BearcatReport.com - Catching up with former Offensive Coordinator Greg Seamon

May 25, 2009

Scott Springer
BearcatReport.com Staff Writer

Back when I was the radio sideline reporter for Bearcat football (1994-2005?in the booth for '06 and '07) I always enjoyed the post-game interviews. Obviously, these were more enjoyable after victories because back then, I really had no rules.

Before overzealous and control-mad programmers whittled my airtime away, after a win I could walk around the field with free reign to interview as many players and coaches (and sometimes parents and others) that I wanted. I would roam the field and Dan Hoard and Jim Kelly would point me in the direction of where everybody was. While it's a little different now, I'm thankful that Tommy Gelehrter has been given increased access and airtime than what that role had become in my later years.

My favorite years on the sidelines were probably 1995-1997. By '95 I had a year under my belt and sort of figured out what I was doing. And, the team had really started to come on and show some progress culminating in the first bowl game in December of '97 in Boise.

Just like that team had a lot of memorable players, it also had a lot of memorable coaches?many whom were very good and cooperative with me. One of those was Greg Seamon, a very accommodating and engaging interview after Bearcat wins.

Greg was the offensive coordinator between '95 and '98. While some didn't agree with his play calling at times, I can tell you that the final call (for what it's worth) went through Rick Minter. This is not to rip on Rick because as we've said before?the groundwork for what's here now was started with Rick at the helm.

Greg Seamon is now a Bengals scout and has been for all seven years that Marvin Lewis has been head coach. I recently had a chance to reminisce with Greg during Bengals OTA's.

"It was a really good time there," he told me. "'95,'96 and '97 was the first time they had three winning seasons in a row in 14 years. In '96, we beat Miami (OH), Kentucky and Louisville. That was the first time that had ever happened. In '97, we went to the first bowl game since Sid Gillman was there (in the 50s). That group of seniors was a really special group. Each year, the program improved under them."

Correct on all counts.

As we've mentioned this year (with the six UC players drafted into the NFL) the previous record of draftees was five and that came in April '98 after that historic '97 season. Including players that were around prior and after that season, UC started routinely having players selected to "play on Sundays".

"When you look at that period of time...not all of these guys were in the exact same class, but you had Sam Garnes, a fine safety in the NFL for the Giants; Jason Fabini, who's still playing (Redskins); Chris Hewitt, who was off to a really good start with the New Orleans Saints and had a knee injury; Brad Jackson; Chad Plummer got drafted; Artrell Hawkins played eight or nine years in the NFL; Derrick Ransom played seven or eight years for the Kansas City Chiefs; and Roderick Monroe played with the Falcons," Seamon said proudly.

All of that came as UC transitioned into their first league in some time. That league (C-USA) helped then, just as the Big East has helped now.

"Under Coach (Tim) Murphy they (UC) had been an independent," Seamon explained. "Being in a conference helped some. Being able to recruit Ohio kids helped a little more. We got Dougie Rosfeld out of Moeller and that opened up the door here in Cincinnati. They started getting some kids out of the GCL. Today, I see on the roster a third of their team or more are Ohio kids. I think going to the Big East has helped that."

Over 10 years removed from wearing UC red and black, Seamon still feels very accomplished over what the mid-to-late 90s Bearcats pulled off.

"They took the program from an independent into a conference, won a bowl game (Humanitarian Bowl) and then (eventually) went to a bowl game after I left (Motor City Bowl-2000)," Seamon said. "The whole thing has continued with Coach Dantonio and now with Coach Kelly."

Undoubtedly, the BCS affiliation of the Big East was something that would've helped Seamon had it been around in his UC coaching days.

"The way you're perceived by a teenage kid has a lot to do with how you recruit that kid," he said. "If he doesn't see you playing on television, if he doesn't see 'BCS' attached to your conference's name, there's a certain pool of players that you're just not going to be able to talk to. Now, being a Big East school, that door is automatically open to go ahead and talk to those kids. So, it's a huge step forward. I think Coach Kelly's done a remarkable job with it, but there's a lot of people starting with Coach Murphy, Coach Minter, and Coach Dantonio that took it that far."

I've also mentioned this in several writings and on several sites, but the one thing Rick Minter knew for sure was talent. He had the players we've mentioned that went on to pro careers. Also, he had outstanding assistants (who sadly would take their careers elsewhere).
Again, three current NFL coaches were all former Rick Minter assistants (Rex Ryan/Jets, John Harbaugh/Ravens and Mike Tomlin/Steelers).

Seamon expounded on that topic, "Bob Wylie was our line coach?Bob's got about 15 years (experience) as an NFL line coach. He was replaced by Larry Zierlein who just won the Super Bowl with the Steelers as their line coach. I was the offensive coordinator, the defensive coordinator was Rex Ryan and the special teams coordinator was John Harbaugh. So, those are some really outstanding staffs. Everyone has gone on and done very well."

After UC, Seamon took a bold move and went to Oxford and the Miami Redhawks. However, it was a family move and he didn't have to relocate. Again, he was surrounded by players he'd later see in "the league".

Most notably...Ben Roethlisberger.

"I was there through Ben's freshman year," Seamon said. "He had one year of high school ball as a quarterback. They (prep coaches) has decided the coach's son was a better prospect than Ben at Findlay, so Ben played wide receiver until his senior year. So, we brought him to Miami and redshirted him. I then went off to the Cowboys as coach after that, but we also had Jacob Bell, an offensive lineman in the NFL. And, we had John Busing at Miami?a safety who played here (with the Bengals). He's just signed with the Houston Texans."

Having seen NFL talent at both UC and Miami, Seamon's always on the look for more in his current scouting position with the Bengals. While Bearcat games were occasionally staffed by the Bengals in the past, the Big East move has certainly caught the attention of the orange and black.
"Yeah, myself or Jim Lippincott (Pro Personnel Director) or both of us are at every UC home game," Seamon said. "The Big East helps because with the better competition you see better talent in the opponents too."

Seamon's best Bearcat memory?

"In '95 we were worried because we started the year with three tough opponents, Kansas on the road, Kansas State at home, then Virginia Tech there," he said. "We had a lot of sophomores, yet we're throwing in the endzone to Robert Tate (another NFL player) at the end of the game at Kansas. Then we have Kansas State beaten at home and they throw a touchdown in the endzone to beat us on the final play. Then we had to go to Virginia Tech and we were concerned about how our guys would hold up. Well, the defense shut'em down and we beat'em 16-0. Actually, it should've been more because Tony Smikle caught a touchdown pass that was called back on a holding call on the other side of the field!"

Pretty good memory.

I can vouch for that as I was at all three contests. The Virginia Tech game always stood out because everyone in Blacksburg was convinced it would be a Hokie blowout. Instead, the Bearcats blanked them in the mud.

I still remember hearing the Virginia Tech post-game show on the way to the airport with a caller complaining, "We've got the Miami Hurricanes next week and we can't even beat Cincinnati!"

Precious.

And the sidebar...Virginia Tech didn't lose another game that season and wound up winning the Sugar Bowl.

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