Luke Fickell has decided to remain at Cincinnati, the coach has announced.
Pete Thamel first reported the news on Monday morning.
Fickell, widely believed to be one of Michigan State's top choices, led the Bearcats to back-to-back 11-win seasons the past two years, met with Michigan State officials yesterday.
With his defensive acumen, deep Big Ten ties from his time as a player and coach at Ohio State, his recruiting connections in the midwest and beyond, and his recent on-field success in the AAC, Fickell would have been an outstanding hire at Michigan State.
Fickell will undoubtedly return a top 20 team next year at Cinci, and be one of the favorites to win the AAC and surely will continue to be in high demand next off season.
But now, the search in East Lansing will have to move on.
The search for the Spartans to fill the only current open head coaching job in college football continues after guys like Pitt's Pat Narduzzi and Colorado's Mel Tucker took to social media to announce their intentions to stay put. 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, another candidate that Michigan State had interest in, has also reportedly stated that he intends to stay in San Francisco.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.