Cincy on the Prowl
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Cincinnati Football Hires OSU DC Luke Fickell As Head Coach

By Bearcat Jones

Jan 1, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator Luke Fickell on the sidelines during the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2015 Sugar Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator Luke Fickell on the sidelines during the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2015 Sugar Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Ohio State Defensive Coordinator has head coaching experience as the Buckeyes’ interim coach in 2011, and should help UC again begin to recruit the Cincinnati area.

After striking out in their efforts to hire the hottest name on the block, Western Michigan’s PJ Fleck, the University of Cincinnati has tapped Luke Fickell as it’s next head coach.  Fickell, of course, is currently the co-defensive coordinator at Ohio State-Columbus branch.  It’s unknown whether Fickell will take over immediately, or coach Ohio State in the College Football Playoff.  You would hope that since he’s the co-defensive coordinator, he’d leave immediately and let former Rutgers and Tampa Bay Bucs coach Greg Schiano run the defense in the playoffs.  We shall see.

Word is that fellow OSU assistant Kerry Coombs, who formerly coached DBs at UC and made Colerain High School into a powerhouse is coming along to join Fickell’s staff at UC.  This would be excellent news for the Bearcats from a recruiting standpoint.  The Tuberville regime shifted away from recruiting Southwest Ohio in favor of Florida and Georgia players, and it showed on the field.  Cincinnati high school players were the foundation of UC’s rise to prominence in the late 2000s because they bring a toughness and grit that – let’s face it- Florida boys just don’t have.  I used to love seeing USF walk into Nippert for a November game wearing 6 layers of UnderArmour cold gear while our guys were in short sleeves.  You instantly new we were going to blow them out – no need to even play the game.

Not to mention the fact that the Florida guys Tuberville was signing are at best second- or third-tier players – guys whom Florida, Florida State, Miami, UCF, USF, and several SEC schools passed on.  The impact Coombs would have on UC’s talent level cannot be denied.  Hopefully the rumors are true that he’s coming back.

I think I would’ve preferred to see Charlie Strong come in, but all in all, this is a good situation for UC.  And if Fickell can revive the program to the point that he’s offered another job, you have Coombs waiting in the wings with several additional years of experience in a big time program.

At any rate, it’s an encouraging day to be a Bearcat.  Tommy is gone, and now the rebuilding can start.