Be disappointed, but place the blame where it's most deserved.

I personally wasn't a fan of the Fickell hire, but mainly because I didn't understand how the concept of a pass specific offense was going to work in the Big Ten with a team that doesn't have the same talent as Ohio State or the recruiting base for that skill level talent. All I could picture was turning into Purdue. I also knew that the addition of Fickell meant Leonhard was gone and I questioned how the defense would look.

I agreed that Chryst had to go based on his lack of recruiting and how he seemed to be a lot less creative in the play calling. The off the field stuff was passing him by and that was before NIL/transferring really started.

With all that said, the vast majority of the blame for the current state needs to land at the AD's feet. Idk what Fickell sold Mac for his vision on the future, but I can't believe a guy who played in and worked in the program could screw it up this bad. The dude was a scrappy lineman who helped pave the way for what made the Badgers a nationally known program with amazing OL and RB play, along with tough and scrappy defenses. Not even factoring his off the field PR screw ups as AD into it, it's safe to say the bell cow for the athletic department is in the worst place it has been since the Morton era. I understand NIL and free transferring can't be ignored in the struggles, but other "lesser" programs have turned it around since they've gone into place.

Again, I wasn't a Fickell believer even before he was hired, but I've wanted him to succeed here. I understand why he was hired by a brand new AD wanting to make a splash. I just don't understand how that AD fell for a completely new offense his coach never ran himself, going completely away from the programs identity that made it nationally relevant (and one he helped build), and again making in state recruiting an afterthought during a time when trying to keep some good players with loyalty to the program has been a struggle. I'm disappointed in Fickell and have been since I've seen the stupid vest, but this is all on Mac and your disappointment and anger should be directed at him for it.