I Love Mondays-Ep53, May 13, 2026

BIG time guest Wednesday... opened with "Rock" Bill Schroeder, Brewers TV Analyst explaining how and why the Brewers are playing such good baseball-again!!  Finished with Wisconsin Football Coach Luke Fickell talking about what was learned in Spring Football...how the AD search will impact the program and how often he thinks of September 6th and the 2026 opening game with Notre Dame at Lambeau

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 2:06

What we've got going on. So let's see if we can get it in the roadcaster. Y'all get a little behind the scenes look at what it is I'm doing. Somebody tell me if uh if you get it, if you get audio here, because that would help me. I'll yell at Kari upstairs too to try and fix it if uh if there's something she can see or do. Got it, Josh says got it. So got it. All right, good to go. All right, we fixed it. Well that that you know, Rock gets nervous when I can't fix something um out of the gate. So um so we got it. Uh I think we got it. All right. Rock, look at that. You know, sometimes stuff isn't easy, and and and old guys like you and me trying to figure this out on the fly in real time. That's you know, engineering coming handy.

SPEAKER_03 3:03

Well, I'm I'm far you can you hear me? Yeah. Okay, yeah, but anyway, yeah, I have I'm a I'm a completely technological idiot. So um I I need help. I have my granddaughters help me with this stuff.

SPEAKER_01 3:15

Yeah, it's it's the biggest challenge in making this transition from you know a quarter century in radio where somebody else is somebody else is pushing all the buttons to uh to doing this. That's the biggest transition, uh the hardest part of hey, thanks for doing this. I I heard you earlier on uh that Huddle show with uh Drew and Billy and Army. Yeah, uh they woke you up early, but uh but I appreciate you doing this. So thank you.

SPEAKER_03 3:40

Yeah, 7:30. Um, you know, I'm up, but I'm not really on the mindset of talking Brewers baseball. So I had to get up at like 6:30, have my coffee, get myself going, maybe run around the block a couple of times. Yeah, but uh no.

SPEAKER_01 3:54

10 o'clock is good. Thanks, Mike. Yeah, you're you're welcome. I did that just for you. Uh give fill me in on the behind-the-scenes stuff. You're going up to the Twin Cities and and doing the the road series against the Twins, which isn't very common for you. It's a it's a little bit of a rare bird. How did that come about?

SPEAKER_03 4:10

Yeah, I do I do a couple of road trips a year. Last year I started the season in New York. You remember that uh very horrible series against the Yankees. I did the opening day at Yankee Stadium on ESPN with Joe Buck and Joe Girardi, and then I went to Philly. Um, Philly is one of my favorite all-time road ballparks, but I mean the ballpark there, Citizen Bank ball. There's just you know, as an East Coast guy, you know, you have that energy, that buzz. I mean, you know, it could be good, it could be bad, but uh I I kind of I kind of like it. But you know, my wife Kate is from uh St. Paul, and okay. So I picked I picked the twin series. We're gonna drive up on uh on Thursday. Um, she's gonna see some family and friends and then do the series and then come home. I will not be going to Wrigley Field. Okay. Uh that will be uh I think it's a Vinnie Rettino show. So yeah, three games on in Minneapolis.

SPEAKER_01 5:03

I'm looking forward to it. So why is this team hot? Now I I think two things are true, but then I'll ask have you answer that question. I think they're good. I think the Brewers are good, and then good teams have uh a hot stretch, gotten a little healthier, but your view of this team, and particularly from what they have done on the mound, we'll get to the offense in a bit, but what they've done on the mound, why are they so good and why are they hot right now?

SPEAKER_03 5:29

Well, Chris Hook and Jim Henderson do a great job. I mean, you know, we don't give them enough credit. I think that those two, particularly Chris Hook, is probably you know, maybe the best pitching coach in baseball. When you when you figure, you know, he would the Brewers bring guys over that have had marginal careers, you know, like Trevor McGill and you know, guys like that, that all of a sudden they get to Milwaukee and they become big-time performers on the mound. Um, you know, and Matt Arnold does a good job of bringing big arms in, too. I mean, we got guys that are throwing, you know, 97, 98, 100 miles an hour. How about the Miz? He's gonna be on there. He's got to start uh tonight against San Diego, uh, hit 103. I mean, he's thrown more pitches over 100 miles an hour than any starter ever. So um, I mean, it's just the pitching right now. But now that the Brewers are pretty much 100% healthy, you know, you got Yeli back yesterday, you got Cheerio, Vaughan. I think that's gonna strengthen that will certainly strengthen the lineup, but it also strengthens the bench. When your bench players are are asked to be big performers and be starters, I mean, that weakens your bench, that weakens your lineup. Not to take nothing away from those guys, but that's not their role to be starters and everyday players, you know. So I think that the the health of the team going forward, and I think that they did a magnificent job. You know, you know, Chris Hook, we talked about him, but Murph, the way he's able to manage his team through a lot of adversity in the beginning of the year, they're in a pretty good position to make a nice run now.

SPEAKER_01 6:56

Uh I'll give you a few numbers of what this pitching staff has done. They're fifth in runs allowed per game in all of baseball. They're second in least number of walks, so they don't put people on base. Uh, they've allowed uh the the 24th out of 30 teams, opposing team uh OPS, and the opposing team is slugging 28th out of the 30 teams. So the Brewers play in a in a ballpark that is home run friendly, but they haven't given up a ton of long balls, so they keep it in the ball in the park and they're not putting people on the bases.

SPEAKER_03 7:28

Yeah, they don't walk guys and they don't give up home runs. So uh when you go to a Brewers game, you're not gonna see many homers for the visiting team. I mean, look what they did, look what they did against the Yankees. I mean, that's one of the best home run hitting ball clubs, you know, in in baseball. You know, um, judge got his, I mean, they kept these guys in the ballpark. I mean, what they did against the Yankees was incredible. I mean, they came in, the Yankees did uh red hot. They were swinging the bats well, their pitching has been good all season long. They're starting to get healthy again, but you can't say enough about what the pitching has done, you know, for this Brewers Ball Club, particularly you know, keeping the ball in the ballpark. So they they've given up hardly any home runs and they don't hit home runs. So uh you're seeing like you know, turn of this century type baseball, station to station, put the ball in play. You know, Pat Murphy last year uh referred to his offense as a bunch of woodpeckers. They keep pecking at you. You know, you get long at batch, you get seven, eight, nine pitch at batch, you wear pitchers down, you get pitch counts up, and then you get the bullpen involved for the opponent. So it's uh it's been a lot of fun to watch. So if you come to a Brewers game looking to see a lot of homers, you're gonna go see them on either side.

SPEAKER_01 8:38

And I'm gonna repeat a mantra that we've uh we've talked about many times, and Brewers fans certainly know it. This team, the Milwaukee Brewers, played great defense. And I'm gonna give you the opposite. You know, the the Yankees uh threw a ball away. They played poor defense up the middle, and they threw a ball away from the pitcher going to third base on a bunt the other night. Uh last night you had an opposing pitcher who didn't know that the third baseman was charging on a bunt that's right back to him. And his initial move to go to third base did light if he knows what play is on, and if Machado had stayed at third base, but he was in on the grass already. Uh the Brewers don't seemingly make many of those mistakes, and their opponents do. They work on it.

SPEAKER_03 9:20

They work on it. You come to the ballpark, you get here, you know, 330 at the ballpark, and you see the PFP pitchers fielding practice. You know, you got the infielders moving around. And I think that it's a well-orchestrated defense and they they know what's going on. Not to say that they're perfect, nobody's perfect, they're going to make mistakes. But you know, when you make mistakes defensively, and if you're pitching and you walk guys, they have strikeout ability, just about every one of these guys, particularly the guy on the mound tonight, uh, you know, Mizerowski. So um, you know, so you know, defense, you know, putting the ball in play, you know, good pitching, that that that wins games in the long run. You know, the the only thing you know that could be a concern going forward, and you know, in the postseason, when you're play, you're playing against some of the best pitching in the big league, you're not gonna get two walks in an inning and three hits at an inning. You know, you you get a base hit. You know, home runs pretty much win World Series games or playoff games, right? And uh, you know, the Brewers have struggled in that regard in the past, but getting to the postseason, it's it's it's really a lot of fun to watch. You just never know which guy's gonna get it done. You know, Blake Perkins on Sunday with the big you know base hit to drive in a couple of runs. I mean, it's just somebody all the time that seems to be coming up big. Joey yesterday yesterday, I mean, with the home run and the single. So uh um there's a lot of fun to watch these guys. They they they play hard and um you know they're they have good leadership.

SPEAKER_01 10:46

Uh a reminder to those tuning in that Luke Fickle, Wisconsin's football coach, will join us live uh in about 20 minutes or so. Uh Mike asked this question, and I know you weren't at the ballpark last night, but you were watching. Did you see Felix Fermeen fake the tag at home on a play that never came to the plate last night? And even whether you did or didn't, that seems to me, and Mike asked the question as to whether that's good baseball or a little bush league. He did kind of deke as though there was gonna be a play.

SPEAKER_03 11:22

And what for? Why why would you why would you do that? I mean, the pl you know there's nowhere else, you know, guy can go after tagging home plate, right? He's he's done, he's running into the dugout. But you see guys, you know, do that on the other bases, you know, second and third, you know, and yeah, right. I mean, because you know a guy might you know get up or you you act like there's not a throw coming and you make a tag and the guy is outstanding up. But um, I you know, I'm not a guy that uses the word bush league too much or choke or anything, you know. No, no, no. That's I've lasted 32 years of this business by by being pretty straight and narrow. You know, I'm not gonna try to embarrass anybody, but that's not something you see all that much.

SPEAKER_01 12:01

Yeah. Um, I'm gonna ask you about Ms. I don't know what you can say. I don't know if we kind of run out of hyperbole for his stuff, but tell me how you see him getting better as a pitcher.

SPEAKER_03 12:13

Well, I mean, pitch counts. I mean, you like this, you know, he's been able to get through six innings. I mean, he throws you know more pitches at 100 miles an hour. What's amazing is his durability and the way he's at his stamina and able to throw you know 103 miles an hour after pitch number 98, you know. So he's uh he's a he's a physiological marvel. He he's kind of a uh a guy, tall and thin, you know, back in the days when you know when I was playing and you know, you didn't see a whole lot of weight training, you know. He's kind of tall and thin and you know durable and he's flexible. And I think that that's one of the reasons you know why he's able to throw so hard. And you know, hopefully it's gonna be able to keep him healthy, you know. So I think that uh some of the weight training, you know, it's not something that was really popular back when we uh were playing, but um, you know, that's uh the way the game is these days. But he is he's not a he's not a thrower anymore. You know, when he was in the minor leagues, you know, he was walking guys, and and I think this is where Chris Hook you know comes in, where he is now a guy, he's a pitcher that throws 103 miles an hour. He's not just a guy that rears back and just fires, you know, he's throwing curveballs and sliders and changeups, you know, he'll throw a slider at 96 miles an hour. I mean, guys don't see stuff like that. You know, and after the start against the Yankees, Aaron Judge was asked about Mizarrowski, and he said last tonight was the best fastball I've ever seen. So that's saying something for a guy that his stature, I mean, he's seen a lot of really good pitching. So um, it's always a great day when Mizorowski is on the mound. I mean, it's it's exciting, you know, he's got no hit stuff for sure. Um, it's just a matter of being able to maybe, you know, the strikeouts are great and they're sexy, and everybody loves to see those. But you know, I I would say that you know what first pitch, second pitch outs are probably just as good, right? So that's how you stay, that's how you stay in games. But um, he's he's been amazing. Uh again, his the progress that he's made over the last couple of years has been incredible, and uh and I think William Contreras has a lot to do with that. Yeah, William Contreras does not get enough credit for what he does behind home plate. He cares and he works these guys through games, and uh he he does a good job managing you know their pitches, and it's I don't know how many times these guys shake him off because uh he's out there just about every day. And uh you got to give him a lot of credit. As a former catcher, sure. I would I'd like you know, I always felt great when a pitcher got through a game and you know he didn't have his greatest stuff, and you're able to figure it out. But um, you know, and when a guy doesn't do well and he's knocked out in the third inning, you take that personally, you know, because what could what could I have done? And that's the way William is.

SPEAKER_01 14:56

Murph gives him credit just about every night post-game in the press conference. He will always allude to what William Contreras does behind the plate. Aaron Boone said when the Yankees left uh American Family Field on Sunday in his postgame that it's as good a bullpen as they have seen and likely will be seen throughout the year. And we we're talking about I was doing doing this conversation with Vinny on Monday. I mean, Ashby, it's remarkable when I watch him pitch that anybody makes contact unless he makes a mistake. Because his stuff and the bullpen, all their stuff, it's a ridiculous caliber of a bullpen that the Brewers are running out there right now.

SPEAKER_03 15:38

Yeah, no kidding. And one of their best guys, Koenig, he's been out, you know. He's uh he's I mean, he was the guy, and then you got Zerpa who's out for the season. He's got elbow surgery coming up. So yeah, they bring guys up for the minor leagues, they get it done. Fitzpatrick's come up, he's done a pretty good job. But you know, when you talk about Aaron Ashby, I mean, I think that this guy's a chance to make 80 appearances this year. I mean, he's got what they refer to in the dugout as a rubber arm, and the guy can throw just about every day. And it seems as though the more he throws, the better he does. I mean, he's not a guy that likes three, four days off, although, you know, everybody could benefit from that. But when when he's able to land the curveball and get ahead with the curveball early in the count and throw it for strikes, I mean, he he's he's unhittable, and then he'll be able to throw one down out of the strike zone. I mean, I I I go back to that Yankee series when Ashby was up when he was pitching and he was facing Goldschmidt. You know, and Goldschmidt has been a brewer killer throughout his entire career. And that curveball that he threw to uh to Gold Paul Goldschmidt, if you recall that, I've never seen a swing from Goldschmidt like that. That was about as uh an emergency hack as you're ever gonna see. He's got he doesn't throw anything straight. I mean, he throws in the upper 90s, he's got the change up. He he he's amazing. I mean, he he's on a run right now where you know I would say that he he's gotta be if if the if the reliever of the year award was given out right now, I mean, I think he would get a lot of votes.

SPEAKER_01 17:03

Yeah. After tonight, you'll be at the quarter pole of the season as far as total gameplay. Tonight's game, number 40, essentially the quarter pole. Uh what you you mentioned it earlier, home runs, because in October you you tend to win more games by virtue of the long ball because it's harder to piece together a walk and three hits in an inning. But what does this and what can this team be better at away from power that will allow them another opportunity to play October baseball?

SPEAKER_03 17:37

I don't know. I mean, I think the pitching has been pretty good. I don't think there's anything you know that you can say about the pitching. Bottom of the orders gotta get better. Yep. I mean, for sure. The bottom of the order has got to get better. They did the great job last year setting the table for the guys at the top of the order. Um, and I think that uh that's something that, and hopefully yesterday, you know, Joey's gonna be able to feed off of that. Right getting the confidence. I you know, and you know, hats off to the fans at our ballpark. You know, when Joey's at the plate and there's men on you hear Joey, Joey, and they're they're they're encouraging him, right? Right. A lot of a lot of cities, I mean, they'd be like getting on his case, but they don't do that in Milwaukee, and that's a great thing. Um, not that they don't have the right to get on, guys, I mean, you know, guys, but you know, they don't. I mean, I they they they root for Joey, and and we all should, and we do. Um, but bottom of the order's gotta be a little bit more consistent getting on base, not so much driving in runs and things like that. Um, you know, and Joey, the whole thing with Joey is that he gets uh he he's up a lot with the bases loaded, right? And uh so why and he's probably thinking, why me? You know, two most bases last night, didn't he?

SPEAKER_01 18:45

Uh yeah, but he almost got one.

SPEAKER_03 18:47

Yeah. Um, but you know, I think that the home run thing, I think that you're gonna see some more home runs with these three guys that are back in the lineup now. Um Chiriobo and Yeli. Great to have Yelly back because you know, as your leader of your ball club, there's only so much you can do when you're hurt and you're on the injured list and you're sitting back and not playing. But now I think that that leadership that he possesses uh is gonna really shine. And I think you're gonna see some more home runs now.

SPEAKER_01 19:13

Rock, I I got two more thoughts for you before we let you go. One, I want to take you back to January and ahead to next January. Uh I got to be part of your Brewers Fantasy camp for the first time, and it's it's such a great thing that you do, and such a great group of people that go and raise money for charity by going and things that they do. There's so much more than just playing ball games out there, and I was lucky enough to be there. Uh, I just wanted you to talk about what you guys continue to do and how great Fantasy Camp is.

SPEAKER_03 19:44

Well, you know, we have uh, you know, a hundred folks uh every year coming to Fantasy Camp and you know, eight teams, and it was great that you were able to, you know, come to camp. And um, although, you know, I kind of got overshadowed at uh happy hour when you were interviewing guys. I mean, you're you're you're a pro, man. Uh the next day I was up there, you know, I didn't know what to ask. But anyway, anyway, but um, you know, we have a lot a lot of folks that come back every year, it's about a 50% return percentage. Um, they get they get involved and they recruit new campers and things like that. But but the one thing that I really like about the fantasy camp is that I'm able to stay connected with the former players. I mean, I can't tell you how many players uh former players for the Brewers reach out to you know either Jason Schauger or myself and say, hey, how do I get involved in this fantasy camp? You know, I want to come. It's like with Niger Morgan, you know, last year. I mean, that guy was unbelievable. I mean, I don't think he's ever had a bad day in his entire life. I mean, he was the MVP last year. I mean, he he he was fantastic. So, you know, um, everybody, everybody would love to have, you know, the big names, you know, the Ryan Braun's and the Prince Fielders, and you know, I'd love to be able to get those guys out there. But the guys that I have, you know, Corey Hart and Jeff Jenkins and JJ Hardy and Augie and all these guys, you know, I'm I'm you know, Vinny and Dillard, and I I know I'm missing a few with Scott Carl and stuff, but those guys love coming to camp. And as soon as camp is over, I get I get text messages saying, Rock, you know, please have me back. I want to come back. I love it. And for me, it's like kicks off the baseball season. You know, for two years we didn't have we didn't have camp in 2020 and 2021 over COVID. And it was like I was lost, I didn't know what to do. Um, so you know, it's a big deal. Um, you know, it's uh January 16th, is uh first day of fantasy camp. We still have spots available. We've got about 80 signups already, so we have about 20 spots left. So um hopefully uh you're gonna be able to come back someday.

SPEAKER_01 21:46

Yeah, I I'd like if if I can get a road cuff and labrum fixed in time, I'd like to come back next year. We'll see. I was talking to Jason Schogert um it in the clubhouse a few weeks ago, and he he he you know he signaled me to come. Because I was there early in the day. And he goes, Do you think that that fantasy camp week is our favorite week of the year? And I think he was testing me. And I said, Well, you said it is, but I don't know if it is. He goes, Without question, it's their favorite week of the year. And we we, I mean, there's a lot of us in that clubhouse. And Jason and his staff are taking care of all of us like we're big leaguers. It was what he does, what y'all do, is so impressive, Rock. I just want to say thank you because uh for a lot of us, it's the it was the best week of the year. And for me, one of the best weeks I've had in a really long time, you know, being an athlete again.

SPEAKER_03 22:41

Not really, but sort of pretended to be put the uniform on and you know, uh sit in the clubhouse and you know have a have a beer and at happy hour. And you know, Jason Schalker, the brewer's equipment manager for the brewers, and he kind of runs the whole thing, and he's got six other guys that uh that take care of you guys. But um, you know, I'm just a small cog in that machine. I got a lot of people that work hard. Jody Backe, my travel travel agent. I mean, she makes sure everybody's all taken care of, but um, and my wife, she's the social director. Well, Kate is in charge. Yeah, so um, anyway, um, but you know, thank you. And you know, again, we're we're we're set up for another uh good fantasy camp. And you know, the the whole thing about the uh the lockout or potential, you know, with the CBA coming up, and I have been told that um pretty good chance, nothing for nothing for sure, but the minor leagues will still be going on as normal. So it it may not affect fantasy camp, but we'll have to wait and see. I hope to God it doesn't.

SPEAKER_01 23:40

Yeah. Uh Rock, I always appreciate it. Thanks for jumping in here with me. Have a great trip up to the cities. We'll be watching Brewers and Twins with you on the analyst side of the call this weekend. Uh, look forward to the next time we see each other.

SPEAKER_03 23:53

Thanks, Mike. Always great to see you, and always you know, and whenever you want me on, just give me a buzz, buddy. You got it.

SPEAKER_01 23:59

Thank you, Rock. Bill Schroeder, Brewers TV analyst, longtime TV analyst for the Milwaukee Brewers, and he does a fantastic job. And I'm I'm telling you that and and that fantasy camp. Now, if they've only got 20 spots left, you better get in on it because they won't last. It it is one of the coolest weeks, if you haven't done it, one of the coolest weeks that you're ever gonna have. And I got people that say, yeah, I don't play, I didn't play a whole lot of baseball after little league or even you know, high school or even earlier than that. That was we got a bunch of guys that go out there that never played organized baseball. It helps to pick up a ball occasionally or to do something to get ready for it, but there's a lot of guys that never played high school ball that go out and play this. Now, there are others who played through college and and you know, had tryouts or what I mean. There are some really good ball players there too, but there are just as many that have never done it. And there's fathers and sons. And if you're going as a father-son, you'll be drafted onto the same team. It's just all of it is great. All of it is great. They do a fantastic job, Rock and Kate, and the whole crew out there. I played for Greg Vaughan and Jerry Augustine, they were my coaches, but Vinny and Dillard and Scott Carl and Jeff Jenkins and Jeff Cerillo, uh JJ Hardy, Corey Hart, it is a great group. Niger Morgan, great group of people. It's a blast. I feel like I'm a promoter for it. And the reason is that if you go, because you heard me talking about it, you're gonna the next time you talk to me or see me or send me a message, you're gonna thank me for what you got to experience because it really is an amazing deal. Uh, we're gonna visit with Luke Fickel. He'll join us uh here in the next four or five minutes. Let me uh take a moment and tell you about our sponsors, onecommunity.bank. That's where you're gonna go. Onecommunity.bank for all of your banking needs and feel good banking. One community bank proud to serve clients, support colleagues, and invest in our communities like they've done here. Feelgood banking, member FDIC, onecommunity.bank. Also presented by M3 Insurance, where you get it all, the personal guidance you need to protect and grow your business, and a team that provides tailored insurance and risk management solutions and unparalleled service. Go to M3INS.com. We are presented by Neuroscience Now. Uh, Ben is a guy I met at Fantasy Camp, and that's how this relationship with neuroscience began. So if back pain is holding you back at Neuroscience Group, their spine specialists offer personalized care from therapy to advanced surgical options so you can get back to doing what you love. Go to neurosciencegroup.com. We are also presented by our friends at Pottawatomy Sportsbook and Casino Bet above the rest, and presented by our friends at Habish Habit and Rotier. 13 locations to ensure you get a hometown attorney who understands your life and the impacts of your injury and is personally committed to your recovery. So much going on. By the way, one other note before we bring in the head coach of Wisconsin football, Luke Fickle, who is uh standing by and will join us in just a moment. Packers and the NFL schedule will come out in a primetime release tomorrow night. We know all of the teams that was gonna uh that the Green Bay Packers will play, both home and away. What we don't know is holidays, Sunday nights, Monday nights, Thursdays, and you don't know the order of the schedule, who you're gonna open with, how you finish, three game road trips, three straight home games, that kind of stuff. Here's one thing we do know before we get to tomorrow's it's a leak fest all day long. All of the the, you know, somebody will report, hey, so-and-so's playing so-and-so, and that means this. That'll happen throughout the day. One thing we know before that happens tomorrow, the Green Bay Packers will not play an international game this year. The full international schedule is out. And in the division, I think Minnesota and Detroit will play international games abroad, but the Green Bay Packers won't, and I don't believe the Bears play an international game either. So we're gonna find out what's going on uh a little bit more tomorrow during the day, but tomorrow night is the primetime schedule release. We know this, the Packers will not play an international game. We welcome in the head coach of Wisconsin football, Luke Fickle, who's kind enough to take a little time out of his schedule today to jump in. Coach, how are you?

SPEAKER_02 28:54

I'm doing well. I'm doing well. Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_01 28:56

It's good to see you. Uh I know the players, many of them uh have gotten a little time away now, and they'll come back right after Memorial Day, if I understand it right. So you've had a chance to maybe reflect a little bit on uh the closure of spring football. So every year is different. How was this year different? And what did you learn about this team?

SPEAKER_02 29:16

Well, most of our guys coming back next week or Memorial Week. We kind of a little bit in two tiers based on uh you know how much they've played and some stuff like that. Um, but they'll be back on campus here in a few weeks, and so it's a good time to get away and it's a good time to reflect, you know. Uh the unique thing, uh all the other coaches are on the road recruiting, right? This is spring recruiting. The head coaches are not allowed to be on the road. So um it does give me and us some time to, you know, kind of reflect a little bit as far as even spring football and you know put a plan in place for as these guys get back here to start the the the summer and fall. But um I I don't again, it's it's one of those things. I don't know how many times you've ever gone through spring football and said, I I don't know, it wasn't a great spring. Right. Yeah, you know, I mean you have a spring game, somebody wins, somebody doesn't, whatever. Uh, but I I do think that when you when you you know when you come out of spring somewhat healthy, you know, and you went into spring basically with everybody practicing, I think that's pretty unique. And so we were very fortunate to spark start spring ball um with basically everybody. And I don't know that there were many guys that were sidelines. Um, so it gave us a chance to, you know, to have three groups. It gave us a chance to have you know three different lines where you could you know rep three quarterbacks. Uh and then obviously we stayed pretty healthy until the very end. We got a few, we lost a few guys there at the very end, but nothing that uh should linger into fall camp. Um but with that being said, it gave us a chance to to kind of rep you know all three groups. So uh for anybody, even the young quarterbacks got it, their ability to play a lot of plays too.

SPEAKER_01 30:53

And uh well, and you kind of led me into that. So everybody's gonna always ask you about quarterback play, and because you've had a turnover at that position, uh, quite obviously. But one of the things that I think was evident during the spring is that this isn't a one-man conversation. Colton Joseph is uh is the one. However, your depth, including a true freshman, looked really good throughout spring. What did the head coach see?

SPEAKER_02 31:20

No, it did. I thought that uh all those guys grew. You know, obviously Colton is the guy that you you talk about and ran with the ones the entire time. And you know, that was kind of the the vision, walk in the door because that guy's got to establish some leadership. And and to be honest with you, I saw a growth even in him, you know, and sometimes you and some of the guys we brought in in the past, you know, they they were really maybe more polished um in some ways, meaning like they've been in some systems that when they walked in the door, uh, you're like, I don't know how much growth there'll be. Um, and the one thing about Colton was from the start of so even some OTAs in the winter to the beginning of spring ball to the end of spring ball, I mean, you saw a confidence level of growth, uh, of understanding the offense and allowing himself to play probably as best was in the last week. And so you saw him start to continue to play faster each and every week. And that's that's a really a good sign that okay, we know you know where he is, but you know, where he will be in another five months is I mean, there's there's a lot of things that uh are really exciting for us and and look really good. And and followed along with Deuce Adams, who was behind him, and then you know, obviously with with Ryan Hopkins uh and Carter Smith, who were you know were the younger guys, our ability to kind of have the same style of quarterback throughout the room makes you feel a lot better about hey, developing the offense to you know, have the quarterback be the focal point, but whoever the quarterback is, you're not having to adjust and change. And that's what's probably been the most difficult thing for us, even in Springball last year. Like your one and two are different in what you know would be best fit for them and shaping the offense around. So I think that gave us a chance to really see a growth in particular on the offensive side of the ball throughout the entire spring, as you saw the quarterbacks getting more and more comfortable in whichever group they were running with.

SPEAKER_01 33:16

I want to talk about Abu Sama in a moment, but the guys he runs behind uh at Wisconsin that has always been a storyline. Um, offensive line play, uh what have you seen? And does it are you making strides in the way that you want to up front with what you'll have uh this fall?

SPEAKER_02 33:35

Yeah, I I feel a lot better in a lot of ways with just our old line room. Um, you know, I mean the history here obviously we we don't even have to bring it up. I mean, everybody understands and knows and what the expectations are are, you know, NFL guys up there. And the truth of the matter is, you know, we just unfortunately have not developed those guys into those positions and put those guys into the next level in the last three years. And so there's some things that we had to do and and make some adjustments and some changes. And, you know, I don't necessarily mean that you always had to change coaches, but I just, you know, I think that uh there's a different attitude in there. I think there's a different leadership in there right now. And you saw it throughout the spring. And as we easy to talk about the quarterback and the growth of what you saw from him because, you know, that's a little bit easier to see from just the the the normal eye of uh somebody standing on the sideline. But I think one of the greater growths is that that whole room in the offensive line. And um, that's a combination of some newer guys being able to step up and some guys growing up too. I mean, not just stepping up, but Kevin Haywood, who sat out last year, Emerson Mandel, who started almost every game last year, Colin Coverley, who started almost every game that you know had to battle at 19 years old in this league. Right, you know, took some lumps and got some valuable, valuable experience, are different players right now, different leaders and and and and different people. And so that's been felt in that room, and that uh their ability to embrace some of the newer guys walking in there and a newer coach walking in there has been a really good mix uh in throughout that entire room. And you know, I think there's some different depth with some guys that uh are gonna push push us um, you know, to figure out who those starting five will be come fall.

SPEAKER_01 35:25

Luke, I want to switch and talk about defense in a moment, but let's go off the field just for a little bit. You've you've had the departure of your athletic director, Chris McIntosh, which has also moved Marcus Sedbury, who is your GM, into the interim AD role. Those both of those situations impact you. What is best case scenario for the next A D? We found out search committee stuff yesterday as that news came out. But how how does it, how does that view of that position look from the the chair of the head coach?

SPEAKER_02 35:57

Well, I I don't know that there's a whole lot of things I can spend a lot of time worrying about, right? Yeah, to me, you want somebody that's going to continue to move us forward in this in this landscape of you know college athletics that says, look, right now uh there hasn't been a whole lot of structure in the last three or four years. And um the landscape has favored the bold, the landscape has favored the aggressive, the landscape has favored in a lot of ways the rich. Um, but those things kind of go hand in hand. And so whatever it is, you know, I know that you know Marcus Sedberry is a guy that's you know has has been with us and is now in that role and has an opportunity that understands and recognizes where we are and where college football is and college athletics are. So I think you know, there's an opportunity there. But I think for for the most part, for all of us in this entire athletic department, we just we got to recognize that uh whoever's in that role, that you know, we've got to continue to push and build upon um what the landscape is, and and and a part of that is pushing um in a lot of these ways the the bold and the and the aggressive until we get some parameters in in college athletics. Um you really kind of got to generate and create your own game plan for what's best for you, i.e., our our program, but even for our athletic department. And I think that that takes um some real leadership and that takes some somebody that's gonna be bold in this in this landscape.

SPEAKER_01 37:26

Luke, you can't get into specifics, nor would I ask you to, but do you believe that in this last offseason, both in recruiting in the portal, retention for of your own players, that you are financially as a program better equipped to handle what is in front of you than you have been in the past?

SPEAKER_02 37:44

Yeah, there's no doubt. I mean, there's no doubt that, you know, we wouldn't even be sitting here probably talking, um, you know, I would say we wouldn't be talking as positively because you always, you know, coming out of Spring Bowl, have this positive um you know feeling in a lot of ways, as long as guys stay healthy. Uh, but to not be in a position where you know what this league is doing and and you know what it is that you're competing against. Um, and and for us in particular in this offseason in January, we had to, you know, not just you know bring in 30-some guys, we had to bring in guys we felt like could start, could play for us immediately, but more importantly, make us rele relevant and be able to legitimately compete uh in this league. Because I think that's where people don't understand, like, you know, well, well, you brought in an X amount of guys last year, and you brought an X amount of guys like I know, but as we all recognize, this league has grown. Um this league is a significantly better from top to bottom in the last three or four years, you know, because of the landscape and and in general, we've done a great job as a as a whole in the league of growing and becoming the the class of the country. And so we knew we had to do some things to be able to keep up with that. And um we put ourselves, our our university, our athletic department, put ourselves in a position where I know this, I feel a lot better about what we're going into this offseason with and uh what we're gonna walk out in the fall with.

SPEAKER_01 39:13

Luke, the the the record is always uh the bottom line, you you live in a zero-sum game in college football and sports in general. Um but uh so people will look at that for the first time in a very long time, uh you didn't have a player drafted in the NFL draft. You're still gonna have players on some rosters. I think you're gonna have players that are playing on Sundays and starting this fall. But the reflection of that is that that coincides with what you haven't been able to do on the scoreboard, correct? That you just didn't have enough players at a level that Sundays uh were drafting that player this last draft.

SPEAKER_02 39:51

Yeah. So that that goes twofold, too. I mean, there's a developmental piece that that I take full responsibility for, um, and that that's important to us. Um but there's uh there's another piece that just is a recognition, like right, the Big Ten has uh again, the FEC has still had more guys drafted, but in the first two rounds it was significantly different than the Big Ten had, and in particular in the first round, and that just shows you where this league has gone over the last five years. And I'm not gonna shy away from it. Like, yeah, it's it's very disappointing. The the whole draft weekend was a disappointment, but it also was a realization that if we don't do a better job at developing guys that are going to play in the NFL, then we're going to struggle. And so that's a part of recruiting, that's a part of retaining, but that's a part of developing. And it's not hard to look back. I did it when I first came here, the history of the Big Ten championship teams, the teams that played in the Big Ten Championship, like they averaged to have you know nine guys, 10 guys drafted on those teams. Now they were all that same year, they didn't have 10 guys drafted in one year, but you know, there's teams that had 13 guys that were drafted from that Rose Bowl team. Like, and over three years, we've had four guys drafted. And I'm not saying everybody's gonna be drafted, like you're gonna have free agents that are gonna make it, but like if you don't develop and you don't have those guys that not only are can play at the next level, but have a passion to play at the next level, then you're gonna stand out in this league and not in the way that you want to stand out. And so that's on me, that's on us. Uh, it's gonna be more of an emphasis to make sure that we understand like there's a difference between a guy that likes the game of football and a guy that loves the game of football. There's a difference between a guy that has a dream to play in the NFL and a passion to play in the NFL. And we got to do a better job at making sure we've got the ones that not only have the ability but have the passion.

SPEAKER_01 41:45

Talking with Wisconsin football coach Luke Fickle, what are the character traits that separate a couple of guys? I don't mean to single them out, but uh separate a couple of guys that are so important to what you do. The character traits of Cooper Canalano and Mason Posa, what make them special as football players and as leaders for you?

SPEAKER_02 42:05

Well, I think there's there's some of those it factors that you don't always know. Um but twofold, I think they're both incredibly competitive. I think they have a competitive spirit um that is truly from within. Uh, and then I think there is like, look, I'm a guy that says leadership is is a skill. And there's people that are born with leadership qualities that you know give them a greater opportunity, a greater chance to be a leader, uh, regardless if they are taught it or they learn it or whatever. They just have those qualities. And there's others that maybe didn't have them but learn them and build them and become great leaders as well. Uh, there are some that are uniquely just they have this alpha to them. And that's not something I think is taught. And so I think those two guys in particular, and we've got actually maybe another one or two that just have a unique difference to them that that people do flock to, people do by nature gravitate towards. Um, and when those guys are your better players, when those guys are put into positions or take those positions, it really makes things around you a lot different. And so we've been fortunate that those guys, I I think Kevin Haywood is a guy that has some of that in it too. He didn't put to play last year. Um, but they have a passion, they have something a little bit different that is felt by everybody, and I think that raises rises the tides in a lot of things.

SPEAKER_01 43:32

Did you see that? Could you see that when you're in their living rooms or in conversations with them before they come here? Or did it really profile and show itself to you once they were on campus and in helmets and pads?

SPEAKER_02 43:46

I'd be lying if I said yes, like we all hope. You know, coaches all I'm telling you, this is yeah. I mean, don't get me wrong. There's nobody I you know, I enjoyed recruiting more than Mason Pulse just because he's this the wrestling background is with the wrestling going to a rat going to New Mexico to watch a wrestling tournament. Like do you really know the it factor? I I don't know. Do you really know is there an out like when guys are put in other environments and then you don't recognize how big they grow to be like I think when people are put in those situations you just you're never sure right you could you could think you know the most it could be the the Joe Thomas the world that's the top recruit in the country but then you're always curious like now stuck in an environment where people maybe are as big or bigger or how will they be? And there's guys right there that they became bigger when put in those environments and um you know you like to say you have some idea but like the truth of the matter is until you know you see it, I think it's hard to to know you have it.

SPEAKER_01 44:48

And and those guys again now this is outside looking in coach uh but those guys in particular and there may have been others but I it felt to me that as you as a team last year stayed together in November at a time when maybe previously they hadn't and I credit those two guys and there certainly are others but how do freshmen help to keep you together like they did a year ago and a buy-in factor which is so critical to good teams and great teams so I I would say two two things with that yeah there's no doubt that those two guys are over a big factor and there's some youth and some hunger that I don't know that you can coach and that you can teach.

SPEAKER_02 45:38

And I think those guys and even the success when put in those positions that they were having meaning it's not it's not like the whole team was that right I mean Mason Post and Cooper Calan go into the Oregon game and come out of it with you know 14 16 like okay we don't win it's it's there's not a positive thing because you don't win but like there was some growth that all of a sudden you see where some things were leading to but there's also a combination of we had some growth from from older guys too. Yeah and that's where as you look back at it the the the DPs of the world the Ben Bartons of the world the Mason Rigers of the world their ability to keep a lot of things together and still keep pushing themselves to be better combined with the hunger in the youth and I don't want to say the takeover but the sure the the the you know that that a little bit of that alpha ish um that combination is what kept us going. And so it's hard to say just the youth it's hard to just say well DP and Ben and Mason Riger and and and some of those older guys I know but the combination of those guys and how they did feed off the older guys fed off the hunger of the youth the older guys still kept a passion to to drive themselves to be better but sometimes as an older guy the nature of when things don't go well you just you you focus on yourself and say well I have to play better and I want to play in the next level and I want to be an NFL player so I have to continue to play well which is good too but combined with the young guys that know like look this is the future I want to be here this is what I want to do I got to bring people with me that combination of those guys working together I again there are some positive things that came out of in particular the last half of the season that is really something that we're we have grown a lot because of and will really lead us to where we need to go.

SPEAKER_01 47:36

Luke I don't know that you have a whole lot of time for self-reflection but do you see an evolution are you evolving as a coach and and you as a staff are you evolving and I guess you have to but how does that manifest itself how are you evolving into year four which is coming up yeah I think in how you build teams the the the biggest change that I've seen in college football is how you build a team.

SPEAKER_02 47:58

Yeah um the game hasn't changed right I mean the ball goes down the game hasn't changed it's one up front it's still tough it's physical it's a tough sport for tough people how you build and how you win as a program over the last four years each year has been I think has changed and been different over the first 20 some years that I've been coaching. So the evolution for us as coaches me in particular is yeah there's there's a lot of things that I have got to grow and and learn from um and have learned from in those in the past three years. One of them is is how how do you get better as you have all these new guys and and and the technologies and and how physical the game is like just a simple thing. We went to spring football and the nature of what we did you know it used to be you practice 15 practices you put as pads on as many times you can you beat each other up you find out how we generate and create toughness and you know it that's still a part of it but like we went helmets on Tuesday and said look we don't want to make this a physical practice in some ways we still got to practice because so many new guys and then on Thursday we're gonna put on the shells and we'll thud things up and then on Saturday we're gonna put on full gear and we're gonna go live and some people say well hold on nobody goes live in the spring like you know not nobody goes in just helmets on a on when you only have 15 practices. So I think for us it was a it was a way of saying hey we need a lot of work so we're gonna get a lot more reps if we just go in helmets. We're gonna be able to practice physical and stuff like that on on a Thursday and then like a game week you have you know a tough middle of the week you have a uh a you know jog through run through whatever you know not as physical of a at beginning of the week but then you play on Saturday and so for me it was you know a little bit uneasy to you know have a Tuesday like that and then sometimes it was a little bit uneasy to say like we're gonna go live on Saturday like oh my gosh like do you get guys hurt like you know I can tell you this the guys appreciate to be able to play the game live yeah you know and if they don't then you recognize the guys that are worried about maybe being hurt and that's doesn't both well for you if if guys are worried about being hurt because it's part of the game.

SPEAKER_01 50:14

Two final thoughts uh you got a little less than four months until Notre Dame. When did you or when do you start thinking about Notre Dame at Lambeau Field in September I don't know that there's a day that goes I mean and I don't mean that like oh you're you're focused on Notre Dame but like I said I did a little thing yesterday with the the alumni magazine they're like well you know do you do you relax?

SPEAKER_02 50:37

Yeah I'm like you guys in the world I live in like every morning I wake up and I think about the season. Yeah you know you're not trying to predict and project but just you know and every day I go to bed at night and and you know all I think about is okay where are we what what's the season going to look like and does that have to do with game one? Yeah it does but I don't think there's any better opportunity for us to measure where we are right whether they go into the season ranked number one in the kind of I I don't know. Yeah you know this that it's it's definitely um not going to be difficult for us to figure out where we are and where we need to go um after game one and so there's nothing that's better to to get yourself prepared for you know whether it's starting your summer summer workouts or as you get into fall camp to know that like look you know we're gonna be tested week one and and we got to be ready.

SPEAKER_01 51:26

Have you been at Lambeau for a game?

SPEAKER_02 51:28

Never I've never been to Lambeau.

SPEAKER_01 51:30

So we are actually going June 17th we're going up there to do a Lambo day um for for a lot of us for a lot of us to get that you know that first up time in there to see it to be around it um so it's not the the first time we walk into it is uh on game day very cool I'll leave you with this you you have uh taken training camp to Platteville the last couple of years uh that won't happen this year but it it appears that your new facility that you'll be maybe I mean McLean is now closed right I mean shut that down uh a week ago so how will you handle camp how does that work when you uh convene in August?

SPEAKER_02 52:07

Yeah so we'll be on campus and it was kind of twofold it was something we were you know trying to evaluate the the last few years but with the season starting a week later they begin their season as well so yeah it was not going to work out we were gonna be able to be a platfield for like three or four days tops and so to have all the travel and different things it just it didn't it didn't fit um but but we'll be able to use the McLean we'll be able to use our field and then the one good thing about it is and and we did a lot of this this this spring is we'll be able to use the grass field. And so I think that to be actual go up there and and have some live ball like we did in the spring and to be on grass um is something I think we're going to take a brilliant advantage of this this fall camp.

SPEAKER_01 52:49

Hey coach thank you I I appreciate you doing this uh and taking some time out of your schedule all the best to you and your family and look forward to the next time we get a chance to visit appreciate it Mike anytime thank you Luke Luke the head coach of the Wisconsin Badger football program a couple of notes came in um while we're having that conversation uh let's see uh Tom says still believes in coach Vick hopefully they'll have a great year and Mike you're killing it with a new gig I appreciate that very nice of you uh Mike and Merrill says thanks to Coach Fickle for coming on to talk to the Wisconsin fans refreshing and important and it is um to that end you know uh I reached out to Patrick Herb who uh is Associate Athletic Director for Brand Communications and Handles Football and and asked to do this and the answer is yes and that's great because these are the types of conversations uh that I think are beneficial to the fan base because we're the conduit as a show host, as a podcast host I'm the conduit one of the conduits between the fan base and the program itself and uh and having coach uh fickle come on and have this conversation sometimes not a comfortable conversation talking about no players drafted in the NFL is uh it's not an easy question to ask. It's a question. But you know I talked to Luke live I'm the first one that talks to him postgame uh on the Badger Football Radio Network after every game for the last three years. So he leaves the locker room, goes in with coaches just for a moment or two, comes out and does a four five minute one-on-one interview for me on the Badger Football Radio Network, then goes to the press conference. To have Luke in this setting is important. So I appreciate the willingness and the answer uh of saying yes to doing it. And I think it was um insightful and nothing can prepare you for what the season is going to be. Nobody knows. You know I I'm optimistic I think that this is an eight win football team uh with a high water a nine ish. That's what I think doesn't matter. When they open up against Notre Dame and then western Illinois comes to town and eastern Michigan and then you open the Big Ten at Penn State and home with Michigan State you get a bye you play in Pasadena against UCLA on October 17th home with USC a week later at Iowa home rutgers at Maryland at Purdue home Minnesota those 12 11 Saturdays and a Sunday they will tell you what we don't know right now. Some of you think you know some of us think we know we don't know they'll tell you on the field when we get to this fall and if it doesn't end up answering all the questions in the way that people want them answered then decisions have to be made or might surprise you who those who are a little bit more pessimistic of what they might do. But again, we don't know we're gonna find out shoot I I had a look I mean we're just inside of four months until that opening game against what will be a top three or four ranked team in the country in Notre Dame at Lambeau Field 630 on a Sunday night September the 6th can't wait. So much fun uh to anticipate and to talk about what is to come. A big thank you to our sponsors onecommunity.bank for all of your banking needs go to onecommunity.bank M3 Insurance whether you handle insurance or benefit packages for your employees visit m3ins.com Pottawatomi Sportsbook and casino is one of our sponsors so is Habish Habish and Road to your 13 locations to ensure you get a positive result from your injury situation and also brought to you by the neuroscience group uh for brain spine and pain care visit them what a fun day I knew we were going to be loaded because uh a big thank you to Bill Schroeder Rock longtime brewer TV analyst who joined us he'll be on the call in Minnesota he's not on the call for the home series going on right now he'll head up to the Twin Cities and call the weekend set between the Brewers and Twins in uh the Twin Cities this weekend he joined us and so did the head coach of Wisconsin football Luke Fickle. Fun day we'll try and do this again tomorrow going to be different uh because it's always different. We'll talk about Ms going tonight. I didn't get to the ballpark last night life happens. I'm going today so I'll be over at American Family Field for the Brewers and Padres and Miz on the mound tonight we'll talk about that and other things tomorrow including the NFL schedule a release thanks for being here with I Love Mondays and we'll talk to you again tomorrow on the program I love Mondays with my hell