Wisconsin Football: A Look at the 2023 Offensive Coaching Staff

Wisconsin football went through a complete overhaul after the 2022 season.

Athletic Director Chris McIntosh took a big swing in hiring former Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell and has continued adding excellent supporting staff.

The Badgers 2023 coaching staff is now complete. Here is a look at Wisconsin football’s new offensive staff.

Wisconsin football offensive coordinator/QBs coach: Phil Longo

Longo will be the Badgers OC after three seasons with North Carolina. The former Tar Heels offensive coordinator led UNC to one of the nation’s best offenses.

In his three-year tenure, Longo’s offense ranked first in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and passer rating in the ACC. On top of that, the Tar Heels finished second in the conference in rushing touchdowns. Wisconsin is poised to have an explosive offensive attack with the air-raid scheme.

Associate head coach/wide receivers coach: Mike Brown

Mike Brown heads to Madison after three years at Cincinnati under Luke Fickell. Brown was a pivotal component to Cincinnati’s College Football Playoff run while coaching up Alec Pierce, a top wide receiver in 2021 and current Indianapolis Colts receiver.

Brown will have a loaded wide receiver room for 2023 with portal additions of CJ Williams, Quincy Burroughs, and Will Pauling. He’ll also have UW receiving stalwarts Chimere Dike, Skyler Bell, and Keontez Lewis, among others.

Passing game coordinator/Tight ends coach: Gino Guidugli

Guidugli was another member of Fickell’s staff, starting with the program in 2017. Last season, Guidugli stepped into the offensive coordinator role but spent time coaching quarterbacks before that. Under his direction, former Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder thrived.

As a passing game coordinator and tight ends coach, Guidugli will have plenty of talent to game plan around. After a successful tenure with Cincinnati, Guidugli is poised for a bright future with Wisconsin.

Wisconsin football running backs coach: Devon Spalding

Former Youngstown State running backs coach Devon Spalding will lead Wisconsin’s running backs after four years with the Penguins. Spalding was instrumental in coaching Jaleel McLaughlin, who set the NCAA all-division record with 8,166 career yards.

With the two-headed monster of Braelon Allen and Chez Mellusi returning in 2023, Spalding will be responsible for coaching two dynamic rushers. If his coaching at Youngstown State is any indicator, running backs should have a big year under the new offense and coach Spalding.

Offensive line coach: Jack Bicknell Jr

Bicknell, a former UNC coach, followed Phil Longo to Wisconsin after his hire. The offensive line coach is a 35-year veteran with experience in the NFL and college football.

In his one year with the Tar Heels, Bicknell’s offensive line helped Longo’s offense reach the second rank in ACC in total offense. He also has three linemen who received All-Conference honors under his direction.

With these brilliant football minds in the fold, the future is bright for Wisconsin football. The football season is about seven months away, and can’t come soon enough.

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Jake Maier on Twitter. @JakeJMaier.

Join the Badger Notes watch party and stream Wisconsin games for FREE by clicking this link.

*Chat about this article over at Badgers After Dark