This Saturday, Kerry Coombs and the Bearcats are looking to write a very unique story as the Bearcats take on Louisville in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl at Fenway Park This Saturday at 11 am. Coombs, is stepping in as interim head coach for this bowl game as many know, Luke Fickell and company left for Wisconsin a little over two weeks ago.
The Fenway Bowl renews a rivalry that was once a very strong one that dates all the way back to 1929 where the Bearcats currently lead the all-time series 30-22-1. The last time these two teams faced off was back in 2013 where the Cardinals would defeat the Bearcats 31-24 in overtime. Since then, the Cardinals left the Big East for the ACC, while the Bearcats originally left the Big East, for the AAC, which they are now turning the page and heading to the Big 12.
Former Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell left his everlasting impact on the Bearcats program where he took a 4-8 team his first season, to a College Football Playoff in just a short span of time where he quickly became one of the best coaches in all of college football. Fickell lead the Bearcats to three 10-win seasons, consecutive AAC Championships, The Peach Bowl and finally the College Football Playoff. Fickell, left this program better than he found it, and that was always his motto during his time at Cincinnati and was something you heard players preach throughout the seasons. However, the Bearcats are now focusing their attention to the next chapter after Fickell decided to leave for Wisconsin two weeks ago, the Bearcats shifted their focus and named Scott Satterfield as the 43rd head coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats last week after spending the last four seasons at the University of Louisville.
However, Satterfield said he has no intentions to be there for the Fenway Bowl and plans to remove himself from the Bowl game as a whole, along with the other staff members he brought with him from Louisville. Satterfield said he will turn his focus to building his staff and recruiting during the Bowl game preparation as he looks to turn his focus onto leading the Bearcats into the Big 12 next season.
Satterfield is currently looking to round out his staff, as he announced the additions of five assistants already, one of the most important pieces to his staff, is current interim head coach Kerry Coombs. Coombs just signed a new three-year deal to remain on staff under Satterfield as he will be the team as the defensive backs/secondaries coach, while also coaching special teams, an area Coombs knows a thing or two about.
This is one of those highly unusually circumstances in college football because it’s not every day you see one coach leave one program and go to their next opponent but for Satterfield and company that is why they made the decision to let Kerry Coombs coach the team in the bowl game to avoid any controversy between both teams as he looks to get his feet wet at his new home. Satterfield signed a six-year deal to become the Bearcats next head coach where he will make roughly 3.4 million dollars per season as he prepares the Bearcats for the transition to the Big 12.
