TicketsOne of the nation’s top defensive backs coaches and a legendary Cincinnati high school coach, Kerry Coombs rejoined the UC football staff as the special teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach in 2022. He enters his third season during his current stint with the Bearcats and his eighth season at UC overall. He previously coached on the UC staff from 2007-2011.
He served as the interim head coach for the Bearcats in the 2022 Wasabi Fenway Bowl, and signed a new three-year contract to remain at Cincinnati as part of Scott Satterfield’s staff for the 2023 season.
The Cincinnati native's 41-year coaching career has been highlighted by stints in the NFL as the secondary coach for the Tennessee Titans, two separate tenures as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator at Ohio State as well as two stops as an assistant at UC. Prior to collegiate coaching, he served as the head coach at Colerain High School in Cincinnati, where he went to 10 state playoffs and five state semifinals over 16 years, including an undefeated state championship season in 2004.
From 2014 to 2018, Coombs coached five cornerbacks who were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, including Bradley Roby (2014, Denver Broncos), Eli Apple (2016, New York Giants), Marshon Lattimore (2017, New Orleans Saints), Gareon Conley (2017, Oakland Raiders) and Denzel Ward (2018, Cleveland Browns). Those five have already combined to earn more than $200 million in the NFL.
In 2023, Coombs’ cornerback unit battled injuries and featured five different players who earned their first career starts at the position. Still, Cincinnati finished fourth in the Big 12 in pass defense, allowing just 225.8 yards per game. Among the highlights was cornerback Justin Harris tying the school-record with four pass breakups in his first career start in a road victory at Pitt.
He also coached punter Mason Fletcher to All-Big 12 honorable mention accolades and kicker Carter Brown, who knocked down 15-of-19 field goals.
In 2022, Coombs also had to break in new starters at both cornerback spots. He guided Ja’Quan Sheppard from backup to first-team all-conference and mentored Fletcher, who was named a finalist for the Ray Guy Award in addition to AAC Special Teams Player of the Year, and Ryan Coe, a second-team all-league kicker.
Coombs spent 2020 and 2021 as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator, returning after coaching the Buckeyes for six seasons, from 2012 to 2017.
In 2020, he helped lead the team to a Big Ten Championship and the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. His rushing defense (97.6) ranked sixth in the country, and the Buckeyes forced an impressive 20 turnovers in just eight games. Cornerback Shaun Wade was named a consensus All-American and the Big Ten's defensive back of the year.
Prior to 2020, Coombs was the cornerbacks coach for the NFL’s Tennessee Titans for two seasons and produced one of the leagues’ best defensive units.
The Titans ranked sixth in passing defense (216.9 yards/game), eighth in opponent passer rating (88.4) and ninth in opponent competition percentage (.632). The secondary ranked eighth in the league in interceptions in 2019.
In 2017, Coombs was promoted to the assistant coordinator of the defense for the Buckeyes and was the special teams coordinator for five seasons (2013-2017), while serving as the cornerbacks coach.
In his six-year tenure at Ohio State, every starting cornerback he coached made it to the NFL. In that same time, the Buckeyes totaled 101 interceptions with 17 returned for touchdowns, which ranked among the nation's top two in each category during that span.
In 2016, the Buckeyes ranked fourth nationally with 21 interceptions, including a nation-high seven interceptions returned for touchdowns. The team ranked third in the country in passing defense.
With Lattimore and Conley drafted in 2017 as first round picks, Coombs become the first coach to have three cornerbacks taken in the first round over consecutive drafts, with Apple being picked in the first round of the 2016 draft.
After accepting the position of defensive backs coach in 2012, from 2014-2017 the Buckeyes won two Big Ten titles, became the first-ever College Football Playoff national champion and Ohio State never finished lower than 13th nationally in pass defense, topping out at No. 3 in 2016.
Coombs accepted an offer from Brian Kelly to join his staff in 2007 and stayed through the 2011 season.
In 2009, Coombs was promoted to associate head coach in addition to being the team’s defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator. In 2007, the Coombs-led Bearcats finished first in the nation in interceptions (26).
Coombs was instrumental in Kelly’s three Cincinnati teams that were 33-7 overall and played in two BCS bowl games: 2008 Orange Bowl vs. Virginia Tech and 2009 Sugar Bowl vs. Florida.
Prior to coaching at the college ranks, Coombs became head coach at Colerain High School in Cincinnati in 1991, his alma mater.
In 16 years at the helm, the Colerain Cardinals went to 10 state playoffs and five state semifinals, and went undefeated en route to a state title in 2004. Coombs left Colerain with a 161-34 record.
His coaching career began after winning the 1980 Division III National Championship with the University of Dayton. He accepted two assistant coaching jobs in Cincinnati (Greenhills High School and Lakota High School) before becoming head coach at Loveland High School in Loveland, Ohio in 1989.
Coombs graduated from the University of Dayton in 1983 and is a local product of Colerain, Ohio.
Coombs and his wife Holly are the parents of three grown children. They have a daughter Cortney and two sons, Brayden and Dylan, who is a former cornerback for UC and was in the Lindner Honors Plus business program.
He served as the interim head coach for the Bearcats in the 2022 Wasabi Fenway Bowl, and signed a new three-year contract to remain at Cincinnati as part of Scott Satterfield’s staff for the 2023 season.
The Cincinnati native's 41-year coaching career has been highlighted by stints in the NFL as the secondary coach for the Tennessee Titans, two separate tenures as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator at Ohio State as well as two stops as an assistant at UC. Prior to collegiate coaching, he served as the head coach at Colerain High School in Cincinnati, where he went to 10 state playoffs and five state semifinals over 16 years, including an undefeated state championship season in 2004.
From 2014 to 2018, Coombs coached five cornerbacks who were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, including Bradley Roby (2014, Denver Broncos), Eli Apple (2016, New York Giants), Marshon Lattimore (2017, New Orleans Saints), Gareon Conley (2017, Oakland Raiders) and Denzel Ward (2018, Cleveland Browns). Those five have already combined to earn more than $200 million in the NFL.
In 2023, Coombs’ cornerback unit battled injuries and featured five different players who earned their first career starts at the position. Still, Cincinnati finished fourth in the Big 12 in pass defense, allowing just 225.8 yards per game. Among the highlights was cornerback Justin Harris tying the school-record with four pass breakups in his first career start in a road victory at Pitt.
He also coached punter Mason Fletcher to All-Big 12 honorable mention accolades and kicker Carter Brown, who knocked down 15-of-19 field goals.
In 2022, Coombs also had to break in new starters at both cornerback spots. He guided Ja’Quan Sheppard from backup to first-team all-conference and mentored Fletcher, who was named a finalist for the Ray Guy Award in addition to AAC Special Teams Player of the Year, and Ryan Coe, a second-team all-league kicker.
Coombs spent 2020 and 2021 as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator, returning after coaching the Buckeyes for six seasons, from 2012 to 2017.
In 2020, he helped lead the team to a Big Ten Championship and the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. His rushing defense (97.6) ranked sixth in the country, and the Buckeyes forced an impressive 20 turnovers in just eight games. Cornerback Shaun Wade was named a consensus All-American and the Big Ten's defensive back of the year.
Prior to 2020, Coombs was the cornerbacks coach for the NFL’s Tennessee Titans for two seasons and produced one of the leagues’ best defensive units.
The Titans ranked sixth in passing defense (216.9 yards/game), eighth in opponent passer rating (88.4) and ninth in opponent competition percentage (.632). The secondary ranked eighth in the league in interceptions in 2019.
In 2017, Coombs was promoted to the assistant coordinator of the defense for the Buckeyes and was the special teams coordinator for five seasons (2013-2017), while serving as the cornerbacks coach.
In his six-year tenure at Ohio State, every starting cornerback he coached made it to the NFL. In that same time, the Buckeyes totaled 101 interceptions with 17 returned for touchdowns, which ranked among the nation's top two in each category during that span.
In 2016, the Buckeyes ranked fourth nationally with 21 interceptions, including a nation-high seven interceptions returned for touchdowns. The team ranked third in the country in passing defense.
With Lattimore and Conley drafted in 2017 as first round picks, Coombs become the first coach to have three cornerbacks taken in the first round over consecutive drafts, with Apple being picked in the first round of the 2016 draft.
After accepting the position of defensive backs coach in 2012, from 2014-2017 the Buckeyes won two Big Ten titles, became the first-ever College Football Playoff national champion and Ohio State never finished lower than 13th nationally in pass defense, topping out at No. 3 in 2016.
Coombs accepted an offer from Brian Kelly to join his staff in 2007 and stayed through the 2011 season.
In 2009, Coombs was promoted to associate head coach in addition to being the team’s defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator. In 2007, the Coombs-led Bearcats finished first in the nation in interceptions (26).
Coombs was instrumental in Kelly’s three Cincinnati teams that were 33-7 overall and played in two BCS bowl games: 2008 Orange Bowl vs. Virginia Tech and 2009 Sugar Bowl vs. Florida.
Prior to coaching at the college ranks, Coombs became head coach at Colerain High School in Cincinnati in 1991, his alma mater.
In 16 years at the helm, the Colerain Cardinals went to 10 state playoffs and five state semifinals, and went undefeated en route to a state title in 2004. Coombs left Colerain with a 161-34 record.
His coaching career began after winning the 1980 Division III National Championship with the University of Dayton. He accepted two assistant coaching jobs in Cincinnati (Greenhills High School and Lakota High School) before becoming head coach at Loveland High School in Loveland, Ohio in 1989.
Coombs graduated from the University of Dayton in 1983 and is a local product of Colerain, Ohio.
Coombs and his wife Holly are the parents of three grown children. They have a daughter Cortney and two sons, Brayden and Dylan, who is a former cornerback for UC and was in the Lindner Honors Plus business program.