The rebirth of Luke Fickell started with an endorsement from Mark Dantonio.
Detailing the process that led Cincinnati to hire Fickell to lead the school's football program in December 2016, the Bearcats' former athletic director Mike Bohn revealed then that he had called the Michigan State coach who retired Tuesday after 13 seasons in East Lansing.
Before taking over the Spartans in 2007, Dantonio won 18 games during a three-year stint with Cincinnati. Bohn knew Dantonio maintained an affinity for the school where he landed his first head-coaching job. He also was aware that Dantonio had a close relationship with Fickell from their time together as assistants on Jim Tressell’s Ohio State staff in the early aughts.