Luke Fickell Cincinnati head coach
Luke Fickell first became a head coach when he succeeded Jim Tressell at Ohio State in 2011. The Buckeyes were 6-7 with Fickell as the interim head coach. Fickell is an Ohio State alum who was an assistant under Tressell from 2002-2010 and as a graduate assistant in 1999 under former head coach John Cooper.
Fickell remained at Ohio State as the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2012-2016 under Urban Meyer. Cincinnati hired Fickell as head coach for the 2017 season. In four-plus seasons Fickell has led the Bearcats to a 40-14 record. Cincinnati has gone 36-6 since the beginning of the 2018 season.
In case you missed it Cincinnati is ranked #5 in the country. Just wondering if some of y’all still think Luke Fickell wouldn’t be a fit at Miami or if you’ve had time to come to your senses? pic.twitter.com/JlYRgyPd9k
— David Franklin #TrenchWork (@_DFranklin) October 4, 2021
Playing in the American Athletic Conference, Fickell helped recruit Cincinnati to have the 54th most talented roster in college football. The Bearcats have seven four-star players and 72 three-star players. Only Central Florida and Memphis have rosters ranked ahead of Cincinnati in the AAC.
The Bearcats are a major contender to be the first Group of Five program ever to qualify for the College Football Playoff. Cincinnati is ranked third in the AP Top 25 and fourth in the USA Today Coaches Poll this week. Number 23 SMU on November 20 is the only remaining ranked team on Cincinnati’s schedule.