As a new coach was being introduced roughly 1,000 miles north of Boca Raton, the state of Florida’s frenetic college football scene was about to get even crazier.
And more fun than ever.
On Saturday, Cincinnati announced that it had hired longtime Ohio State assistant (and one-time Buckeyes interim coach) Luke Fickell as its coach. The announcement also kick-started the final piece of a Sunshine State coaching carousel that has Florida fans and football media buzzing in unison.
So what’s the connection? Many believe Florida Atlantic athletic director Pat Chun was eyeing Fickell, his former classmate at Ohio State and longtime friend and co-worker there, as the next Owls’ coach from the day he canned third-year coach Charlie Partridge in late November.