Luke Fickell Makes His UC Debut

Luke Fickell run his first game as a head coach of the University of Cincinnati  Bearcats play the Austin Peay Governors at Nippert Stadium.

Fickell was the Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator at his alma mater, Ohio State since 2005 but took over the Buckeyes for the 2011 season when coach Jim Tressell was removed for NCAA violations and the team was sanctioned.

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The native of Columbus, Ohio was a nose guard at Ohio State from 1992-1996 and spent a year on the injured reserve list as a member of the New Orleans Saints.  He began his 18-year coaching career as a graduate assistant at Ohio State.   He coached the defensive line at Akron under Tressel for two seasons before he returned to the Buckeyes coaching special teams, then linebackers.  Fickell became a Co-defensive coordinator in 2005.  In 2012, he returned to his old job as defensive coordinator under Urban Meyer. 

The Governors are coached by youthful Will Heally, who at the time of his hiring was the second youngest coach in Division I at 30.  His father Rob was a star at Georgia Tech.  His uncle Chip was an All-American Linbacker at Vanderbilt and played in the NFL for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Healy earned a reputation as a top-notch quarterbacks coach at Chattanooga.  He coached BJ Coleman in 2012.  Coleman was drafted by the Green Bay Packers.

In his first year at Austin Peay the Governors were winless in 11 games last season.  They have lost 27 games in a row.  Their last win was on October 18, 2014 in a 20-13 victory.