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DT Luke Fickell (HC Wisconsin Badgers)

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Who will be FAU's next head coach?

By Dieter Kurtenbach, Sun Sentinel
October 31, 2013

While the circumstances that led to it are still unbelievable, FAU will indeed have a coaching vacancy at the end of the season.

FAU Athletic Director Pat Chun said Wednesday that the search for FAU's next head coach has already started, but acknowledged that he's not actively pursuing a coach right now. That did not change after 24 hours.

Chun didn't hire Pelini, but he didn't expect to hire his replacement this soon either. Chun might not have anything more than a brainstorming list, but there are candidates that you can expect to be present when Chun's search goes active:

Luke Fickell — defensive coordinator — Ohio State: Chun is a buckeye though and through. He was raised in Cleveland, went to Ohio State, worked in that athletic department his entire career, eventually getting up to No. 2 before leaving to take the top job at FAU. Fickell took over for Jim Tressel when the former Ohio State coach resigned. [Tressel, with two years of a show-cause remaining, will not be considered for this job. FAU can't take the PR hit.] When Urban Meyer came on, Fickell was maintained as his defensive coordinator. Fickell has said he's content in his current position, but a head coaching job like FAU could intrigue him. This is likely Chun's first call.

cont...
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http://touch.sun-sentinel.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-78006521/
 
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Buckskin86 said:
http://touch.sun-sentinel.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-78006521/
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No way. Graveyard. Fickell should have no problem landing some MACtion well before having to settle for one of the worst programs in C-USA.

Tim Brewster — recruiting coordinator — Florida State: This is a wildcard selection, but Brewster established a better-than-expected program at Minnesota before getting the boot. He's a program builder and has an energy that can spark a dormant flame.
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And a great big Whiskey Tango Foxtrot to that. Brewster inherited one of the best power running teams in the nation and took a flamethrower to it. They went to the spread, then a metro yellowpages-thick playbook NFL pro offense, then back to power run again after all Mason's talent was gone. This was a coach that hired a staff that forgot to pack footballs for their first road game! When Jerry Kill agreed to the job in principle and was running the program without a contract, he was so surprised how bad things were he negotiated a seven-year deal out of it with a 1-6 record. Brewster destroyed the academic support system and didn't even have a full roster of 85 players when he left. It was bleak.
 
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Jordan Wagner ‏@JWagner11W1m
The Sun-Sentienel is reporting that Luke Fickell has interviewed for the FAU job.
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http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/...ad-coaching-position-20131105,0,6321050.story

FAU Athletic Director Pat Chun is wasting no time in going after his top choice to replace Carl Pelini.

Sources close to the situation tell the Sun Sentinel that Chun flew to Columbus, Ohio Tuesday to interview Ohio State defensive coordinator Luke Fickell for FAU’s vacant head coaching position.

The 40-year-old Fickell is Chun’s top target for the FAU job, which is being held in the interim by Owls offensive coordinator Brian Wright.

Chun's secretary confirmed that Chun was not at the school's facilities today. Chun said Saturday that he would not have any comment on the Owls’ coaching search until a hire has been made. That stance was reaffirmed by the FAU athletic department's spokeswoman Tuesday.

Chun knows Fickell well, having spent 15 years in the Ohio State athletic department before accepting the FAU AD job in July 2012.

Moments after announcing Pelini’s resignation last Wednesday, Chun said that he had many friends in the coaching profession from his time at Ohio State, and that he planned on aiming high with his hire.

“I am a firm believer that this job is a different job from when Carl took over,” Chun said. “Conference USA, the stadium is the host of a bowl game, we’re trying to fix a couple of things over at the Oxley [FAU’s football facility]. I know the caliber of candidate that this job will attract, so I’m excited about what the next chapter will be. At the end of the day, it’s on me to go find someone who can take this program to another step.”


For Chun, Fickell is aiming high. Fickell's 2013 salary at Ohio State is $600,000, roughly $100,000 more than Carl Pelini made as FAU’s head coach, though Chun said earlier this year he believed it would be possible for FAU to raise its coaches’ compensation after the season.

Fickell was born in Columbus and was a standout defensive lineman for the Buckeyes from 1993-1996. After a short NFL stint, he returned to Ohio State in 1999 as a graduate assistant. He spent two years on the Akron staff before returning to Columbus in 2002. He’s remained on the Buckeyes’ staff since.

After Jim Tressel resigned in May 2011, Fickell was named Ohio State’s interim head coach.

When current Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer was hired in November of that same year, Fickell was moved back to defensive coordinator.

He interviewed for Pitt’s vacant head coaching job after Meyer was hired. Fickell’s Buckeyes finished 6-7 in his only season as head coach.
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Upvote 0
Dryden said:
No way. Graveyard. Fickell should have no problem landing some MACtion well before having to settle for one of the worst programs in C-USA.



And a great big Whiskey Tango Foxtrot to that. Brewster inherited one of the best power running teams in the nation and took a flamethrower to it. They went to the spread, then a metro yellowpages-thick playbook NFL pro offense, then back to power run again after all Mason's talent was gone. This was a coach that hired a staff that forgot to pack footballs for their first road game! When Jerry Kill agreed to the job in principle and was running the program without a contract, he was so surprised how bad things were he negotiated a seven-year deal out of it with a 1-6 record. Brewster destroyed the academic support system and didn't even have a full roster of 85 players when he left. It was bleak.
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The only way Fickell would even go to the MAC is if he was going to get replaced at OSU. I'm pretty sure he makes more than any of the MAC coaches as a DC. The only promotion would be to a BCS conference team. B1G West wouldn't be a bad place to find a gig either.

The only way I can see FAU being an option is if he was told it's time to move on and he wants to get in on the Florida recruiting scene.
 
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