The 2022 Cincinnati Bearcats football team represented the University of Cincinnati during the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bearcats, members of the American Athletic Conference, played their home games at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. 2022 was the program's sixth and final season under head coach Luke Fickell.
In September 2021, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF accepted bids to join the Big 12. On June 10, the American Athletic Conference and the three schools set to depart from the league (Cincinnati, Houston, UCF) announced that they had reached a buyout agreement that allowed those schools to join the Big 12 Conference in 2023. The 2022 season was the program's last season as a member of the AAC.
Nine Bearcats were selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, which was a school record, and was the third most of any school in the draft.
On January 1, 2022, offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock who had been the Bearcats offensive coordinator the last five years left the school to take the same role at LSU. On January 5, 2022, Brian Mason who had been with Cincinnati for the previous 5 seasons, including the last four as special teams coordinator was hired by Notre Dame in the same role. On January 13, 2022, it was reported that cornerbacks coach Perry Eliano who spent the last two years at Cincinnati had accepted the safeties coaching job at Ohio State.
On January 17, 2022, The Athletic reported that UC was promoting quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli to Offensive coordinator, and that Wide receivers coach Mike Brown was expected to add the role of passing game coordinator, previously held by Guidugli. Cincinnati also promoted Safeties coach Colin Hitschler to Co-defensive coordinator. Also on January 17, 2022 it was announced that Cincinnati was hiring current Central Michigan offensive line coach Mike Cummings in the same role at Cincinnati.
On January 18, 2022, The Athletic reported that Kerry Coombs was being hired as the new cornerbacks coach and special teams coordinator. Coombs joins Cincinnati after serving most recently as defensive coordinator at Ohio State the previous two seasons. He also was an assistant coach at Ohio State from 2012 to 2017 where he developed five first-round NFL draft picks. Coombs previously coached at Cincinnati from 2007 to 2011, overseeing defensive backs and special teams. Additionally, he coached with the Tennessee Titans (2017âÂÂ18) and was head coach at Colerain High School, from 1991 to 2006.
On January 19, 2022, Cincinnati hired former Bearcats defensive linemen Walter Stewart to coach outside linebackers, Stewart played at Cincinnati 2008âÂÂ2012. Prior to returning to Cincinnati Stewart coached at defensive line at Arkansas State. From 2019âÂÂ2021 he was the defensive line coach at Temple, Defensive line at Northern Illinois in 2018. Prior to NIU Stewart was defensive line coach at Eastern Kentucky from 2016 and 2017. In 2015, Stewart coached defensive ends at Florida A&M after being on the Tennessee staff from 2013âÂÂ14.
On February 21, 2022, Cincinnati announced it has promoted offensive graduate assistant Nate Letton to tight ends coach.
On March 3, 2022, it was reported that Greg Scruggs accepted an assistant defensive line coach position with the New York Jets. After the departure of Scruggs, Walter Stewart was promoted to become the defensive line coach and James Ross III was hired as the outside linebackers coach.
Outgoing
Incoming
<small>Listed in the order that they were released</small>
The American Athletic Conference preseason media poll was released at AAC Media Day on July 28, 2022. Cincinnati, the defending champions, were narrowly pipped by Houston to be preseason favorites, while obtaining 3 more votes for No.1.
The Bearcats' 2022 schedule consisted of six home games, five away games, and one neutral site game. Cincinnati hosted two of its four non-conference games; against Kennesaw State (FCS) and Indiana. The Bearcats traveled to Arkansas to open the season in a one-game non-conference matchup, and played a neutral site matchup vs. Miami (OH) at Paycor Stadium in the battle for the Victory Bell rivalry game.