Cincinnati officially announces hiring of longtime college football assistant

The Cincinnati Bearcats have officially announced the hiring of veteran college football assistant coach Kerry Coombs as the team’s new cornerbacks coach and special teams coordinator. Coombs joins the Bearcats after spending the past two seasons as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Kerry Coombs and his family back to Cincinnati and to our program,” Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell said. “Kerry has had tremendous success everywhere he has been at the high school, college and professional levels because he’s an exceptional motivator and teacher of the game. Coaching with him, I’ve seen firsthand the positive impact Kerry can have on a program. He’s an excellent special teams coach and he will do a great job developing our cornerbacks. We have made ourselves better as a program and as a T.E.A.M.!”

Coombs, 60, rejoins Cincinnati’s program after being on the Bearcats’ staff from 2007-11 as the associate head coach, defensive backs coach and a special teams coach. He also spent more than two decades coaching high school football in the state.

Coombs spent seven seasons on the staff at Ohio State, including the 2020 and 2021 seasons as the Buckeyes’ defensive coordinator. Prior to going to Columbus, Coombs served as the Tennessee Titans’ secondary coach from 2018-19.

Coombs also spent the 2012-2017 seasons at Ohio State in various roles – including cornerbacks coach, special teams coordinator and assistant defensive coordinator.

LOOK: Kerry Coombs pens farewell letter to Ohio State

As he departed from Ohio State, Kerry Coombs shared a farewell message with the Buckeyes on his Twitter account.

“As I prepare for the next mission in my life, I want to thank Buckeye Nation for allowing my family and me to share in some truly incredible experiences,” Coombs said. “I remain most grateful for the family of extraordinary young men I have been privileged to serve, as well as the men I have worked alongside.

“I will look back at the Shoe, the fans, the championships, and mostly the players with great fondness, while also looking forward with great anticipation to what God has in store for me.”

According to Austin Ward and Letterman Row, Ohio State was open to Coombs returning if he was willing to move to a role as a position coach. He was not, and instead left the program. Earlier in the season, Coombs was stripped of his defensive playcalling duties.