With the departure of University of Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell for Wisconsin, it’s time to start looking at names of coaches the Bearcats could be looking at to replace their newly departed head coach.
In each article, we’ll look at a handful of names Bearcats Director of Athletics John Cunningham could be looking towards as his newest head football coach.
GINO GUIDUGLI
CURRENT JOB: Cincinnati – Offensive Coordinator
AGE: 39 YEARS
PAST COACHING JOBS: College Assistant: Central Michigan (2010-2016), Cincinnati (2017 – Present).
Guidugli will have a lot of buzz from the Bearcats fan base as one of Cincinnati’s all-time greats. It also helps that he’s been with the program for the past six seasons and knows what to expect. Will he be given a solid chance to run the Bearcats program?
Offensive-minded instead of the defensive-minded Fickell, Guidugli will be a coach in demand if he’s not the Bearcats’ next head coach, as he’s done a solid job in his first year as offensive coordinator.
Unfortunately, lacking head coaching experience and only one year as offensive coordinator may be too much to make up for Cincinnati Director of Athletics John Cunningham.
MIKE TRESSEL
CURRENT JOB: Cincinnati – Defensive Coordinator
AGE: 49 YEARS
PAST COACHING JOBS: College Assistant: South Dakota, Wartburg, Ohio State, Cincinnati, Michigan State.
Tressel is cut from the Jim Tressel, Mark Dantonio coaching tree and is now in his second stint with the Bearcats. While he’s never been a head coach, Tressel has a long and successful coaching career to back him up, and the family name with his uncle, father, Dick Tressel, and grandfather, Lee Tressel.
Smart, high energy, and organized, Tressel has all the tools one would look for in a head coach except the experience. In addition, he fully understands recruiting Ohio and the Midwest, having done that his entire coaching career. Current Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi, another former Cincinnati coach and longtime Dantonio assistant, didn’t have head coaching experience when the Panthers hired him.
If given the job, Tressel would have the contacts to build a solid coaching staff.
JASON CANDLE
CURRENT JOB: Toledo – Head Coach
AGE: 43 YEARS
PAST COACHING JOBS: College Assistant: Mount Union, Toledo. College Head Coach: Toledo (2016 – Present).
If head coaching experience and being a consistent winner is one of the main things Cunningham looks for in the Bearcats’ next head coach, Candle has it, having led the Toledo program since Matt Campbell left for Iowa State. He’s guided the Rockets to multiple bowl games and first-place finishes in the Mid-American Conference, including this season, as the Rockets will play in the MAC Championship Game on Saturday.
Candle turned down a job with the Miami Hurricanes as offensive coordinator in January this year, and we feel his time has come to make a change. Will it be in Cincinnati? Maybe not, but don’t be surprised after this weekend to hear Candle’s name with the USF job.
Candle is offensive-minded, never had a losing season, and fully understands developing players and recruiting Ohio and the Midwest.
DEION SANDERS
CURRENT JOB: Jackson State – Head Coach
AGE: 55 YEARS
PAST COACHING JOBS: High School: Prime Prep Academy, Triple A Academy, Trinity Christian School. College: Jackson State (2020 – Present).
If Cunningham wants to make a significant splash with this hire, there is none more prominent than “Primetime” Deion Sanders. There is not a single door in the country Sanders would be turned away from on the recruiting front. While the body of work is short, it would depend on the staff Sanders could build around him to make it work with any Power Five program.
Someone will give Sanders a significant job in college football, but it will be more of where Sanders sees himself. He’s got a past in Cincinnati with his time playing for the Reds, but would he see himself full-time in Ohio, or would he be a coach looking to jump on the next big thing?
Sanders has been fighting some health issues but worked around them and helped Jackson State to their first-ever undefeated season.
ALEX GOLESH
CURRENT JOB: Tennessee – Offensive Coordinator
AGE: 38 YEARS
PAST COACHING JOBS: High School: Westerville (OH) Central. College Assistant: Ohio State, Northern Illinois, Oklahoma State, Toledo, Illinois, Iowa State, UCF, Tennessee.
Some will say Golesh is a hot name because of the play of the Tennessee offense. I say he’s a hot name because he’s done it the old fashion way of grinding at every stop along the way. Over the years, it didn’t matter where Golesh was working; he would be seen watching talent across multiple areas on Friday nights.
If you’re going to hire a first-time head coach who is currently a coordinator, Golesh would be at the top of many lists. Another coach who understands recruiting and developing talent, Golesh, has recruited Ohio during his long coaching career of almost twenty years. Remember, Golesh is only 38.
MATT CAMPBELL
CURRENT JOB: Iowa State – Head Coach
AGE: 43 YEARS – HAPPY BIRTHDAY, COACH!!! (11/29/1979)
PAST COACHING JOBS: College Assistant: Bowling Green, Mount Union, Toledo. College Head Coach: Toledo (2012 – 2015), Iowa State (2016 – Present).
Fans of Cincinnati have a dream Urban Meyer will be offered and take the Bearcats head coaching job. I don’t see it happening, but the next best thing would be Matt Campbell coming back to Ohio.
The son of a coach, Campbell has always been ahead of the curve and does a great job on the recruiting trail. During his time at the helm of the Rockets, he never had a losing season. So when he took the job at Iowa State, many told him not to because he could never win. He’s proven them wrong, posting five winning seasons out of his seven with the Cyclones, including a first-place finish in the Big 12 in 2020, capped off with a Fiesta Bowl win and No. 9 ranking by the coaches and the AP.
In past years Campbell would not be a name talked about because of his almost $10 million buyout. However, in 2021 Campbell signed a new contract that reduced the buyout to $4 million through the contract’s expiration in Dec. of 2028.
When Cunningham spoke with the media, he was asked about Fickell’s buyout of $3.5 million and if Wisconsin would be paying it for Fickell. While he didn’t answer the question, any money coming in from Fickell’s buyout could be used to bring Campbell to Clifton.
Campbell checks off all the boxes any athletic director could ask for, as he’s been in charge of multiple programs, understands developing talent and recruiting in Ohio and the Midwest, along with a proven track record of success.
**NOTE: The names listed above are for enjoyment to discuss the coaching search at the University of Cincinnati. There will be many names listed across the internet in the coming days.
