UC Adds Cummings, Stewart To Staff
Cincinnati football head coach Luke Fickell announced on Monday the additions of offensive line coach Mike Cummings and outside linebackers coach Walter Stewart, a former team captain and defensive lineman for the Bearcats.
Cummings brings 35 years of experience coaching offensive lines to the Bearcats, including 16 seasons at Central Michigan where he coached Eric Fisher, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2013 NFL Draft, and teamed with current UC offensive coordinator Gino Guidugli on the Chippewas’ staff from 2010-13.
“I’m excited to announce Mike Cummings as our offensive line coach,” Fickell said. “Mike is as respected as any offensive line coach in the country and his track record speaks for itself. He’s had success at every stop in his career and is an outstanding developer of offensive linemen. Mike is a proven leader and an excellent teacher of the game. He is a tremendous addition to our coaching staff.”
In 2021, Cummings helped lead the Chippewas to a 9-4 record as junior offensive linemen Bernhard Raimann and Luke Goedeke proved to be two of the nation’s top tackles. Both earned invitations to the Senior Bowl, All-MAC First Team honors and All-America accolades from Pro Football Focus.
In 2019, Cummings’ offensive line paved the way for two CMU running backs to rush for 1,000 yards as the Chippewas led the MAC in total yards (6,070).
Cummings, who served CMU as offensive coordinator, offensive line coach and a graduate assistant during five separate stints, was the offensive coordinator for the Chippewas from 2010-13. He coached five All-MAC offensive line selections during that four-year stretch, including Fisher who was picked No. 1 by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2013 Draft. CMU’s passing attack finished in the nation’s Top 25 twice during the stretch.
He also has coached at VMI, Connecticut, Marshall, Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Michigan State during his illustrious career.
Stewart returns to Clifton as UC’s outside linebackers coach after playing for the Bearcats from 2008 to 2012 as a defensive lineman. He was a team captain and second-team All-BIG EAST selection as a senior in 2012. He played in 43 games, went to four bowls and totaled 185 tackles, 34.5 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles. He ranks ninth in school history in career sacks and tied for second in forced fumbles.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Walter Stewart back to Cincinnati to serve as our outside linebackers coach,” Fickell said. “He was a terrific player here at UC and it’s exciting to be able to bring back one of our own. He’s really made his mark in coaching and has established himself as an up-and-comer in this profession. Coaching against him the last few years, I have been impressed by the discipline and execution from his units. He’ll be a terrific addition to our staff.”
In his nine years of coaching, he has mentored two All-Americans, two conference defensive players of the year, one conference player of the year and 10 all-conference selections.
Stewart’s most recent coaching stop was at Temple, where he coached the defensive line from 2019 to 2021.
While at Temple, the Owls registered 67 sacks during his three-year stretch, including a 39-sack season in 2019 that ranked 16th nationally. He mentored 2019 AAC Defensive Player of the Year Quincy Roche, who tied the Temple record with 13.0 sacks before being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He coached the defensive line at Northern Illinois in 2018. NIU played it the Boca Raton Bowl and totaled the second-most sacks in the country (50). He coached Sutton Smith, who captured All-American honors. Before NIU, Stewart was at Eastern Kentucky for the 2016 and 2017 seasons as the defensive line coach. In 2015, he coached the defensive ends at Florida A&M after being on the Tennessee staff from 2013-14 where he helped coach All-SEC defensive end and Philadelphia Eagles first-round pick Derek Barnett.