Football coaching changes are the norm in the Big East. While the league only saw two head coaching changes this year, the shuffling on the various coaching staffs continues well into March. Today, Rutgers and Cincinnati announced the departure of several assistant coaches. Rutgers announced the departure of special team coach Phil Galiano, running backs coach Ben Sirmans, and graduate assistant Andrew Janocko. Galiano and Janocko are joining former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano's staff with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sirmans is also heading to the NFL and will coach the running backs for the St. Louis Rams.
Cincinnati also announced a coaching staff change. Defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs, who has been on the staff for the past five seasons after spending much of his coaching career at high school powerhouse Colerain High School, is departing Cincinnati and will join Urban Meyer's staff at Ohio State. The school released this statement upon Coombs' decision to take the job with Ohio State. A portion of it reads:
"(Recruiting) will not suffer one bit," Jones said. "We have great coaches, great recruiters. It's all about relationships. The high school coaches in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area understand that we are their football team, we are their institution, and we are open to them. We have those relationships already etched in stone."
"Everyone understands what we have," Jones said. "We really are an attractive commodity in the world of college football. People see what we are doing here at the University of Cincinnati. They have great respect of our coaches and like what we are doing."
When team's have success, assistant coaches are plucked away. It happens all across the country and Jones views this as a compliment in the same manner Tim Banks move to Illinois was viewed as a compliment."We will do a national search," Jones said. "We'll have the best of the best. My phone has already been blowing up and candidates from the National Football League to all over the country and the big thing is going to be the best fit for us. The greatest teacher, the greatest character individual and greatest recruiter that we can find."