Eric Finney, who turned his initial playing days at College of the Canyons into a scholarship role at the University of Illinois, is now poised to join a power-conference football staff.
Sources tell FootballScoop Tuesday that Finney is departing Iowa Western Community College for an off-the-field defensive analyst role on Scott Satterfield's second-year Cincinnati Bearcats staff.
It's an impressive move for Finney, who joins a Cincinnati program entering its second year of Big 12 Conference membership.
Following his playing career, Finney first served as a graduate assistant for two years at Concordia University in Chicago.
He was hired shortly thereafter onto the Iowa Western staff. Finney had just prepared to start his seventh year with the Reivers program, where he's coached both the safeties and nickels throughout his run in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Finney helped Iowa Western win back-to-back NJCCA national championships in 2022-23.
Entering Year 2 under Satterfield, Cincinnati is poised to open its 2024 season Aug. 31 against Towson before it resumes its longstanding regional rivalry the following week against ACC member Pittsburgh.