The University of Cincinnati football program has announced Kerry Coombs will serve as interim head coach following the departure of Luke Fickell to Wisconsin.Director of Athletics John Cunningham announced the news in a press conference Sunday night. Earlier in the day on Sunday, WLWT confirmed that Fickell was leaving the Cincinnati job for the head coaching position at Wisconsin. “This morning, I had a conversation with Luke Fickell. He informed me that he would be taking the head coaching job at Wisconsin. I want to thank Coach Fickell, I want to thank Amy, I want to thank his whole entire family, and I think I speak for all Bearcats when I say we wish him nothing but the best,” Cunningham said. Fickell, the winningest head coach in Bearcat history, went 57-18 in 75 games at UC, taking the Bearcats to five-straight bowl games. Bowl trips included a New Year’s Six appearance in the 2021 Peach Bowl and the Cotton Bowl as part of the 2022 College Football Playoff.Coombs, UC’s cornerbacks and special teams coach, will take over the head coaching position for the remainder of the 2022 season. This is Coombs’ first season on Cincinnati’s staff.Coombs, a Cincinnati native, was born in Colerain and has had numerous coaching stints in Cincinnati. Coombs began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Greenhills High School and then Lakota High School, before accepting the head coaching position at Loveland High School.Coombs then became head coach at his alma mater Colerain High School in 1991. In 16 years with the Cardinals, his team advanced to 10 state playoffs and won a state championship in 2004. Coombs then moved up to the college ranks, serving as an assistant coach with the Bearcats from 2007-11.From there, Coombs spent 2012-17 as an assistant coach with the Ohio State Buckeyes, coaching cornerbacks and eventually, special teams as well. Coombs later returned to Ohio State in 2020-21 following a stint as an assistant with the Tennessee Titans. “Coach Coombs has deep roots here, has deep roots with this program, has been through similar types of situations in the past, and so I trust him implicitly to lead this team through the next couple of weeks, the bowl game, the bowl game prep and everything that involves this time period of the year for our football program,” Cunningham said. The university will be conducting a nationwide search for their next head football coach.
The University of Cincinnati football program has announced Kerry Coombs will serve as interim head coach following the departure of Luke Fickell to Wisconsin.
Director of Athletics John Cunningham announced the news in a press conference Sunday night.
Earlier in the day on Sunday, WLWT confirmed that Fickell was leaving the Cincinnati job for the head coaching position at Wisconsin.
“This morning, I had a conversation with Luke Fickell. He informed me that he would be taking the head coaching job at Wisconsin. I want to thank Coach Fickell, I want to thank Amy, I want to thank his whole entire family, and I think I speak for all Bearcats when I say we wish him nothing but the best,” Cunningham said.
Fickell, the winningest head coach in Bearcat history, went 57-18 in 75 games at UC, taking the Bearcats to five-straight bowl games. Bowl trips included a New Year’s Six appearance in the 2021 Peach Bowl and the Cotton Bowl as part of the 2022 College Football Playoff.
Coombs, UC’s cornerbacks and special teams coach, will take over the head coaching position for the remainder of the 2022 season.
This is Coombs’ first season on Cincinnati’s staff.
Coombs, a Cincinnati native, was born in Colerain and has had numerous coaching stints in Cincinnati. Coombs began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Greenhills High School and then Lakota High School, before accepting the head coaching position at Loveland High School.
Coombs then became head coach at his alma mater Colerain High School in 1991. In 16 years with the Cardinals, his team advanced to 10 state playoffs and won a state championship in 2004.
Coombs then moved up to the college ranks, serving as an assistant coach with the Bearcats from 2007-11.
From there, Coombs spent 2012-17 as an assistant coach with the Ohio State Buckeyes, coaching cornerbacks and eventually, special teams as well. Coombs later returned to Ohio State in 2020-21 following a stint as an assistant with the Tennessee Titans.
“Coach Coombs has deep roots here, has deep roots with this program, has been through similar types of situations in the past, and so I trust him implicitly to lead this team through the next couple of weeks, the bowl game, the bowl game prep and everything that involves this time period of the year for our football program,” Cunningham said.
The university will be conducting a nationwide search for their next head football coach.
