The program's current nickname, "Bearcats", was first used in 1914 and was formally adopted in 1919. Prior to then, common terms like "Varsity" or "Red and Black" (the team's colors) had been used to refer to the football team.[4][5] The Bearcats have played in more than 1200 games during the program's 129 seasons (through the 2017 regular season). In that time, nine coaches have led the Bearcats in a post-season bowl game, eight have won a conference championship, and four have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.[6][7]
Rick Minter currently holds several records among Cincinnati coaches, including most games coached (117), seasons coached (10), games won (53), games lost (63), conference wins (23), and conference losses (30). Minter also holds, along with Tuberville and Brian Kelly, the record for most bowl games coached (3).[A 1][A 2]Sid Gillman guided the Bearcats to three Mid-American Conference (MAC) championships, the most of any Cincinnati coach in any conference. Gillman also has the best conference win percentage of any coach (.929); Tom Fennell's .864 is the best regular season percentage, while Kelly's .850 leads among multi-season coaches. Only one interim coach, Steve Stripling, has won a game in that position.[6][7]
List of head football coaches showing season(s) coached, overall records, conference records[A 7], postseason records, championships and selected awards[A 8]
^Although the first Rose Bowl Game was played in 1902, it has been continuously played since the 1916 game, and is recognized as the oldest bowl game by the NCAA. "—" indicates any season prior to 1916 when postseason games were not played.[8]
^A running total of the number of head coaches, with coaches who served separate tenures being counted only once. Interim head coaches are represented with "Int" and are not counted in the running total. "—" indicates the team played but either without a coach or no coach is on record. "X" indicates an interim year without play.
^Overtime rules in college football were introduced in 1996, making ties impossible in the period since.[9]
^When computing the win–loss percentage, a tie counts as half a win and half a loss.[10]
^From 1885 through 1909, Cincinnati competed as an independent. Between 1910 and 1924, the program was a member of the Ohio Athletic Conference. It then competed in the Buckeye Conference from 1925 through 1935, which was followed by another period of independence. The Bearcats joined the Mid-American Conference in 1946, which they left for the Missouri Valley Conference in 1957. Between 1970 and 1995, Cincinnati again competed as an independent. The Bearcats have competed within conferences since 1996; the first was Conference USA, which they left for the Big East Conference, and then transitioned into the Big East's successor, the American Athletic Conference, starting in 2013.[11] The American Athletic Conference began divisional play in 2015 following the addition of the Navy Midshipmen, which brought the total number of teams in the conference to twelve.[12] Cincinnati had not been a member of a conference division at any time prior to this.
^Cincinnati athletic records state that no football games were played in 1907.[14] However, the College Football Data Warehouse records the Bearcats as having played two games that year, both of which were loses, under the leadership of a "Coach Clancey".[15]
^The College Football Data Warehouse includes an additional game and win for Chambers in the 1921 season, which is not recorded in Cincinnati's records.[17]
^ abRuss Cohen voluntarily resigned on October 14, 1937, after losing the first four games of the 1937 season. Offensive line coach Wade Woodworth was hired to succeed him, at Cohen's suggestion.[19]
^Cincinnati did not field a team during the 1943 or 1944 seasons due to World War II.[20]
^ abButch Jones coached the Bearcats through the 2012 regular season before leaving to take the head coach position at Tennessee. Assistant coach Steve Stripling was promoted to interim head coach for the 2012 Belk Bowl.[28][29]
^National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) (2011). Bowl/All-Star Game Records(PDF). Indianapolis, Indiana: NCAA. pp. 5–10. Archived(PDF) from the original on October 5, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
^Finder, Chuck (September 6, 1987). "Big plays help Paterno to 200th". The New York Times. New York City. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
^Staff (2014). "Coach Clancey Records by Year". All-Time Coaching Records. College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
^Staff (2014). "Boyd B. Chambers Records by Year". All-Time Coaching Records. College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
^ abStaff (2018). "Big East Coach of the Year Winners". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on March 10, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2018.