Update: Cincinnati Fills Two Voids on Coaching Staff
Following the announcement that special teams & cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs, as well as co-defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach Nate Fuqua would not be retained for the 2025 season, Scott Satterfield and Cincinnati Football have announced two additions to the staff.
Samford defensive coordinator/safeties coach Adam Braithwaite will join the Bearcats' coaching staff to take on the role as safeties coach.
Samford ranked 44th in total defense in the FCS during the 2024 season, finishing 10th in tackles for loss and fifth in sacks.
He began his coaching career at West Liberty State in 2003, then returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach at William and Mary as the Tribe reached the FCS semifinals in 2004.
As he started work on his graduate degree, Braithwaite joined the staff at West Virginia for the 2005 and 2006 campaigns, working with the defensive backs and linebackers. In 2007, he was named the defensive coordinator at Hampden-Sydney College, coaching linebackers and special teams. While at HSC, the team won an Old Dominion Athletic Conference title.
He resumed graduate work at Michigan in 2008 and was promoted to the Wolverines' safeties coach in 2010.
Braithwaite has also had stops at Tennessee Tech, Charlotte, and Richmond.
The other addition to Satterfield's staff was LSU's Eddie Hicks.
Hicks comes to Cincinnati after spending last season as LSU's defensive analyst and will take on the role of cornerbacks coach.
Hicks joined the Tigers after one year coaching cornerbacks at Jacksonville State.
In his one season at Jacksonville State, the Gamecocks posted a 9-2 record as they transitioned from the FCS to FBS.
Prior to that, Hicks spent three years at Charlotte coaching the cornerbacks.
A two-time All-Conference USA defensive back at Southern Miss, Hicks returned to his alma mater in 2018 as the cornerbacks coach for the Golden Eagles. In his one season at Southern Miss, the Golden Eagles led Conference USA in pass defense and held opponents to only 14 passing touchdowns, while recording 14 interceptions, third-most in the league.
Other coaching stops for Hicks include Austin Peay (2016-17), and Murray State (2015).
Hicks got his start in coaching in 2012 as a graduate assistant at Alcorn State. He followed that as a graduate assistant at Cincinnati (2013) followed by one year as defensive quality control assistant at Cal.