CINCINNATI — As Luke Fickell left for Madison, University of Cincinnati athletic director John Cunningham made clear his opinion that the Bearcats' head coaching position is a "very desirable job."
"We’re going to find a coach who is going to lead this program and win championships," Cunningham said. "I don’t think it is a stepping-stone job. I just don’t believe it is. This is a program that went to the College Football Playoff and now, heading into the Big 12 and all the parity that will be within the Big 12, we can do everything that you want to do at Cincinnati."
The national search for Fickell's replacement has already started — and more than one fan has expressed their desire for big names with Cincinnati connections like Urban Meyer or Deion Sanders. Here are five other names you might hear:
Kerry Coombs
The interim head coach is a clear candidate to become the Bearcats' next coach. Coombs, a Cincinnati native, was the special teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach in 2022. The longtime Colerain head coach previously served as an assistant coach at UC from 2007 to 2011. He was also defensive coordinator at Ohio State University and a defensive backs coach for the Tennessee Titans.
At 61, Coombs has been a football coach for 40 seasons and has never strayed too far from home.
Gino Guidugli
Fellow Tri-State native Gino Guidugli has been on Cincinnati's staff since Fickell took over in 2017, serving as the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator this season.
Guidugli, of course, was the Bearcats quarterback from 2001 to 2004. He broke the school's record for career passing yards, touchdown passes and completions during his time in Clifton.
While he does not have any head coaching experience, Guidugli is in both the Nippert Stadium Ring of Honor and UC Athletics Hall of Fame, showing just how much he means to the school and its fanbase.
Jesse Minter
Speaking of Guidugli's playing career, another name being thrown around is the son of former UC coach Rick Minter.
Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter played collegiately at Mount St. Joseph, was a graduate assistant at Cincinnati and did we mention his dad used to coach here?
Similar to Guidugli, Minter has no head coaching experience. He spent time at Indiana and Georgia State before joining John Harbaugh's staff in Baltimore for four years.
In his last season at Georgia State, Minter was nominated for the Broyles Award, given to the top assistant in all of college football. After his stint in the NFL, Minter served as Vanderbilt's defensive coordinator and then joined Jim Harbaugh's staff at Michigan, currently No. 2 in the AP Top 25.
Alex Golesh
A finalist for the Broyles Award this season, Tennessee offensive coordinator Alex Golesh could be another Ohio State alum to take over at UC.
Golesh grew up in Dublin, Ohio and graduated from OSU in 2006. He's spent time at Toledo, Illinois and Iowa State. Golesh also served as co-offensive coordinator at UCF in 2020, following then-Knights head coach Josh Heupel to Tennessee the next season. In 2020, Fickell's then-undefeated Bearcats had a close come-from-behind win over UCF.
Tennessee's offense has been explosive under Golesh, showcasing the team's talented wide receivers and tight ends.
Tom Herman
Tom Herman, who hasn't coached in college since his stint at Texas, is another possibility.
Born in Cincinnati, Herman spent time at Sam Houston State, Texas State, Rice and Iowa State before joining Urban Meyer's staff at Ohio State. The Buckeyes' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach received the Broyles Award in 2014, the year OSU won the College Football Playoff National Championship.
A 22-4 record at Houston led to Herman's hiring at Texas. While he never posted a losing record with the Longhorns, Herman's teams were never able to reach the College Football Playoff. He was fired after the 2020 season.
While Cunningham said the job isn't a stepping stone, former UC coaches like Brian Kelly and Mark Dantonio have found plenty of success following their tenures. Their accomplishments, coupled with UC's move to the Big 12, should attract plenty of candidates. At the end of the day, Cunningham said the school has one goal: "to compete for championships."
