The Cincinnati Bearcats experienced their fair share of growing pains as a Big 12 newcomer in 2023. In addition to their new surroundings after departing the American Athletic Conference, the school also had to usher in a new coaching staff led by Scott Satterfield, who led his Louisville Cardinals teams to three bowl games in his four seasons at the helm.
The Bearcats had a mostly forgettable inaugural Big 12 season, finishing 1-8 in conference play, with their lone win coming against Houston, a fellow conference newcomer. With higher hopes for success in 2024, let’s meet the team that makes up the Cincinnati coaching staff.
Cincinnati Bearcats Coaching Staff
Head Coach, Scott Satterfield
Satterfield was hired by Cincinnati in December of 2022 after six seasons with Appalachian State (2013-18) and another four with Louisville (2019-22).
The history of the Bearcats job could be looked upon as a “stepping stone” when you consider where others have gone after stops at UC — Mark Dantonio left for Michigan State after the 2006 season, Brian Kelly left for Notre Dame after the 2009 season, Butch Jones left for Tennessee after the 2012 season, and most recently, Luke Fickell left for Wisconsin after the 2022 season.
Satterfield heads into the 2024 college football campaign with a 79-57 career record in 11 seasons as a head coach. Leading the Bearcats’ transition from Group of Five (AAC) to Power Five (Big 12) came with the difficulty of replacing all 11 offensive starters for the 2023 season opener and directing a roster that included 23 college transfers.
Despite all the personnel turnover, the Bearcats still finished fifth in FBS in rushing yards per game (217.1) — which has become a calling card for the Satterfield offensive identity. In his 11 FBS seasons as a head coach, his teams have rushed for an average of 200 yards per game and finished among the top 30 FBS teams in rushing every season.
Satterfield led Appalachian State from the FCS into the FBS as the head coach after serving as an assistant coach (1998-2008) and quarterback for the Mountaineers (1991-95), helping lead his alma mater to three FCS national titles and eight conference titles.
He left the Mountaineers briefly for a role as quarterback coach/passing game coordinator at Toledo (2009) and then became the offensive coordinator for two seasons at Florida International (2010-11) before returning to Boone, North Carolina, in 2012.
Offensive Coordinator, Brad Glenn
After coaching alongside Satterfield as the slot receiver/tight ends coach for Appalachian State between 2005 and 2008, Brad Glenn was reunited with the Bearcats head coach when he joined Cincinnati’s staff as the OC/WR coach in 2023. He is entering his second season at UC and his 30th year coaching overall.
When Satterfield left to coach at Toledo, Glenn replaced him as the Mountaineers quarterbacks coach in 2009 and coached two-time Walter Payton Award (FCS Player of the Year) winner Armanti Edwards.
Glenn spent the 2022 season as the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Virginia Tech, following a very successful run as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Georgia State from 2019 to 2021.
Prior to joining Georgia State, Glenn spent seven seasons as the associate head coach, offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach at Western Carolina under then-head coach Mark Speir, who was Cincinnati’s Chief of Staff during the 2023 season. Glenn’s full college football coaching résumé can be found below.
- Appalachian State (TE coach, 2005; WR coach, 2006-08; QB coach, 2009-11)
- Western Carolina (assistant head coach/QB coach/offensive coordinator, 2012-2018)
- Georgia State (offensive coordinator/QB coach, 2019-21)
- Virginia Tech (passing game coordinator/QB coach, 2022)
- Cincinnati (offensive coordinator/WR coach, 2023-24)
Defensive Coordinator, Tyson Veidt
Tyson Veidt was hired in January to serve as Cincinnati’s new defensive coordinator for the 2024 season. He comes to the Bearcats from Iowa State where he was the associate head coach and linebackers coach, helping lead one of the Big 12’s best defenses over the last eight seasons.
Since Veidt joined Iowa State as part of Matt Campbell’s staff in 2016, the Cyclones lead the Big 12 in scoring defense (23.2 PPG), total defense (354.7 YPG) and opponent yards per play (5.3).
Veidt’s time at Iowa State coincided with the Cyclones’ best run of success in school history. Over an eight-year stretch in Ames, they went to six bowl games and finished in the CFP Final Top 25 twice — No. 24 in 2018 and No. 10 in 2020.
In 2022, Iowa State’s defense was historic. It led the Big 12 in scoring defense, total defense, rushing yards allowed, and passing yards allowed.
Raised in Logan, Ohio — approximately 150 miles from Cincinnati — Veidt coached linebackers at Toledo from 2014 to 2015 and was the head coach at NCAA Division III Bluffton (OH) University from 2008 to 2013. Prior to his time at Bluffton, he made stops at Saint Vincent (PA), West Virginia, Muskingum and Indiana. Veidt’s full college football coaching résumé can be found below.
- Indiana (graduate assistant, 1999)
- Muskingum (defensive coordinator, 2000-03)
- West Virginia (graduate assistant, 2004-05)
- Saint Vincent (PA) (defensive coordinator, 2006-07)
- Bluffton (head coach, 2008-13)
- Toledo (LB coach, 2014-15)
- Iowa State (assistant head coach/LB coach, 2016-23)
- Cincinnati (defensive coordinator/safeties, 2024)
Special Teams Coordinator, Kerry Coombs
Kerry Coombs rejoined the Cincinnati football staff as the special teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach in 2022. He now enters his third season during his current stint with the Bearcats and his eighth season at Cincinnati overall. He was previously hired as a part of Brian Kelly’s first coaching staff with the program in 2007.
Coombs served as the interim head coach for the Bearcats in the 2022 Wasabi Fenway Bowl and signed a new three-year contract to remain at Cincinnati as part of Scott Satterfield’s inaugural staff for the 2023 season.
The Cincinnati native’s 41-year coaching career has been highlighted by stints in the NFL as the secondary coach for the Tennessee Titans and two separate tenures as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator at Ohio State.
Prior to coaching at the college ranks, Coombs was the head coach at his alma mater, Colerain High School, from 1991. In 16 years as the head coach, the Colerain Cardinals went to 10 state playoffs and five state semifinals while going undefeated en route to winning a state championship in 2004.
Co-Defensive Coordinator and STARS Coach, Nate Fuqua
Nate Fuqua joined the Cincinnati football staff as co-defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach in 2023. In his first season at UC, the defense featured two All-Big 12 performers along the defensive line in Jowon Briggs and Dontay Corleone.
Prior to joining the Bearcats, Fuqua served as the defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach at Georgia State for six seasons, from 2017 to 2022. He was nominated for the Broyles Award in 2017.
Before joining Georgia State, Fuqua coached for 12 seasons at Wofford, his alma mater, the final three as the team’s defensive coordinator. He helped lead the Terriers to the FCS quarterfinals in 2016 when his defense ranked fifth in the nation in yards allowed per game (287.2).
Linebackers Coach, Cortney Braswell
Cortney Braswell joined the Cincinnati staff as the inside linebackers coach in 2023. Prior to joining the Bearcats, he held that same job title for two seasons at Army following a year coaching outside linebackers at Appalachian State. He was also a defensive quality control coach on Scott Satterfield’s Louisville team that went from two wins in 2018 to eight wins in 2019.
Hailed as one of the top recruiters not only on staff but in the country, Braswell is a former high school head coach who was named to the AFCA 35 under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute, a prestigious program aimed at identifying and developing premier and future leaders in the coaching profession.
Offensive Line Coach, Nic Cardwell
Nic Cardwell joined the Cincinnati staff as the offensive line coach in 2023, moving from Louisville to UC along with Satterfield after the 2022 campaign. Prior to his season with Louisville, Cardwell was the offensive line Coach at Appalachian State, where he also coached tight ends. He has seen 12 of his offensive linemen collect all-conference honors in four years coaching the position.
A former walk-on as a player, Cardwell was a three-time FCS national champion and captain during his career as a tight end at Appalachian State.
Running Backs Coach, Sean Dawkins
Sean Dawkins is new to the Cincinnati coaching staff, but he has more than 15 years of experience developing college running backs at Memphis, Charlotte, Troy, Austin Peay, Murray State, and Chattanooga.
As a player at Troy, he helped lead the Trojans to their first two bowl appearances (2004, 2006) and two Sun Belt titles (2006, 2007).
Tight Ends Coach, Josh Stepp
Josh Stepp joined the Cincinnati staff as the tight ends coach in 2023, also moving with Satterfield from Louisville where he held the same job title in 2022. He is a former high school head coach with eight years of experience as an FBS assistant coach and wasat Georgia State before joining Satterfield’s Louisville staff.
He helped lead a Cardinals offense that averaged over 400 yards per game in 2022 and even served as the team’s offensive coordinator for the 2022 Wasabi Fenway Bowl against Cincinnati as they posted 287 rushing yards and 419 total yards in a 24-7 victory.
Defensive Line Coach, Walter Stewart
Walter Stewart begins his third season at the helm of the Bearcats’ defensive line in 2024. He played for the Bearcats from 2008-12 as a defensive lineman and was a second-team All-Big East selection as a senior team captain during the 2012 season.
He played in 43 games, went to four bowls, won four Big East championships and totaled 185 tackles, 34.5 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles. He ranks ninth in school history in career sacks and tied for second in forced fumbles.
Before returning to his alma mater, Stewart coached at Temple (2019-21), Northern Illinois (2018), Eastern Kentucky (2016-17), Florida A&M (2015) and Tennessee (2013-14).
Quarterbacks Coach, Pete Thomas
Pete Thomas joined the Cincinnati coaching staff as the quarterbacks coach in 2023. He was also part of the group that moved with Satterfield from Louisville, where Thomas spent four seasons — the last two as quarterbacks coach.
In 2023, Thomas coached quarterback Emory Jones, who finished among the Big 12’s leaders in total offense, tallying 2,2779 yards and 22 touchdowns, including 18 through the air.
KEEP READING:
Like Braswell, Thomas was selected for the American Football Coaches Association’s 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute in 2021.
In his first season coaching the quarterbacks at Louisville, Malik Cunningham joined Lamar Jackson as the second quarterback in school history to rush for 1,000 yards and also passed for 2,941 yards and 19 touchdowns.
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