CINCINNATI — The Luke Fickell fallout has begun.
The UC Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell finalized his decision to become Wisconsin's new head coach over the holiday weekend and so far, at least three players who made verbal commitments have decided to back out.
Ayden Greene was the first to announce his decision Sunday night. In a tweet, he thanked the University of Cincinnati but said his recruitment is 100% open and he is looking to explore other opportunities. The wide receiver from Tennessee was initially offered a spot on the team in May. The 3-star player verbally accepted in June, according to 247sports.com.
Respect my decision ! @_Elite3 @RileyElite3 @PowellHighFB @PowellCoachLowe pic.twitter.com/LEzPb5422r
— AYDEN GREENE! (@ayden_greene11) November 27, 2022
Early Monday morning, two other would-be-Bearcats decided not to come to the Queen City.
Jonas Duclona, a cornerback from Naples, Florida, committed in June, an analyst with 247sports reported. Duclona cited "a recent conversation with family" as his reason to withdraw from the team. He is currently ranked as a 3-star player.
please respect my decision 💯 @Rivals @Andrew_Ivins @BHoward_11 pic.twitter.com/lsd5J8202o
— Jonas Duclona 🇭🇹 (@DuclonaJonas) November 28, 2022
Amare Snowden, also a cornerback said his decision was not easy. The 4-star Michigan native verbally committed to the team in June, according to 247sports.com.
Gods Way 🙏🏽@CoachSnowden @ChrissyP313 pic.twitter.com/Trh5oht6vx
— Amare Snowden (@amare_snowden) November 28, 2022
None of the players cited Fickell leaving as the reasoning behind their decisions.
All commitments to UC were verbal and non-binding. National Signing Day starts in late December. All schools and athletes can back out at any time. It is only official when a player signs a letter of intent.
Badin senior WR/DB Braedyn Moore, a UC verbal commit, said he's been in contact with the UC coaching staff and is still verbally committed to the team but is discussing his options.
John Cunningham, UC's director of athletics, announced Sunday evening that a national search is underway to replace Fickell.
"We will find the perfect fit for this program, this university, this incredible fanbase and this awesome community," Cunningham said.
UC President Neville Pinto said he's confident in Cunningham's ability to find the team's 43rd head coach of the Bearcats football program.
"The University of Cincinnati and this community have all the ingredients needed for success, and I'm confident we'll find a candidate who can make Cincinnati proud," Pinto said.
Cunningham said Kerry Coombs will be acting as the interim head coach for the Bearcats. A Cincinnati native, Coombs was the special teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach during the 2022 season. Prior to that, he served as an assistant coach at UC from 2007 to 2011.
Fickell just ended his 2022 regular season with the Bearcats after a 27-24 loss to Tulane on Friday. He leaves the Bearcats right before they join the Big 12 during the 2023 season. Fickell also leaves as the winningest head coach in program history with his 57-18 record.
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