USA TODAY Sports

John Cunningham and the Cincinnati athletic department are in a full-scale coaching search as they try to set UC football up for success in the Big 12.

Bearcats legend and ESPN 1530 host Tony Pike and I have the same top choice to lead this program forward: Deion Sanders.

Pike and Mo Egger batted around the idea of Sanders in Clifton on The Tony & Mo Football Show.

"I honestly would love to have Primetime here. I don't think it's realistic. I don't think Urban [Meyer] is as realistic as many people think," Pike said.

"Why is Deion [Sanders] not realistic?" Egger retorted.

"I don't know if he wants to wait on the bigger job," Pike said. "I don't know if he's a guy that would want to come spend three or four years here. I do think he'd be great for recruiting. I think Deion is the guy that all those recruits that are opening back up their commitment. I think Deion can make one call and they all come back. "

"So some have brought up buzz factor panache, stuff like that," Egger said. "I think that would be great. That's not why I'm hiring him. I'm hiring him because he's 26-5."

Pike played at UC from 2005-09 and was a first-team All-Big East QB in 2009, leading the league in total offense per game.

The buzz around Sanders is building in the UC community, and I wrote in-depth about why it makes all the sense in the world. Check out the conversation and full show below.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST
Mavericks advance to Western Conference Finals aided by controversial call late
Connor McDavid, Oilers hammer Canucks to force Game 7
Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk epic increases excitement for potential rematch
Seize the Grey wins in muddy Preakness
Even Mike Budenholzer admits the Suns need a point guard
Watch: Juan Soto's first multi-homer game as a Yankee
Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa lead at PGA Championship
Knicks could get major boost for Game 7 showdown with Pacers
Giants All-Star pitcher suffers setback in recovery from injury
Panthers star named winner of 2024 Selke Trophy
WNBA to investigate $100,000 sponsorship deals for Aces players
Tiger Woods blames one big factor for missing the cut at PGA Championship
'Ain't good enough': Draymond Green claims Celtics must 'win it all' or it's a 'failure'
Blue Jays GM wants struggling club to feel 'massive sense of urgency'
Raptors expected to flip former NBA champion during the offseason
MLB insider reveals Mets' massive extension offer that Pete Alonso turned down
Celtics legend provides update after gruesome finger injury
Bulls hire former NBA head coach as top assistant
Chiefs move on from young running back
20-year MLB veteran working out, unsure about playing future

Want more sports news?

Join the hundreds of thousands of fans who start their day with Yardbarker's Morning Bark, the best newsletter in sports.