FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas — Wisconsin Coach Luke Fickell has expressed interest in hiring University of Arkansas wide receivers coach Kenny Guiton to fill the same role with the Badgers.
Guiton will become the Wisconsin hire, according to a Tuesday night report from FootballScoop.com that cited several anonymous sources.
Guiton played quarterback at Ohio State from 2010-13. That overlapped with Fickell’s tenure with the Buckeyes as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach all of those seasons with the exception of 2011, when he served a one-year stint as interim head coach after the suspension and then resignation of Coach Jim Tressel.
Guiton, 32, has been receivers coach for Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman since the 2021 season. He served four games as offensive coordinator this season after Pittman fired Dan Enos on Oct. 22, and the Razorbacks produced one of their best offensive games in his debut during a 39-36 overtime win at Florida.
Arkansas racked up 481 yards total offense and produced its first 100-yard game by a running back in the program’s first-ever win at Florida.
The Razorbacks had an up-and-down offensive finish with Guiton as play caller. They produced 255 yards and 225 yards, respectively, in SEC home losses to Auburn and Missouri, sandwiched around a 510-yard effort in a win over Florida International.
After Pittman hired Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator in late November, Guiton resumed his role as receivers coach as the Razorbacks pointed toward the first day of the early national signing period last Wednesday.
Wisconsin has been seeking a replacement for assistant coach Mike Brown, who left his role as receivers coach to take the same job at Notre Dame.
If Guiton departs, Pittman will be looking for his third receivers coach entering his fifth season. Pittman retained Justin Stepp off the previous Chad Morris regime for the 2020 season before Stepp left to take a job at South Carolina in his hometown of Columbia. S.C., with Shane Beamer.
Pittman said last Wednesday he did not anticipate any further staff movement from his standpoint. The Razorbacks have hired Petrino and offensive line coach Eric Mateos, who replaced Cody Kennedy, since completing a 4-8 season.
Kennedy took a job as offensive line assistant for new Mississippi State Coach Jeff Lebby.
