Kerry Coombs Hired by Cincinnati

Ohio State and Cincinnati have worked out a trade… sort of.

With the Buckeyes hiring Perry Eliano, an opening was created on the Cincinnati staff. And that spot will be filled by former Ohio State defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs, who will be the new defensive backs coach/special teams coach at Cincinnati.

The move represents a return to where it all started for Coombs. Born in Colerain just outside Cincinnati, Coombs was the head coach at Colerain high school from 1991-2006, where he built the Cardinals into a perennial GMC powerhouse. He then was an assistant at Cincinnati from 2007-11 before joining Ohio State for his first stint in Columbus, working under Luke Fickell (now the Cincinnati head coach) from 2012-17.

After a brief stint in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans, Coombs returned to Ohio State as the defensive coordinator from 2020-21 but was relieved following lackluster results. He now stays in-state at Cincinnati and reunites with Fickell.