Luke Fickell addresses Notre Dame head coach opening speculation

For the first time in over a decade, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will be looking for a new head coach. Brian Kelly was officially announced as the LSU head coach on Tuesday morning, making a surprise move.

One of the biggest names already connected to the Notre Dame job is current Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell. He was asked to address any rumors and said there is nothing to talk about.

“I don’t know what there is to address? There is nothing,” Fickell told the media on Tuesday. “That’s the crazy thing. It’s all whatever is being said out there. There is no speculation… All I care about is the guys that sit in this room.”

Fickell has long been thought to be one of the next Group of Five coaches to make a move to the Power Five. He currently has Cincinnati one win away from a possible College Football Playoff appearance, just needing to win the American Championship against Houston on Sunday.

Before getting his first head coaching job with the Bearcats, Fickell spent 15 years with the Ohio State Buckeyes. His roles included special teams coordinator and linebackers coach before spending 11 years as the defensive coordinator. During the 2011 season, he was the interim head coach and led the Buckeyes to a 6-6 record.

Odds released for next Notre Dame head coach

It’s safe to say Notre Dame was one of the more surprising coaching openings this year. The oddsmakers are now weighing in on who could replace Brian Kelly in South Bend.

Fighting Irish defensive coordinator appears to be the favorite at +100 — or even money — according to SportsLine. Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell is the second-favorite and Iowa State coach Matt Campbell comes in with the third-lowest odds. Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald (+900) also comes in on the list.

Here’s the full list:

• Marcus Freeman +100
• Luke Fickell +200
• Matt Campbell +500
• Pat Fitzgerald +900
• Mark Stoops +1000
• Jeff Brohm +1500
• Matt Rhule +1800
• Bob Stoops +2000
• Urban Meyer +2500

Freeman appears to be a strong internal candidate, but it’s not a sure thing he’s staying at Notre Dame. The Athletic reported Tuesday morning that Kelly is trying to take Freeman and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees to LSU with him. If that happens, these odds are all but certain to change.

History would repeat itself in a way if Fickell comes in. Remember: Kelly came to Notre Dame from Cincinnati in 2009. Fickell has done a great job with Cincinnati, putting the Bearcats in contention for the College Football Playoff. They’re undefeated heading into the American Athletic Conference championship and were No. 4 in last week’s CFP rankings.