Luke Fickell has made a career out of coaching defenses, and has made that side of the ball his specialty. Last year, the Bearcats ranked 93rd in the country in scoring defense, a ranking that Fickell is looking to improve this year. In eight games, they allowed over 31 points and tied for 121st nationally in sacks.
In 2017, Fickell hired defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman, someone who also traces their football roots back to Ohio State. He’s young and doesn’t have a ton of experience, but shares the same vision of having a defense that disrupts the opposing team’s offense, creates turnovers, and puts pressure on the quarterback.