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DT Luke Fickell (HC Wisconsin Badgers)

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Look forward to seeing a new face on the sideline Saturday. Even though it will be weird, look forward to seeing the hard work this team has put in over the past few months. Good luck coach Fickell!!

Go Bucks!!
 
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It's gonna be sad not seeing Coach Tressel out there in 3 days... but at the same time, a new era has begun, and I for one am excited for what the future has in store for the Buckeyes!

Good luck Coach Fickell, here's to a successful 2011 season!!
 
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You can't ask for a better background to be the Head Football Coach at Ohio State (Ohio kid, champion wrestler, 4 year starter, assistant coach, etc). Sure, the circumstances sucked, but it's kind of exciting to see what is in store for the team and the fans.

There's definitely no text book that would get you ready for this job. I think in his short time at the top, Fickell's made some good moves and put people in a position to succeed. People are going to have to realize that Fickell isn't Tressel. Expectations are sky high, as they should be, and let's hope Coach Fickell can take full advantage of the machine that his predecessor left for him.

Go Bucks!
 
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Luke Fickell could have been Ohio's best ... wrestler
Published: Thursday, September 01, 2011
By Pat Galbincea, The Plain Dealer

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Columbus Dispatch
In the early 1990s, Luke Fickell was a dominating performer at Columbus DeSales on the wrestling mat.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The last place I expected to find Luke Fickell was in preparation for his first game as head football coach at Ohio State on Saturday. Where I always thought I would see Fickell was on the top podium as an Olympic gold medal winner in wrestling.

How good was Fickell? He is the best heavyweight high school wrestling champion Ohio has ever produced. Period.

That's a bold statement considering that Ohio has produced past Olympic and NCAA champions -- most notably Bill Kerslake, George Bollas (wrestled professionally as The Zebra Kid), Greg Wojciechowski, Tommy Rowlands and Dustin Fox.

As good as those guys were, none was better than Fickell.

Fickell was unbeaten as a three-time state champ at Columbus DeSales (1990-92). He was 36-0 as a sophomore at 189 pounds. A heavyweight a year later, he went 31-0 with 29 pins. He pinned four of five opponents at state, in times of 1:35, 42 seconds, 1:26 and 54 seconds in the final. The only opponent he didn't pin -- John Stepic of Wickliffe -- he beat, 10-0, in the semifinals.

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http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2011/09/luke_fickell_could_have_been_o.html
 
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Fickell focused
In big life moments such as today, he?s intent on doing job amid roar of crowd or spotlight on rookie coach
Friday September 2, 2011
By Tim May
The Columbus Dispatch

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Luke Fickell stands at the threshold of the ultimate moment in his college football coaching career.

Somewhere around high noon today, he will lead his first Ohio State team out of the southeast tower of Ohio Stadium and through a tunnel of pride made up of some of the school?s former football players and other athletes. The tunnel will be there as a show of support for a football program beleaguered the past nine months by an NCAA investigation that cost coach Jim Tressel his job.

That?s also the dynamic that brought Fickell to the fore. The former iron-horse nose guard of the mid-1990s ? the only player ever to start 50 straight games for the Buckeyes ? was an assistant defensive coach at OSU from 2002 until he was thrust to the front of pack on May30 and charged with seeing the program through one of its more trying periods.

Whether he will lead the Buckeyes onto the field for season openers to come remains to be seen. Nothing has been promised beyond this year until administrators determine whether he truly is worthy.

But if he makes their grade, it still won?t change the experience of this moment, a challenging first for a native son who leaped at the chance ? despite the circumstances ? to steer his alma mater?s football express. Just don?t expect him to step way out front and take a bow.

?There are people who like attention, who like that spotlight just by their nature, but that?s not me,? Fickell said. ?I guess growing up as a wrestler and playing defensive lineman, a lot of attention wasn?t something that came with the job. So I?m not here for the attention. I accept it ? something you have to do as the head coach.?

But he has fully embraced being the man in charge.

?You like to have control, because you?re confident in and believe in what you do,? Fickell said.

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http://www.buckeyextra.com/content/stories/2011/09/02/gameday/cover-coach.html
Ohio State Buckeyes longtime pals Luke Fickell, Mike Vrabel dot the i's in friendship
Published: Saturday, September 03, 2011
By Doug Lesmerises, The Plain Dealer

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Ohio State University
Ohio State head football coach Luke Fickell, left, and linebackers coach Mike Vrabel are former teammates and are best friends.

COLUMBUS, Ohio ? The Fickells don't talk football much at home, but on this June night, Amy Fickell had a suggestion for her husband. She'd thought of a candidate to be Ohio State's new linebackers coach. Luke Fickell already had the same idea.

The guy their kids call "Uncle Mike."

After standing up at each other's weddings, today new Ohio State head coach Luke Fickell and linebackers coach Mike Vrabel will stand together on the OSU sideline, an off-season of turmoil bringing two best friends back together as Buckeyes.

"It seems like they're back in college almost, like they're reliving their college days and coaching at their alma mater," said OSU senior linebacker Nate Oliver. "They're pretty much the same person. It's funny, actually."

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http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2011/09/ohio_state_buckeyes_longtime_p.html
 
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One of my high school coaches played with Fickell at Desalles. I remember him telling me that if anyone ever acted up at school, they would be sent to a room where they would be locked in alone with Fickell. They would never have any trouble with any of those kids again.
 
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