The unofficial online home for fans of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(01-08-2021 05:45 PM)bearcatmark Wrote:  So Freeman the cherry on top of an incredible run of announcements?

I think we're done with the good announcements at this point, and honestly, I've come to terms with that. We have a boat load of talent that any defensive coordinator could likely turn into a borderline elite defense, even if we lose arguably the best of the bunch.

(01-08-2021 05:41 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(01-08-2021 05:37 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  

(01-08-2021 05:32 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  Curtis Brooks just tweeted he is coming back.

Defensive losses are down to Jarell White, Elijah Ponder, Darrick Forrest, and James Wiggines

Their replacements will likely be Ty Van Fossen, Jowon Briggs (5* DT and two year starter as a FR/SO at Virginia), Javon Hicks (2nd Team All-AAC in 2019), and Bryan Cook.

Offensive losses are down to Darius Harper, James Hudson, and Gerrid Doaks

Their replacements will likely be Lorenz Metz or John Williams, James Tunstall (FCS All-American 2019), and Jerome Ford.

Special Teams loses James Smith and replaces him with Mason Fletcher

Don't see a whole lot of drop-off there with the exception of RT and P honestly. Cook showed out in Atlanta, and while he isn't Wiggins, he is a more than serviceable replacement...

Wow was not expecting that one. Power Conference elite teams type of depth at some positions. F Em!!!

I think my biggest concern is back to offense and specifically LT. Hudson was a great player for us this year (aside from one bad play) and in the bowl game last year.

(01-08-2021 05:45 PM)bearcatmark Wrote:  So Freeman the cherry on top of an incredible run of announcements?

I think the odds of that are extremely slim. With what’s being thrown around dollar wise I don’t know how we keep him.

The new DC is walking into a lay down euchre hand of a roster.

You're pretty much offering an instant top-10 defense to whoever wants it. I'd think that would be enough to get a big name like Chris Ash.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

(01-08-2021 06:37 PM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  You're pretty much offering an instant top-10 defense to whoever wants it. I'd think that would be enough to get a big name like Chris Ash.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

Don’t count on it being a big name. Put your money on internal hire.

(01-08-2021 06:46 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  

(01-08-2021 06:37 PM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  You're pretty much offering an instant top-10 defense to whoever wants it. I'd think that would be enough to get a big name like Chris Ash.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

Don’t count on it being a big name. Put your money on internal hire.

We are freeing up 600k. If I were to put money on a name it would be Chris Ash

(01-08-2021 07:37 PM)Banter Wrote:  

(01-08-2021 06:46 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  

(01-08-2021 06:37 PM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  You're pretty much offering an instant top-10 defense to whoever wants it. I'd think that would be enough to get a big name like Chris Ash.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

Don’t count on it being a big name. Put your money on internal hire.

We are freeing up 600k. If I were to put money on a name it would be Chris Ash

To put things into perspective, Chris Ash has less of a relationship timewise with Fickell than anyone on the Cincinnati staff.

(01-08-2021 09:37 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(01-08-2021 07:37 PM)Banter Wrote:  

(01-08-2021 06:46 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  

(01-08-2021 06:37 PM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  You're pretty much offering an instant top-10 defense to whoever wants it. I'd think that would be enough to get a big name like Chris Ash.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

Don’t count on it being a big name. Put your money on internal hire.

We are freeing up 600k. If I were to put money on a name it would be Chris Ash

To put things into perspective, Chris Ash has less of a relationship timewise with Fickell than anyone on the Cincinnati staff.

There still is a relationship between them, and he coached with ash longer than guys he hired like Mickens, Guideli, Washington etc. Ash would likely know what Fickell wants to do on defense. Its possible he would not be a candidate, or that he would have no interest in coming here, but it is a prior relationship.

Mason knows the defense and he knows the recruits. He’s built relationships with these kids. I’d say he’s the odds on favorite.

I also wonder if Fickell entertains the idea of co coordinators given he's done it before himself. Scruggs has done a nice job with the lineman as well on the current staff. My guess is he goes for continuity given a lot of returning guys, and his approach in general. I think he's extremely "system" oriented. I think he's been well aware MF would be gone before long.

(01-08-2021 10:34 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  Mason knows the defense and he knows the recruits. He’s built relationships with these kids. I’d say he’s the odds on favorite.

Could be but promoting him to DC from Special Teams after like 6 years of being a D1 GA at several schools would be a little unsettling on the surface...to fans and perhaps recruits. I’m not sure if he was ever an on field coach before this special teams promotion in 2018.

I’m sure he’s a rising star or something but he’d be skipping several resume stops on the way to this job.

(01-08-2021 11:27 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  

(01-08-2021 10:34 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  Mason knows the defense and he knows the recruits. He’s built relationships with these kids. I’d say he’s the odds on favorite.

Could be but promoting him to DC from Special Teams after like 6 years of being a D1 GA at several schools would be a little unsettling on the surface...to fans and perhaps recruits. I’m not sure if he was ever an on field coach before this special teams promotion in 2018.

I’m sure he’s a rising star or something but he’d be skipping several resume stops on the way to this job.

I don’t disagree with you. But I would say this is the most likely of all the possible moves.

That would be sorta frightening unless we have a HC that is going to try to do the Gus Mahlzan and run one side of the ball while being the HC at the same time.

Oh Dear Lord no. Noooooo. Fick needs to keep his focus as the HC and bring in someone else at DC if there is no one worthy of the promotion in-house. This is about winning at a high clip and not about on the job training. Mason ain't it IMO.

Just one of many to consider...

Quote:Ron Collins is in his ninth season on the Ohio football coaching staff and is entering his second as the program's defensive coordinator/safeties coach in 2020. He was elevated to defensive coordinator on Feb. 5, 2019, after spending the last seven years as linebackers coach and last two as co-defensive coordinator.

The Bobcats have boasted one of the top linebacking units in the MAC since Collins' arrival in 2011. Ohio linebackers have accounted for nine All-MAC honors during his tenure, including Noah Keller (2011, Second Team), Alphonso Lewis (2012, Third Team), Jovon Johnson (2014, Third Team), Poling (2015, Third Team; 2016 & '17, First Team), Brown (2016, First Team), Chad Moore (2017, Second Team) and Evan Croutch (2018, Second Team).

Help Wanted

Marcus Freeman was our best recruiter...we can't bring someone in who doesn't have some sort of recruiting chops or notoriety.

I thought his position group’s play miraculously improved the minute he went to MI, but is Al Washington a guy that will ever be on the radar to become a DC somewhere?

(01-08-2021 11:51 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  Oh Dear Lord no. Noooooo. Fick needs to keep his focus as the HC and bring in someone else at DC if there is no one worthy of the promotion in-house. This is about winning at a high clip and not about on the job training. Mason ain't it IMO.

Mason may be the early leader in the clubhouse.

This is why we can’t have nice things.

(01-09-2021 09:22 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  I thought his position group’s play miraculously improved the minute he went to MI, but is Al Washington a guy that will ever be on the radar to become a DC somewhere?

Yeah, that was Stripling's doing. That man is a DL genius...Al Washington doesn't appear to be an Xs and Os type guy, more just a recruiter.

If we're just going with someone like that, I'd prefer walking over to Larry Johnson's office and giving him $1.5M