BY TOM GROESCHEN
The Cincinnati Enquirer

UC's Kevin Ward takes a break at practice Friday in Boise, Idaho. (Idaho Statesman photo) | ZOOM |

BOISE, Idaho - Rick Minter will enter the Sports Humanitarian Bowl without his defensive coordinator, but this is nothing new.

Minter left his defensive coordinator's post at Notre Dame in December 1993 to become head coach at the University of Cincinnati. Because of the move, Minter did not help coach the Irish in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1, 1994. Notre Dame beat Texas A&M 24-21.

Four years later, Minter finds himself adjusting to the loss of former UC defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, who left Nov. 23 for the same job at the University of Oklahoma.

Kim Dameron, who has coached UC's defensive backs for two years, is the interim defensive coordinator for the Bearcats' game vs. Utah State on Monday. He also is the leading candidate to replace Ryan permanently, Minter said.

''I've got complete faith in Kim,'' Minter said. ''If I didn't, I would go over there and run the defense for the bowl game.''

Dameron, 36, was defensive coordinator at Murray State from 1993-95 and has 13 years of coaching experience. But he knows he replaces a big name in Ryan, who at UC installed the attack-oriented ''46'' defense of his father, former NFL coach Buddy Ryan.

The Bearcat defense ranked 13th nationally in 1996 and was 38th in 1997. The highlight came in September of this year, when UC set a school record by holding Kansas to minus-46 yards rushing in a 34-7 victory.

''Rex is not here, but we're not going to change much,'' Dameron said. ''I'm the one that was named to replace him, but all the defensive coaches are doing a little bit more.''

Most of the Ryan schemes, featuring eight-man fronts and frequent blitzes, will not change.

''The biggest thing is to make sure the kids are comfortable with everything,'' Dameron said. ''It will just be a different guy over there calling things.''

Derrick Ransom, UC's standout senior defensive end, said the players have made a smooth transition.

''Nothing is really going to change, this late in the year,'' Ransom said. ''We'll go with what got us here.''

Minter knows what Dameron is going through, remembering how Lou Holtz had to proceed without him.

''It's all part of the game,'' Minter said. ''But our defense will not change a great deal, no matter who's running it.''

Bowl reports - Season in stories
Humanitarian Bowl web site
Utah State web site