Coach | 1938-1942
Joe Meyer is the best Bearcats coach of the pre World War II era. Though the margin is closer than you might expect. Dana M. King is at the top of the charts in terms of winning percentage, 70 per cent to 6s percent. But Meyer had to most wins and lead Cincinnati in what might have been a breakout season in 1942.
That year the Bearcats went 8-2 with the only losses coming in road contests against Southeastern Conference foes Georgia and Tennessee. Georgia won the SEC and finished 2nd nationally behind Youngstown native Frank Sinkwich, the Heisman Trophy Winner. Tennessee finished third in the SEC behind Georgia and Georgia Tech, but they wound up 5th in the national polls.
Those two blemishes aside it was a great season for the Bearcats in 1942. But 1942 wasn't a great year for the country as Japan Bombed Pearl Harbor and the US entered World War II. The University of Cincinnati, like many schools across the country did not field a team in 1943 and 44. When the program was recalled for the 1945 season Joe Meyer had gone into business and wasn't available to coach the team. The reigns were handed to Ray Nolting instead.
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