MADISON – Luke Fickell's journey as Wisconsin's football coach is set to be significantly influenced by his decision regarding the program's next offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. After a 16 - 13 loss to No. 1 Oregon, where the Badgers managed a season - low 226 yards, Fickell made the decision to part ways with Phil Longo from those crucial positions. Longo's offense never truly took hold at Wisconsin. This season, the unit ranks 10th in the 18 - team conference in scoring (23.9 ppg) and ninth in total yards (363.1 ypg). Last year, the Badgers fared better, ranking seventh in scoring (23.5 ppg) and sixth in yards (381.2 ypg). So, what lies ahead? Here are some captivating possibilities to lead the offense in 2025.

Intriguing Candidates for the Offensive Coordinator Role

Gino Guidugli

This former standout quarterback at Cincinnati played a significant role in Fickell's coaching staff. In 2022, he served as Fickell's offensive coordinator with the Bearcats. Before that, he was set to coach tight ends for the Badgers until Notre Dame offered him a job as their quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator. Guidugli has been with Fickell for each of his five seasons at Cincinnati, starting as a running backs coach and then taking charge of the quarterbacks in 2018 and 2019. In 2020 and 2021, he added passing coordinator to his responsibilities. During this time, he worked closely with Desmond Ridder, who was a third - round pick in the 2022 NFL draft. Guidugli's one season as Bearcats coordinator was remarkable as the team ranked eighth in the American Athletic Conference in scoring (29.2 ppg) and ninth in total offense with an average of 372.2 yards per game. Despite that, their average of 6.7 yards per play led the conference by a significant margin. Cincinnati went 9 - 3 that season with a 6 - 2 mark in the conference.

Jon Budmayr

If Fickell is looking for someone who can strike a balance between Wisconsin's traditional success and a quarterback - friendly approach, Budmayr might be the ideal candidate. The former Badgers quarterback spent three years coaching the position at UW before becoming Colorado State's offensive coordinator in 2021. However, his tenure there was short - lived as Steve Addazio was fired after just two seasons. Budmayr has been at Iowa for the past three seasons. In 2022, he served as an offensive analyst, and in the past two seasons, he has been a senior special assistant to head coach Kirk Ferentz. During his time as Wisconsin's QB coach, Budmayr played a crucial role in Jack Coan's outstanding season. In 2019, Coan set a school completion record and finished among the top three in school history in passing yards (2,727), pass efficiency rating (151.8), and completion percentage (69.6). He was also instrumental in recruiting Graham Mertz, a four - star prospect who received offers from prestigious programs like Clemson, Notre Dame, Oregon, and Alabama before committing to UW.

Kenny Guiton

Could the Badgers' next offensive coordinator be someone already on the staff? Guiton served as the interim offensive coordinator and QB coach at Arkansas last season after Dan Enos was let go. Under his leadership, the team went 2 - 2 after a 2 - 6 start to the season. Guiton has focused solely on coaching receivers during his career, but he played quarterback at Ohio State from 2009 - 2013. His relationship with Fickell dates back to that time. Guiton is relatively new to coordinating experience, but he was the OC for the Razorbacks' two highest - total yardage games of the season, wins over Florida on Nov. 4 and Florida International on Nov. 18.

Dan Enos

Enos was fired as the OC at Arkansas last season, but he is a highly respected quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. In 2020, he was on Fickell's staff at Cincinnati, where he coached running backs and served as associate head coach. He last served as an offensive coordinator at Maryland and in 2021 and 2022, he coached all - Big Ten signal - caller Taulia Tagovailoa. Enos has extensive experience, having worked under notable head coaches like Nick Saban at Alabama, Bret Bielema at Arkansas, Manny Diaz at Miami, and of course, Fickell at Cincinnati. He was also the head coach at Central Michigan from 2010 - 2014.