Taking Cubs to ‘next level’ helped sway Counsell
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Jesse Rogers, ESPN Staff Writer
CHICAGO — Declaring a new challenge is “where he had to push himself,” new manager Craig Counsell donned a Chicago Cubs uniform at Wrigley Field for the first time Monday after spending the past nine seasons with the rival Milwaukee Brewers.
Counsell, 53, said he had been contemplating a change for the past couple of years but didn’t know he would end up in Chicago until signing a five-year, $40 million contract last week to replace David Ross, who was fired.
“It’s been an emotional week,” Counsell said. “Much harder than I imagined. Just the speed in which this happened and 17 years [including as a player] of relationships. That hits you hard.
“The Brewers have meant a lot to me. I have great relationships there. The relationships I have there are the relationships I’m going to try with all of me to build in Chicago. They’re what’s important in this game.”
Counsell said he “underestimated” the amount of anger Brewers fans have toward him for leaving for a rival.
“That was my miscalculation,” Counsell said. “As time moves forward, I am very proud of what happened in Milwaukee. I think time will look favorably on what was accomplished during those nine years I was the manager there.”
Counsell traveled to meet in secret with Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer on Nov. 1, after his contract with the Brewers ran out. He was intrigued by Hoyer’s vision and aggressive approach.
“I saw quickly that the organization is in great health,” Counsell said. “Jed presented a compelling vision of that. It’s time to be a Cub. There is momentum happening here. And it feels close. Now it’s my job to be part of taking us to the next level. And that’s the plan.”
The Cubs won 83 games last season, just missing out on the playoffs despite a plus-96 run differential. Hoyer said the idea to approach Counsell grew throughout October as he contemplated the wins “left on the table” in 2023. So when Counsell expressed interest, the two hammered out a deal which made Counsell the highest paid skipper in the game.
“I’m sitting up here a little scared,” Counsell said of his new surroundings. “I’m sitting up here feeling a little uncomfortable. But that’s how you get to a better place. And that’s how you push yourself as a person to a better place.
“You walk into a place that you already know demands your best. That feeling is just a feeling that I need to have, that I love to have. I need that to be part of my daily life.”
Counsell didn’t deny that joining the big-market Cubs had its allure as well. The Brewers’ payroll ranked 19th in MLB last season, while the Cubs ranked ninth. Milwaukee has consistently been in the bottom third in that category while, even in retooling years, the Cubs have been among the highest spenders.
That’s expected to continue this offseason as the team is interested in players such as free agent Shohei Ohtani as well as several starting pitchers from Japan who are expected to become available, sources told ESPN. The farm system is ranked No. 2 by ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.
“More resources are something Chicago offers,” Counsell said. “There’s no question about that. It’s part of the equation. … More resources mean different types of players. That’s a different challenge for a manager. … It’s part of how you tackle a great baseball team. There are also other things that excite you. This place, you can’t help but get excited about it. It’s more than just payroll.”
Counsell indicated that his first task is to create a connection to Cubs’ players and fans alike.
“That is the challenge I have ahead of me,” Counsell said. “It’s a big one. It takes time but it’s the one I have to get right.”
Counsell recognized the unusual move of being courted while the Cubs still employed a manager. He said it’s the “cut-throat” part of the business.
“David [Ross] is a very good man,” Counsell said. “David texted me probably before the news broke here. I called him back. We had what I think is a very good conversation. I’ve always had great respect for David. That gave me the ultimate respect for David.”
Counsell also acknowledged his years in a smaller market may come in handy in Chicago. It’s not unlike how Andrew Friedman jumped from the Tampa Bay Rays to become president of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Success followed.
“It’s an interesting dynamic for this team to take,” Counsell said.
In the end, there were many aspects that brought the Wisconsin native 90 miles south to Chicago. A hefty raise and a new challenge were among them, but that doesn’t mean it was an easy decision. It’s why he took nearly two years to decide upon his next career step.
“I wanted to give it as much time as possible to see where life had me,” Counsell said.
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Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer
Wisconsin fired offensive coordinator Phil Longo on Sunday, a day after the Badgers’ 16-13 home loss to No. 1 Oregon.
In a statement, Badgers coach Luke Fickell thanked Longo for his two seasons with the program, while adding, “We are not where we need to be and believe this decision is in the best interest of the team.”
Wisconsin ranks 97th nationally in scoring and 102nd in passing while operating an Air Raid-style offense that Longo brought with him from North Carolina and other stops.
The Badgers, who lost starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke to a season-ending injury Sept. 14, had only three points and 88 yards in the second half against Oregon, which rallied from a 13-6 deficit entering the fourth quarter.
Wisconsin ranked 101st nationally in scoring in Longo’s 23 games as coordinator and failed to eclipse 13 points on its current three-game losing streak. Quarterback Braedyn Locke had only 96 passing yards against the Ducks.
Fickell did not immediately announce an interim coordinator for Wisconsin’s final regular-season games against Nebraska and Minnesota.
Fickell had long targeted Longo for a coordinator role, going back to his time as Cincinnati’s coach. Longo, 56, oversaw productive offenses at Ole Miss, North Carolina, Sam Houston State and other spots but never consistently got traction at a Wisconsin program that had operated dramatically differently on offense before his arrival.
“This team still has a lot in front of us and I am committed to doing everything we can to close out this season with success,” Fickell said in his statement.
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Eli Lederman, ESPN Staff Writer
Four-star quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. has committed to Florida, he told ESPN on Sunday, joining the Gators’ 2025 class four days after pulling his pledge from Florida State.
Jones, a four-year starter at Florida’s Mandarin High School, is ESPN’s No. 9 dual-threat passer in the Class of 2025. After multiple trips to Florida throughout his recruitment, Jones returned to campus Saturday, taking an official visit with the Gators during the program’s 27-16 win over LSU. A day later, Jones stands as the lone quarterback pledge in a 2025 Florida class that includes five pledges from the ESPN 300.
“I pretty much saw everything I needed to see when I visited last spring — I just love everything around the campus,” Jones told ESPN. “And then hanging out with the guys yesterday, seeing the camaraderie with each other, that really just sealed it for me.”
Jones was the longest-tenured member of Mike Norvell’s 2025 class at Florida State before his decommitment from the Seminoles on Thursday morning.
Jones’ exit came days after Norvell announced the firings of three assistant coaches on Nov. 10, including offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Alex Atkins. Jones was the first Florida State commit to pull his pledge in the wake of the staff shakeup but marked the Seminoles sixth decommitment since the start of the regular season, joining five ESPN 300 recruits who have left Norvell’s recruiting class across the program’s 1-9 start.
Jones’ commitment follows a key late-season victory for Billy Napier on Saturday and marks the Gators’ first recruiting win since athletic director Scott Strickland announced on Nov. 7 that Florida would stick with the third-year coach beyond the 2024 season.
Uncertainty over Napier’s future had weighed down Florida’s recruiting efforts in the 2025 class as the Gators began November with the No. 39 class in ESPN’s latest team rankings for the cycle. But Jones’ pledge comes as a boost for Florida one day after the Gators hosted a handful of high-profile flip targets, including five-star offensive tackle Solomon Thomas (Florida State pledge) and four-star wide receiver Jaime Ffrench (Texas pledge).
When Jones signs with Florida, he’ll arrive on campus flanked by fellow in-state offensive talents in four-star wide receivers Vernell Brown III (No. 44 in the ESPN 300) and Naeshaun Montgomery (No. 115), as well as four-star running back Waltez Clark (No. 223). Florida is also set to sign a pair of in-state defenders from the 2025 ESPN 300 between four-star defensive end Jalen Wiggins (No. 68) and four-star cornerback Ben Hanks Jr. (No. 121).
With Jones’ commitment, Florida has another jolt to its momentum on the recruiting trail as the Gators seek to chart a strong finish in the 2025 cycle next month. More imminently, Florida will host No. 11 Ole Miss on Saturday.
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