Elegant Sports

After two months of extensive weight training and winter conditioning, classroom sessions and walk-throughs, the dawning of a new college football season is upon us.

Springball ’25.

There is one universal truth in March and April as espoused by Indiana University coach Curt Cignetti: “Everybody is going to come out of spring football undefeated.”

But who’s keeping score? Besides, that is, the agents and poachers who are evaluating talent in anticipation of the next open window in the transfer portal (April 16-25).

Luke Fickell, for one, is not about to let anything disrupt his mindset or approach during the formative stages of his third season as the University of Wisconsin coach.

“People tell you today that it’s harder to build teams and programs and cultures because of the nature of college football. I think that’s just an excuse,” he said.

“Why would you put anything in your head that would keep you from doing everything that you need to do here and how you’re going to grow to move forward?”

On any personnel upgrade, he said, “You can watch and see what you can see, and I’ll try to keep my mouth shut because I think we’ve got to prove a lot of different things.”

He went on to acknowledge, “We’ve got to be able to produce … and win football games.”

That’s the philosophy he wants to implement. After Thursday’s opening practice at Camp Randall Stadium, Fickell detailed other things on his mind.

“The most important thing is obviously the efficiency of what we’re trying to do,” he said. “There’s a lot new, and I just don’t mean that in the new offense.

“I mean that in people. I mean that in just making sure we understand how we’ve got to do things together. Day one, there’s always a lot of energy.”

There’s always a lot of questions that can’t be answered, too. Not maybe even after the completion of all 15 spring practices will the picture crystallize.

It’s true everywhere, not only here. Especially during the transfer portal era and the annual shake-up of rosters; the comings and goings through the personnel turnstile.

One of the new pieces for Wisconsin is a gritty, tough-minded bridge quarterback — a grad student by the name of Billy Edwards, who spent three years at Maryland.

“He’s a ballplayer,” said Fickell, who upon getting to know him better discovered “the maturity. You recognize the passion and the love for the game.”

Besides learning the nuances of offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes’ system, Edwards is finding out more about the UW program as a whole. He’s not alone.

During this off-season, Fickell explained, “We spent a lot more time in the classroom teaching football and studying the history of Wisconsin football.

“We had to do a better job of making sure we knew where we came from to where we’re headed. So, it was two-fold.”

Asked to expound on this history kick, he said, “We just went back and made sure all the stuff that we walk around and see on a daily basis that we know exactly what it is.”

Fickell is uncertain if it will have any bearing on winning football games.

“But I truly believe it helps building a program and making sure we understand the culture of what has been here and what needs to continue to be here.”

History: James White the player. Now: James White the coach

The timing is interesting if only because one of Wisconsin’s greatest tailbacks, James White, is now on the University of Illinois coaching staff.

White left quite a legacy at the UW. In rushing for 4,015 yards, only Ron Dayne, Jonathan Taylor, Montee Ball, Melvin Gordon and Anthony Davis rushed for more here.

A three-time Big Ten champion, White was also an invaluable contributor to three Super Bowl wins with the New England Patriots during his eight seasons in the NFL.

This week, White began life anew as an assistant running backs coach for his former Badgers mentor and head coach Bret Bielema, who’s in his fifth year with the Illini.

“He recruited me and coached me. There’s a lot of familiarity there,” White said. “There’s a lot of familiar faces here on the coaching staff so that helps, too.”

One of White’s former UW teammates and friends is Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry. “You could always tell he was going to be some type of leader,” White said.

Other Badgers connections include Illinois co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach Terrance Jamison and offensive line coach Bart Miller.

In addition, Bielema’s chief of staff, Mark Taurisani, and director of operations, Peter Weiden, both had stints at Wisconsin.

“It’s like I’m getting recruited all over again,” White kidded.

The fact is, White recruited Bielema this time.

“Coach B was open to me to have the opportunity to work here,” White said. “I came up (to Champaign), met with the coaching staff and players, and I was able to find a spot.”

Helping facilitate this career move was Northern Illinois University head coach Thomas Hammock, who was the UW running backs assistant when White was there.

Last August, White volunteered his services to Hammock out of mutual respect. He had so much fun around the players he was grateful to Hammock for opening the door.

“We had talked about it previously, and I said, ‘OK, I’ll do it because it will get me out of the house a little bit,”’ explained White, who was living with his family in Naperville, Illinois.

Logistically, it wasn’t all that challenging since it’s a 45-minute drive from Naperville to the Northern Illinois campus in DeKalb. It was like a day camp.

“I was getting up and getting there as soon as the coaches were getting there at 5:30 or 6 in the morning,” White said. “I was getting a feel for the coaching thing.

“It was a commitment. Some of those days I was getting up at 3:30 and 4 in the morning. But I enjoyed it. I got to know the kids and built some relationships with them.”

It was a good way to fill his day since White’s path in television looked sketchy after getting a trial run with the Big Ten Network. He was looking for more fulfillment.

“Since the year before last, coach Hammock kept saying, ‘You can get into coaching’ and I told him, ‘I don’t know if I’m ready to do that,”’ related White, 33.

“I’ve got little kids and it’s a time commitment away from family. But when nothing really came through in broadcasting, I decided I’d at least give it a try and see what it’s like.”

Hammock advised him to reach out to Bielema or former New England coach Bill Belichick. If nothing else, he would find a spot for him at Northern Illinois.

“He just said, ‘We’d make something work,'” recalled White, who got in touch with Bielema at the start of 2025. “It was out of the blue and he wasn’t expecting it.”

What about the Badgers?

Bielema was obviously receptive to having White on his staff. But it begs questions, “Did White consider coaching for his alma mater? Did the UW ever approach him?”

White, in fact, had thought about the possibility.