After six incredibly successful seasons at the helm, Luke Fickell has departed Cincinnati for Wisconsin ,with Kerry Coombs taking over as the interim coach. As the Bearcats move to the Big 12 this coming season, this search is among the most important in school history for their long-term stability.
Luke Fickell's annual salary at Cincinnati was $5 million, and he had roughly the same amount to spend on his assistants. So, we know the Bearcats have the kind of capital needed to hire Fickell's replacement and not miss a beat as they shift towardsBig 12 play.
Let's take a look at three of the best fits for the Cincinnati football job, in no particular order, and thus who might be roaming the sideline at Nippert Stadium in 2023.
3. Jesse Minter, Defensive Coordinator, Michigan
Jesse Minter, head of one of the most impressive units in all of college football this season, is a rising star in the coaching world. He has been a coordinator for exactly two seasons, leading Clark Lea's defense at Vanderbilt before taking the job at Michigan this season. The inexperience may be a concern, but sometimes as a program you've got to take the risk that you've found a gem before anyone else.
Minter may turn into the next Fickell, and it may take a college football program like Cincinnati to take a chance on him to find out if that's the case or not.
2. Gino Guidugli, Offensive Coordinator, Cincinnati
Sometimes when guiding a program through a major transition, the key is stability. Guidugli is not just a talented offensive mind, having led the passing game since 2020 and the entire offense starting this season. Guidugli is a Cincinnati legend as a player, and has reportedly interviewed for the job.
If the Bearcats wish to just keep the ship above water as they move into life in the Power Five, Guidugli may just be the guy to do it. Cincinnati's offense has sputtered of late after an electric start to the year, so there may be additional concerns there, but if Luke Fickell trusted him, there's no reason to suspect Cincinnati itself would be unwilling to do the same.
1. Deion Sanders, Head Coach, Jackson State
If Cincinnati wants to truly swing for the fences, they go this route. Sanders is reportedly interested in the job, narrowing his potential destinations down to Cincinnati, Colorado and South Florida. Sanders would immediately bring exposure to Cincinnati football unlike any other time in school history, and would make the Bearcats a destination for recruits and transfers alike from Day 1.
There's definitely valid concern that he has never coached at all at the FBS level, let alone as a Power Five head coach, but the recruiting he has done at Jackson State speaks for itself. Not to mention he likely brings 2022 consensus No. 1 overall recruit Travis Hunter with him, as well as his son Shedeur, who last season won FCS national Freshman of the Year as quarterback at Jackson State.
This is the kind of hire that is high risk but incredibly high reward. If it doesn't work, you've probably set your program back a few years in a time period you can't really afford to do so. If it works, Cincinnati may find itself right on the precipice of the College Football Playoff once again. That's the kind of thing that at least makes Cincinnati think twice about it. Whereas Colorado and South Florida have both been in the cellar for quite some time and can afford the risk of staying there for the potential of getting out, Cincinnati doesn't have that luxury, so they have to take this coaching hire very carefully.
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