© Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
Sporting News Names Luke Fickell Fifth-Best Coach in College Football
CINCINNATI — After winning the Sporting News 2021 Coach of the Year Award, Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell kept that momentum rolling by checking in at No. 5 on their preseason FBS coach rankings.
Fickell was 13th in last year's exercise, but Bill Bender has seen more than enough to put Fickell in the top five.
"Fickell, who won SN Coach of the Year honors in 2021," Bender wrote. "Is 33-5 the last three seasons for the fourth-best winning percentage among FBS coaches. He led Cincinnati to the Group of 5's first appearance in the College Football Playoff, and the Bearcats sent a school-record nine NFL players to the NFL Draft. Fickell has done all that in the shadow of his alma mater, and he will be the coach that leads Cincinnati on to a larger stage in the Big 12."
Speaking of his alma mater, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day checked in just ahead of Fickell at No. 4, while Kirby Smart, Dabo Swinney, and Nick Saban rounded out the top spots in that order.
Fickell has essentially turned Cincinnati into a national presence overnight in college football terms. Taking a team from 4-8 five years ago, to the heights they just reached is unheard of in this sport and he's getting the proper recognition ahead of the 2022 season. Oh, and he's completely transformed UC's presence on the recruiting trail as well.
They are on pace to shatter their best 247Sports team ranking by 16 or more spots in 2023, moving from No. 41 too somewhere between No. 25 and No. 20 when everyone is signed.
The Fickell Effect is a whirlwind, and it's just getting started.
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