Patrick Coyne Reportedly Transferring From Cincinnati

Oct 5, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Tommy Tuberville points prior to the game against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Dave Berk over at Scout is reporting that Patrick Coyne is leaving the program.

Personally, this one stings a little. Coyne was a trailblazer in Cincinnati’s class of 2011. The first commitment of that class, he took it upon himself talk up the Bearcats football program to local recruits. He was a vocal leader for Cincinnati even before signing his letter of intent the following February. UC doesn’t get a lot of positive publicity within the local high school circuit but Coyne made it his business to buck that trend along with the Bearcat coaches.

A local kid, Coyne was easy root for, especially considering his pretty encouraging ratings as a high school prospect. Additionally, his dual-threat abilities seemed to fit perfectly in Butch Jones/Mike Bajakian’s offensive schemes. He seemed destined to take over for Zach Collaros after he graduated in 2011. But Coyne never rose up the depth chart and he was surpassed by Munchie Legaux and Brendon Kay. Ultimately, with the coaching change, he was moved to fullback and got kind of lost in the shuffle. Now he’s gone and, per the Scout report, will look for immediate playing time at a FCS program.

So best of luck to Patrick Coyne. I’ll always remember him for his leadership and the way he constantly represented this program. He leaves us with this:

Class act.