End of Wisconsin football assistant's tenure detailed in separation agreement (2024)

A strange saga behind the scenes of the University of Wisconsin football program is in its final weeks.

Jack Bicknell Jr. was the team’s offensive line coach last season but was reassigned in the program following the bowl-game loss to LSU. But Bicknell’s new role as the program’s executive director of football operations has already ended, according to a separation agreement turned over to BadgerExtra.

Bicknell’s duties in the football operations role ended on March 31, and the university will pay Bicknell up to $650,000 of liquidated damages from May of this year to March, 31, 2025. He’s still on Wisconsin’s payroll until May 17 as he uses unpaid leave, but his employment ends May 18.

Bicknell is obligated to seek other employment to mitigate the university’s payout, which will be made in monthly installments. Bicknell, Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh and vice chancellor for finance and administration Robert G. Cramer signed the separation agreement on March 6. Both sides agreed to a non-disparagement agreement in the separation.

Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell, who hired Bicknell in January 2023, said earlier this month Bicknell wasn’t involved in the program’s day-to-day work.

“It’s not much of a role right now,” Fickell said. “We’ll see as we move forward if there's actually something that we can do that's a little bit more beneficial as a whole. But from afar, sometimes that's a little bit harder to do, but trying to figure that out.”

Bicknell came to Wisconsin in tandem with offensive coordinator Phil Longo after the pair had been working together at North Carolina. Bicknell, who played center for Boston College in the mid-1980s, had a resume that included multiple college and NFL stops but didn’t have a long list of NFL draft picks. Wisconsin’s offensive line had ups and downs as it adjusted to a new system and struggled with penalties.