The Cincinnati Bearcats had a relatively OK special teams last season. They were not bad but they weren’t great either. Brian Mason will be tasked with making improvements for 2018, as he was promoted to special teams coordinator, replacing Doug Phillips, who is now an assistant coach working with the running backs.
Among the areas of focus for Mason’s group will be the return game. UC was far from the worst returning team in the American Athletic Conference last year, but they weren’t near the top either. They ranked fifth in punt return average (6.8 YPR) and seventh in kick return average (20.