Ohio State Football: Top 5 Reasons Why Luke Fickell Will Succeed at Ohio State

When the announcement came early yesterday morning that Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel was stepping down as the football team's head coach, the question immediately arose on who was to take his place.

Ohio State wasted no time in announcing Luke Fickell as the interim head coach for at least the 2011-2012 football season. 

Although seemingly every reporter and writer wants to report on who will "really" be the next coach for the Buckeyes, I'm here to tell you why Fickell can be a great coach at his alma mater and can soon lose the "interim" label.

5. Recruiting

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COLUMBUS, OH - MARCH 30: Assitant Head Coach Luke Fickell listens during a press conference before the start of Spring practices at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center at The Ohio State University on March 30, 2011 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Ge

Yes, it's hard to gauge a head coach who has been in charge of recruiting for a little over 24 hours, but a story broke today from the Cleveland Plain Dealer that leads me to believe he might be a able to keep pace with Jim Tressel's stellar recruiting ability.

As reported from the Plain Dealer, junior offensive lineman Kyle Kalis was planning on decommiting as soon as he heard of Tressel's resignation. Kalis was dreading picking up the phone and making the call, but after talking on the phone with Coach Fickel for 45 minutes, Kalis had this to say...

"The only way I'd go to Ohio State is if Fick is the coach."

To me, if Coach Fickell can convince a player that is convinced he wants to decommit to recommit over the phone in less then an hour, there must be more to this Coach Fickell then we are giving him credit for.

Obviously, this in no way means Fickell is going to bring in the nation's number one recruiting class next year, but this is a glimmer of good news for Buckeye fans.

4. Player/Coach Relationships

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COLUMBUS, OH - MARCH 30: Assistant Head Coach Luke Fickell speaks to the media during a press conference before the start of Spring practices at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center at The Ohio State University on March 30, 2011 in Columbus, Ohio. Fickell wil

Fickell has been around all of the current Ohio State football players and coaches for as long as they have been at the University. 

This is a huge advantage for Fickell, who will not have to bring in an entire new coaching staff, but rather go about business with the same coaches he has worked with for years. Fickell had this to say about his assistants. 

"We coach by committee, It never has been, never will be, about one person in particular.

So Fickell is good to go with his current coaching staff, and his players are just as used to being around him. Former Ohio State star wide-out and current Colts receiver Anthony Gonzalez spoke highly of Coach Fickell.

 "As all Buckeye fans should, I'm fully supportive of him and wish him the best. He's worked hard and he deserves the opportunity he's getting."

3. Played the Game

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6 Nov 1993: Luke Fickell of the Ohio State Buckeyes in action against the Wisconsin Badgers during a game at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.

Not only did Luke Fickell play the game, he was a four year starter at nose-guard and currently holds the Ohio State record for most consecutive starts during a career with 50.

Fickell recorded over 200 tackles with 26 tackles for loss and finished with an overall record of 41-8 and one during his four year career.

Players will respect Fickell as a coach because of what he did as a player; most players are drawn to coaches like that. 

2. Expierence

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COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 18: Assistant Coach Luke Fickell of the Ohio State Buckeyes fists pump one of his players during a game against the Ohio Bobcats at Ohio Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

Before everyone jumps on me for calling a first year head coach experienced, let me explain.

Fickell was a graduate assistant for the Buckeyes in 1999 before going on to be a defensive line coach for the University of Akron for a year. Fickell then returned to his alma mater in 2002 as a special teams coach, then in 2004, was named the linebackers coach, and in 2005, the co-defensive coordinator. Last year, he was named the AFCA assistant coach of the year, claiming the award in only his fifth season an assistant. 

All in all, Fickell has nine years of coaching experience with eight of those being under head coach Jim Tressel. 

Being around such a winning program for eight years and learning from one of the best coaches in the country, Jim Tressel, Fickell does have experience. 

Sure, he lacks the lengthy resume, but Fickell was involved in game planning and strategy with Jim Tressel since 2005, so he knows what it takes to win games. 

1. Columbus Native

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19 Oct 1996: Defensive tackle Luke Fickell of the Ohio State Buckeyes on the bench during a game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana. Ohio State won the game, 42-14.

Coach Fickell went to high school in Columbus and was a Buckeye fan his whole life. 

He understands the hatred towards Michigan, he understands the traditions and most importantly, he understands what's expected of Buckeye Nation, and that's to win games. 

Fans respect an Ohio Native, especially one that played at the university and had such a successful career.

Will it be an easy season for Luke Fickell?

No, not by any means, but this is not just your average assistant coach, and Luke Fickell is going to surprise some people with his coaching ability this year.