Stoops to hire Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator

Photo: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Mark Stoops is going to continue the trend of hiring University of Cincinnati coaches to fill vacant coaching positions. According to 247Sports, Stoops is set to hire Cincinnati’s co-defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale.

Clinkscale will replace Derrick Ansley, who left for Alabama earlier this month. Clinkscale has spent the past three seasons at Cincinnati. He moved to Cincinnati after one season at Illinois and three seasons at Toledo. After spending three seasons at the defensive backs coach, Clinkscale was promoted to defensive coordinator in January.

Clinkscale is the third former Cincinnati coach to join the staff at Kentucky, including offensive coordinator Eddie Gran and quarterbacks coach Darin Hinshaw.

Hear what Justin Rowland of Rivals has to say about Clinkscale:

The recruiting impact of Steve Clinkscale hire (could be announced as early as Tuesday): He is VERY well respected in Detroit/Pittsburgh.

Steve Clinkscale (UK’s new DB’s coach-to-be) is actually Vince Marrow’s cousin and knows Mark Stoops as a Youngstown native as well.

Welcome to the Big Blue Nation Steve Clinkscale!