He is loyal, some would say almost to a fault. Of course, the qualities that could make Fickell desirable for USC will also make it harder to get him to Los Angeles. Trojans backers are convinced that the program went soft under Helton, and so a guy with Fickell’s profile - three-time state champion heavyweight wrestler, 50-game starter at nose guard for the Buckeyes, a man who defines himself and his teams on grit above all - is exactly what is needed to bring USC back to prominence. That line of thinking is why Cincinnati fans panicked when Bohn fired Clay Helton. I would go to Southern Cal in a heartbeat.” I’ve heard people say that Luke may not want to live in California, but to me it’s a no-brainer. “I spent seven years in the Pac-10, and I personally think Southern Cal is the best coaching job in football. “I keep telling him that Cincinnati is not a destination, that you gotta move on from there,” says John Cooper, who coached Fickell at Ohio State in the 1990s. If Bohn comes calling again later this fall, Fickell would have the rare chance to take over a traditional top-five program with an administration that he already trusts backing him. On the surface, USC and Fickell might not be an obvious match, but USC athletic director Mike Bohn is the man who gave Fickell his shot at Cincinnati. The current source of anxiety comes from out west, where a dormant blue-blood powerhouse is now looking for a head coach. Penn State coach James Franklin is considered a top candidate Urban Meyer is not.īut those assembled in this room also know his suitors will only get louder the more the Bearcats roar on the national stage.
USC coaching search heat check: These are the hottest - and coldest - candidatesĬheck out the latest updates on the USC football coaching search. In the past two years, Fickell already turned down serious advances from East Lansing and Knoxville. Here, Fickell is the coach who stayed, putting an end to the three-and-out trend sparked by Mark Dantonio (to Michigan State), Brian Kelly (to Notre Dame) and Butch Jones (to Tennessee). You assume the guy is joking - that he actually knows a coaching star like Fickell won’t be at Cincinnati six years from now - but then maybe these Bearcats supporters know something you don’t. “Coach, any good prospects in that game for your 2027 class?” a man asks. Fickell mentions to the crowd that during Cincinnati’s bye week he was able to see their seventh-eighth grade football game, a true treat. “3-0,” he replies, nodding with a smile.Īs he fields questions from the audience, Fickell’s two sets of twin boys, ages 13 and 7, walk into the restaurant, all decked out in football gear from practice. 9.0 tgt, 6.1 rec, 81.6 yds, 0.“Hey coach, did your daughter win?” a man asks, knowing the family rhythms.įickell flashes a thumbs up.
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