How Will Tommy Tuberville Do in Cincinnati?

The Cincinnati Bearcats have had quite a few flashes of greatness, followed by their coaches leaving for what they would consider a better opportunity at a bigger and/or better school. Brian Kelly coached the Bearcats from 2006 to 2009 with an overall record of 34-6, leading Cincinnati to bowl game victories as well as to a Sugar Bowl loss to the Florida Gators (although Kelly left the team at the conclusion of the season and didn't coach them for the Sugar Bowl loss). But Kelly left the Bearcats for what he considered his dream job, the head coaching position at Notre Dame. They also had Butch Jones coach them from 2010-2012 leading them to an overall record of 23-14 in his tenure. Jones led the Bearcats to a Liberty Bowl game victory over Vanderbilt. Butch Jones left to become head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers.

I'm sure Cincinnati is tired of being a stepping stone for coaches. I'm sure they're ready to have a coach stick with them and lead them to bigger and better things. Is that where Tommy Tuberville comes in? Tuberville has been head coaching some of the most storied college football programs dating back to 1995. Tuberville's first head coaching job was coaching the Ole Miss Rebels. He coached them from 1995 to 1998 and had an overall record there of 25-20.

He left Ole Miss for another SEC team, the Auburn Tigers. He coached for nearly a decade at Auburn, and led the Tigers to an SEC Championship. He also won the Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Award. Tigers fans loved watching Tuberville do something that no one had ever done before, beat their in-state rivals the Alabama Crimson Tide in six consecutive games. His overall record with the Auburn Tigers was 85-40.

After the 2008 season Tuberville left Auburn and the SEC, and jumped to the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Tommy led the Red Raiders to an overall 20-17 record with only one losing season, going 5-7 in 2011.

Tuberville led the Texas Tech Red Raiders
to an overall record of 20-17 during his tenure.

Tuberville promised he'd return to Texas Tech for the 2013 season, however he took a job with the Cincinnati Bearcats in December of 2012. The Bearcats' athletic director Whit Babcock is a good friend of Tommy's, whom he worked with at Auburn. Could that be the reason he decided to jump to Cincinnati?

It is in Tuberville's track record to imply he'd be sticking around, then leave not long afterward. For example at Ole Miss he made the announcement, "They’ll have to carry me out of here in a pine box," implying that he'd be staying at Ole Miss for quite sometime, but made a statement two days later that he was departing for Auburn.

Although Cincinnati players and fans would love to have a coach stay and finally build the Bearcats football team to the powerhouse that they know they can be, I highly doubt they care much about Tuberville's track record of implying he'd stick around only to leave not long afterward. Maybe in the future that may be on their concern list, but I'm sure that right now they're just wanting Tommy to bring the success he saw at Ole Miss, Auburn and Texas Tech to Nippert Stadium. Tommy is nearing 60 years old, so you would assume that he probably won't have much coaching left in him after a few years. Bearcats faithful are hoping to see Tuberville's last years head coaching be in Cincinnati, and maybe land them a National Championship or at least a couple of high profile bowl game victories. Does Tommy have what it takes to make Cincinnati a top college football team? I'd say so, but we'll just have to wait and see.

- Matt Lytle

@mattlytle