Tag: Luke Fickell

Five Fast Facts About New Notre Dame DB’s Coach Mike Mickens

Mickens never played in an NFL game while spending time on the Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccanneers and Cincinnati Bengals practice squads.

Mike Mickens of Cincinnati is the new defensive backs coach at Notre Dame according to a report from Pete Thamel of Yahoo! Sports.  After a long hiring process that took longer than some Notre Dame fans would have liked, the up-and-comer is the latest addition to Brian Kelly’s coaching staff.

So what do you need to know about Mike Mickens?

Here are five things:

He’s a Former Brian Kelly Player:

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Former Brian Kelly Player is Notre Dame’s New DB Coach

Mike Mickens played under Kelly at Cincinnati and was a seventh round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys after suffering a knee injury his senior year.

The long wait for Notre Dame football is over as the search to find Todd Lyght’s replacement as Defensive Backs Coach appears to have ended.

According to Pete Thamel of Yahoo! Sports, Lyght’s replacement comes in the form of a former Brian Kelly player.

Mike Mickens played under Kelly at Cincinnati and was a seventh round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys after suffering a knee injury his senior year.

He has spent time coaching defensive backs at at Idaho and Indiana State before getting the corner back coaching job at Bowling Green from 2013-17.

He was then hired by Luke Fickell at Cincinnati where he spent the last two seasons.

Locked On Spartans Podcast: Luke Fickle Fallout

Luke Fickle tuns down Michigan State. Now what?

Wil and Matt react to Luke Fickle turning down Michigan State and try to suggest some possible new candidates. Then they light up MSU’s athletic department and administrative leadership.

You can find the episode on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

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REACTION: Luke Fickell turns down Michigan State

From the heart. How this blogger feels about MSU’s coaching search.

Hello, darkness, my old friend
I’ve come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
‘Neath the halo of a streetlamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
No one dared
Disturb the sound of silence

“Fools,” said I, “You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you.”
But my words like silent raindrops fell
And echoed in the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, “The words of the prophets
Are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls
And whispered in the sounds of silence.”

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Luke Fickell rebuffs Michigan State, stays at Cincinnati

The presumed frontrunner, Fickell elects to stay at Cincinnati.

The Michigan State football coaching such just got really dire, really fast.

Presumed frontrunner Luke Fickell has decided to stay at Cincinnati, declining the head coaching job at Michigan State according to multiple reports. Fickell interviewed with Athletic Director Bill Beekman Sunday in Cincinnati.

Yahoo’s Pete Thamel was the first to report the news.

There had been a lot of speculation and reporting that Michigan State and Fickell had come to an agreement and he would be named the next coach at MSU this week. Those reports were either unfounded or Fickell had a change of heart after discussing the situation with his family.

Either way, it’s February 10 and Michigan State is without a football coach and seemingly starting its coaching search over from square one.

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Luke Fickell to turn down Michigan State job, remain with Cincinnati

According to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, former Ohio State coach/player Luke Fickell will turn down Michigan State, remain at Cincinnati.

Former Ohio State football player and head/assistant coach Luke Fickell has turned down the Michigan State job, and will remain at Cincinnati according to a report from Pete Thamel of the Yahoo! Sports.

The long-time Spartan head coach surprised everyone this past week by announcing his retirement just before the traditional National Signing Day. In the days that followed, Luke Fickell quickly became Michigan State’s top target. Because of the timing, things had to move quickly.

According to multiple reports, Michigan State athletic director Bill Beekman landed in Cincinnati to interview Fickell Saturday but the two parted without a deal in place. Clearly, Fickell was listening and keeping his options open, but after a couple of days, it appears as though he’ll be staying with the Bearcats for the foreseeable future.

Fickell has quickly turned Cincinnati back into a contender in the American Athletic Conference. After taking over the program and steering it to a 4-8 season in 2017, Fickell then led the team to an 11-2 record in 2018, and followed that up with another eleven win season in 2019 — nearly becoming the Group of Five representative in the New Years’ Six Bowls. He was named the AAC Coach of the Year in 2017.

While many thought Fickell would jump at a chance to take a perceived step up to a Power Five Big Ten school, those that know him best cautioned that this was not a done deal. They now appear to be right. In fact, the Columbus Dispatch did a story on his desire to remain in Cincinnati for the stability of his family.

Besides, it sure would have been strange for a diehard Buckeye to lead a Michigan State program on the other side of a rivalry with Michigan.

Now we’ll have to see where the Spartans turn for their next target after exhausting so much energy here.

 

MSU Athletic Department briefing Board of Trustees on head coaching search Monday

Michigan State Athletic Director Bill Beekman is meeting with the Board of Trustees to discuss the head coaching search Monday, Feb. 10.

Amidst a firestorm of rumors around the University of Cincinnati football head coach Luke Fickell, the Michigan State University Athletic Department will meet with the University’s Board of Trustees on Monday to brief them on the search. This was reported by Nick Mantas, reporter and anchor for WLNS, a Lansing TV station.

What isn’t a rumor is that Michigan State Athletic Director Bill Beekman was in Cincinnati this weekend. As of right now, Fickell is the clear top choice and the only name who has been brought up as an interviewee who has not publicly declined the role.

Colorado head coach Mel Tucker removed his name from consideration for the role on Saturday morning. San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh declined to interview, stating he had unfinished business in the NFL with San Francisco. Former MSU defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi was a name that was initially floated for the role, but he quickly killed that rumor in hilarious fashion.

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The Michigan State Football and Luke Fickell head coaching saga as told by Twitter

Michigan State Athletic Director Bill Beekman was in Cincinnati this weekend to interview Luke Fickell and Twitter lost their minds.

Michigan State Football has launched into a full-on head coaching search after the sudden retirement of Mark Dantonio. The odds on favorite of the fanbase, and seemingly of the University, is Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell. MSU’s athletic director Bill Beekman was set to interview Fickell this weekend, and the ensuing investigation by social media detectives and media members was, frankly, hilarious. Here is a retelling of what happened, through the eyes of social media.

The first part of this saga took place when the news was broken by Brandon Saho of Cincinnati TV station WLWT that Bill Beekman had landed in Cincinnati to visit with Luke Fickell, instead of Fickell coming up to East Lansing:

David Jesse of the Detroit Free Press originally reported that Beekman would be flying to State College, Pennsylvania, home of Penn State:

WLWT sports reporter Brandon Saho and Detroit Free Press report David Jesse were tracking the private jet at the Lunken Municipal Airport of Cincinnati, which had an updated flight path to Lansing instead of State College:

This picture above sparked a series of funny jokes on social media as fans tried to figure out who was wearing the heels in that photo:

Bill Beekman arrived back in Lansing on a private plane, but he was not accompanied by Fickell:

There have been some rumors floating around that Fickell will be signing later this week, although that is pure speculation and rumor so take that with a major grain of salt. For now, MSU’s mascot advises some patience from fans:

Instead of patience, most fans and media members are choosing a different route: Twitter sleuthing.

The End… for now.

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Michigan State AD Bill Beekman lands in Cincinnati for interview with Luke Fickell

Beekman is set to interview Fickell on Sunday

We’re on to Cincinnati.

Michigan State Athletic Director Bill Beekman has arrived in Cincinnati for an interview with Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell regarding the same position at Michigan State. That’s according to WLWT sports reporter Brandon Saho.

You can see in the video above Beekman departing a private plane, before departing in an SUV.

Earlier Saturday Colorado coach Mel Tucker announced on Twitter that he would be withdrawing his name from consideration for the Michigan State job. Tucker was reportedly scheduled to interview with Beekman this weekend. There have been conflicting reports as to whether or not that was ever the case, or if an interview ever happened.

Now it looks as if Fickell is the main candidate left standing for MSU. San Francisco 49er defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell and Pittsburgh head coach Patt Narduzzi have all declined interest in the job.

Fickell was an assistant under Mark Dantonio at Ohio State and even served as interim coach of the Buckeyes for one season in 2011. He took over the Cincinnati program in 2017 and has amassed a 26-13 record over three seasons, including a 22-5 mark over the last two.

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