Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell talks to Cincinnati Bearcats safety Ja'quan Sheppard (5) during a time out in the first quarter of the NCAA football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Indiana Hoosiers at Nippert Stadium, Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022. Indiana Hoosiers At Cincinnati Bearcats Ncaa Football Sept 24 — © Stephanie Scarbrough/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Report: Luke Fickell's UC Exit Weeks In The Making

Cincinnati's top de-committed prospect knew something was off on his last visit to Clifton.

Author:
Russ Heltman
Updated:
Nov 28, 2022 12:45 PM EST

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati de-commit Malik Elzy went on record with Rivals this week about concerns he had with Luke Fickell that played a role in his decision to find a new school last month.

“Fickell leaving Cincinnati really didn’t surprise me," Elzy told Rivals. "Something felt off during my last visit down there and that’s what played a role in my decommitment.”

Those concerns were confirmed in a report by Madison.com, which stated Wisconsin AD Chris McIntosh had been negotiating with Fickell in-person dating back weeks earlier following UC's win over East Carolina.

"McIntosh took steps to keep quiet his pursuit of Fickell," The article stated. "Former UW athletic director Barry Alvarez said Sunday that McIntosh told him he had 'been hiding in cars, I’ve been flying in planes and changing the tail number so nobody could track me.'

"But one person figured it out earlier this month: Alvarez’s wife, Cindy. Barry Alvarez needed a ride to the Dane County Regional Airport two weeks ago to catch a flight with UW booster Ted Kellner to Iowa for the Badgers’ game against the Hawkeyes on Nov. 12. When Cindy Alvarez asked her husband why he couldn’t get a ride from McIntosh, Barry Alvarez said McIntosh had a 7:30 a.m. interview Saturday. 'Hmm,' Cindy Alvarez said, 'he’s interviewing Luke Fickell.' When asked by her husband how she knew that, Cindy Alvarez said, “He played last night, that’s how I know he was free today.' Indeed, Cincinnati beat visiting East Carolina 27-25 on Nov. 11. Fickell interviewed the following morning and UW dropped a 24-10 decision to Iowa later that day in Iowa City."

Based on this reporting, Fickell had one foot out the door over the final few weeks of his tenure at UC.

Poaching coaches is never clean or simple, and this is another case of it in college football.

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