Per GoBearcats:
Cincinnati football head coach Luke Fickell captured the Stallings Award given to the National Coach of the Year on Wednesday.
Named in honor of Gene Stallings, this unique award is presented annually to an exceptional NCAA Division I college head football coach in recognition of humanitarian contributions in addition to achievements on the field.
The Stallings Award marks the eighth national coach of the year given to Fickell following the remarkable 2021 season that saw the Bearcats win a school-record 13 games and a second straight American Athletic Conference Championship en route to the College Football Playoff Semifinals.
UC secured a No. 2 ranking early in the fall in the Associated Press Poll – its highest ranking in school history. Cincinnati defeated No. 9 Notre Dame, 24-13, in South Bend, Ind., for its first-ever road victory over a Top 10 team, before rattling off back-to-back 50-point games for the first time in school history in dominant wins over Temple (52-3) and UCF (56-21). The Bearcats’ capped the regular season by defeating No. 16 Houston, 35-20, for their second consecutive AAC Championship title.
Cincinnati set school records for points (516) and touchdowns (70) in 2021 and extended the nation’s second-longest home winning streak to 27-straight at Nippert Stadium.
FICKELL NAMED ‘BEST HIRE’ OF LAST FIVE YEAR BY ESPN
Luke Fickell was named the “best hire” in college football over the last five years by ESPN.
Said ESPN Senior Writer Adam Rittenberg: “Cincinnati had great teams before Fickell … But the program has reached new heights.”
