Luke Fickell has decided to leave Cincinnati to take the head coaching job at Wisconsin. Here are five potential head coach candidates for the Cincinnati Bearcats.
1. Jim Leonhard
With Fickell going to Wisconsin, Jim Leonhard will have to go back to being a defensive coordinator or find a new job. Leonhard played at Wisconsin and in the NFL as a safety. Since then, he has been an assistant coach at Wisconsin, working his way up to defensive coordinator and interim head coach.
Leonhard has been a hot name on the coaching market over the last few seasons with his work as a defensive coordinator. He has recruiting ties in the midwest and could help Cincinnati continue to have a defensive identity. The move to the Big XIII next season could entice Leonard to take the job.
2. Gino Guidugli
Gino Guidugli is the current offensive coordinator at Cincinnati, where he helped the Bearcats score 31.1 points per game this season. Before that, he was an offensive assistant for Cincinnati and Central Michigan. He also played for the Bearcats as a quarterback, setting several records in the process. His career took him to the NFL and several other professional leagues.
Guidugli is a Cincinnati legend who has recruiting ties to the state. He would be a younger head coach at the age of 39, but can be successful. The Bearcats need to find a quarterback for next season and the future and having Guidugli as the lead man could really help, especially at the team joins the offense-friendly Big XII.
3. Mike Tressel
Tressel is the nephew of former Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel. He is the defensive coordinator on staff for the Bearcats, which is a job he has had for two seasons. This season the Bearcats allowed 20.3 points per game. Before his time at Cincinnati, Tressel worked at Michigan State as a defensive coordinator and assistant. He formerly worked at Cincinnati and for Ohio State as well.
Being the defensive coordinator for the team that went to the College Football Playoff shouldn’t be taken lightly, as the Bearcats had a great defense that season. He has worked in the midwest for the majority of his career and could keep the momentum of the program going. While he may not be their first choice, Tressel will likely be considered for the job.
4. Jason Candle
Candle has had success at a program in the same state as Cincinnati at Toledo. In seven seasons, plus a bowl game coached, with the Rockets, Candle has posted a 52-32 record. The Rockets have been eligible for a bowl game every season Candle has been at Toledo. His ties to Ohio go back to when he was a player at Mount Union and an assistant there and Toledo as well.
At Toledo, Candle has provided a level of consistency that would be coveted at other schools. His ties to Ohio will come in handy. He has already shown he can keep the momentum of a program going after Matt Campbell left Toledo to take the Iowa State job and he was appointed his successor.
5. Jon Sumrall
Sumrall is just in his first season as head coach, but he has done well. He has led the Troy Trojans to a 10-2 record and a Sun Belt Conference Championship Game berth. That is impressive given that he took over a program that had not made a bowl game in the three previous seasons before his arrival. His coaching journey has included stops at Tulane, Troy, Ole Miss and Kentucky.
While it may be a little premature to expect Sumrall to jump ship to a new job, he will be a big name on the coaching market whether it is this offseason or next. He has spent plenty of time at Kentucky, which isn’t too far away from Cincinnati so he could use some of his recruiting ties that he has secured over the years. He is an offensive-minded coach and could get more out of the offense than was seen in Cincinnati this season.
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