It was the worst-case scenario everyone had hoped to avoid. Bill Beekman and Co. came back from a meeting with Luke Fickell on Sunday and the optimism was high, but there were conflicting reports about what the Cincinnati head coach was going to do.
Would he entertain the idea of leaving a top Group of Five program for a struggling Power Five school that has shown the ability to make a playoff and win the Big Ten in the past decade?
All signs seemed to point to yes, especially with the insider info, but after talking with his family and sleeping on an offer, Fickell decided to stay at Cincinnati and pass up an offer that would have likely doubled his salary.