5'9 @ 178lbs and 24% bodyfat doesn't sound right to me - can you post up some pics of yourself? How do you know you're at 24%?

IF those figure are correct, I don't think you should cut or bulk, just do a body recomp. It'll take longer, but you'll reduce bodyfat while maintaining or slowly adding lean mass. Eat at maintenance and rely on cardio to create the deficit. I'd like to see some pics as well as your proposed diet.