Cincinnati native Greg Scruggs enters his third season as the Bearcats' defensive line coach in 2022 and his fifth season overall at UC. He joined the Cincinnati staff in 2018 and moved into his full-time coaching role with the defensive line in 2020.
A two-time Super Bowl champion, Scruggs spent five years in the NFL as a defensive lineman.
Scruggs and his defensive line were instrumental in Cincinnati posting a 22-2 record over the last two seasons, while winning back-to-back American Athletic Conference Championships and advancing to the 2021 College Football Playoff Semifinals at the Cotton Bowl.
Led by a fearsome defensive line, Cincinnati had one of the nation’s best defenses in 2021, ranking fifth nationally in scoring defense (16.5) and No. 10 in total defense (318.4)
Cincinnati tallied 39 sacks to rank No. 2 in the AAC and No. 18 in the nation, with senior defensive tackle Curtis Brooks leading the way with a conference-best 7.5 sacks. The Bearcats allowed only 4.5 yards per play to opponents, which was the fourth-fewest in the nation.
Scruggs developed 2021 All-AAC First Team selections Brooks and senior defensive end Myjai Sanders. Brooks led UC with 12.5 TFLs, while Sanders faced constant double teams and finished with 7.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks and a team-best 13 hurries. He was named to the First Team for a second straight year, while senior defensive tackle Marcus Brown picked up honorable mention accolades a year after earning Second Team honors.
Defensive lineman Elijah Ponder also collected All-AAC honors in 2020 for a defense that helped UC finish 9-0 in the regular season and advance to the Peach Bowl.
The 2020 defense ranked 12th in total defense, 20th in rushing defense and seventh in scoring defense.
A former standout player at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Scruggs starred at the University of Louisville and was a two-time Super Bowl Champion. He spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons as the Bearcats’ director of player development and NFL liaison.
In his former role, he worked directly with UC’s players, providing mentoring and ensuring they adhered to the program goals and policies regarding intellectual, social, leadership, physical and skill development. He also helped manage many of UC’s off-the-field initiatives, including community service efforts.
Prior to joining UC’s staff in 2018, Scruggs worked with the NFL’s Legends Development Program in player marketing and communications from 2017-18 following his retirement from professional football.
The NFL Legends Development program, launched in 2013, provides retired players the chance to grow their careers by gaining business experience and exposure in the NFL’s New York office, mostly involving opportunities not in front of a camera or in a coaching capacity.
Scruggs was selected in the seventh round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks, leading him on a five-year professional career which was cut short by injury. Scruggs played defensive line with Seattle, transitioned to tight end in his second season with the Chicago Bears and closed out his career with the New England Patriots.
Part of the winning squads in Super Bowl XLVII (Seattle) and Super Bowl LI (New England), Scruggs played for legendary coaches Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick.
Scruggs recorded 11 career tackles, three sacks, two tackles for a loss and a pass defended in 11 career games. He missed the 2013 season due to an injury.
He played collegiately at Louisville from 2008-11, seeing time in 42 games at defensive tackle and defensive end, earning 26 starts.
Remarkably, Scruggs played only one season of prep football, recording nine sacks and 57 tackles to help lead the 2007 St. Xavier Bombers to a No. 1 National Ranking, a perfect 15-0 record and an OHSAA Division I State Championship. He played four years of basketball for the Bombers, averaging 7.0 points and 3.0 rebounds and spent three years as a drummer in the marching band.
Extremely active in the local community, Scruggs serves on the international board of directors and as a national spokesperson for Boys Hope Girls Hope, an organization centered on cultivating youth empowerment through the foundation of education and holistic support.
Scruggs has spoken nationwide about his journey and also appeared in Black Boys, a feature-length documentary about what it means to be born black and male in America
He earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Louisville in 2011. Scruggs has a son, Koven.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Born: Aug. 17, 1990
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Children: Koven
Education: Louisville (2011, B.S.)
Year in Coaching: Second
PLAYING CAREER
2008-11: Louisville (Defensive Line)
2012-15: Seattle (Defensive Line)
2015-16: Chicago (Defensive Line/Tight End)
2016: New England (Tight End)
COACHING CAREER
2018: Cincinnati - Director, Player Development
2019: Cincinnati - Director, Player Development
2020: Cincinnati - Defensive Line
2021: Cincinnati – Defensive Line
2022: Cincinnati – Defensive Line
POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE - PLAYER
2010: Louisville - Beef O’Brady’s
2011: Louisville - Belk
2012: Seattle - NFL Playoffs
2013: Seattle - Super Bowl XLVIII Champions
2014: Seattle - NFC Champions
2016: New England - Super Bowl LI Champions
POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE - COACH
2018: Cincinnati - Military
2019: Cincinnati – Birmingham
2020: Cincinnati – Peach
2021: Cincinnati – Cotton (CFP Semifinal)
Greg Scruggs
Assistant Coach - Defensive Line