We all know what "stepping down" means in this scenario.
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FootballScoop reported on Sunday morning that Cincinnati head coach Tommy Tuberville will be leaving the program after a 4-8 season in his fourth year with the school.
At Cincinnati, sources tell FootballScoop Tommy Tuberville has made decision to step down https://t.co/M5Hbvt9Qb6 pic.twitter.com/16Xzpo7bNn
— FootballScoop (@FootballScoop) December 4, 2016
The 62-year old Tuberville was 29-22 in his four years with the Bearcats, but the program had clearly declined after his first two seasons of 9-4 play. With that decline and Tuberville's age, Cincinnati was destined to make a change and it looks like Tuberville helped make the decision easier for him.
Tuberville has previously been a head coach at Ole Miss, Texas Tech, and Auburn. His 10-year stint with the Tigers was clearly his most successful, as he attained an 85-40 overall record, including a 13-0 season in 2004. Tuberville resigned from Auburn in 2008 after a disappointing 5-7 year that saw a loss to Vanderbilt and a 38-0 loss to Alabama.
Cincinnati will likely be targeting some of the top coaches remaining on the market. Western Michigan's P.J. Fleck and Western Kentucky's Jeff Brohm come to mind as potential candidates.