ends coach Nate Letton to call plays for the remainder of the season. Regardless of how the rest of the season plays out, Fickell will have to find someone who can better marry the concepts he wants with the talent on Wisconsin’s roster.
The transfer portal window opens Dec. 9, and given the number of players who came to Wisconsin to play under Longo, there could be significant roster turnover. Fickell is 12-11 overall and 8-8 since the start of last season at Wisconsin. Year 3 will be critical for him to move the program forward. He’ll do so with an offense that goes in a different direction.
Required reading
- Why Wisconsin loss to No. 1 Oregon is the biggest heartbreak yet under Luke Fickell
- No. 1 Oregon escapes Wisconsin with comeback: What does result mean for Ducks, Badgers?
- With Wisconsin football struggling, Luke Fickell approaches inflection point
(Photo: Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA Today via Imagn Images)
