Louisville Football: Vince Tyra’s shortlist post-Jeff Brohm

Scott Satterfield – Appalachian State

Head Coach

Scott Satterfield has been the most talked about candidate this past week and after Brohm said no, he seems to be the leader in the clubhouse. Satterfield is in his sixth year as Head Coach at Appalachian State University. Satterfield is 50-24 (38-10) overall and has successfully guided the program from the FCS to FBS level after transitioning in 2014. Satterfield is another younger (45) coach who is more than ready for a jump to a bigger program. Could Louisville be his next project?

Pros:

Culture Changer

Satterfield is the guy for culture change. After his first two seasons at App State, Satterfield has won 9 games twice, 10, and 11. Satterfield’s program has not only transitioned divisions but has won conference titles the past two seasons and plays for another on Saturday against Louisiana. Satterfield’s teams have also shown they can play with the big dogs as well. App State handled Penn State in Happy Valley on opening weekend this season before losing 45-38 in OT. If you like a visor-wearing coach who simply wins, Satterfield is your guy.

QB1

Much like Day, Satterfield is a Quarterback through-and-through. Satterfield played QB at Appalachian State in the early 90’s where he started 27 games. His coaching experience prior to being the HC at App State, included a year as Toledo’s QB coach (2009), Offensive Coordinato at FIU (2010-11), and Offensive Coordinator (2012) before being named Head Coach at Appalachian State. Satterfield’s nine-win Mountaineers have averaged 37 points/game this season and 441 yards of total offense. If the Cardinals continue to lean towards offensive-minded head coaches, then Satterfield could be it.

Cons:

Recruiting

While Satterfield has been a winner and a culture changer at Appalachian State, he has never recruited at a high level. According to 257Sports, Satterfield’s last two classes have been nationally ranked 107th and 113th, and his current class for next season checks in at 88th. Satterfield simply has to prove he can make the connections, hire the right coaches alongside him, and lead a unified force to consistently recruit elite talent.

One destination wonder

If Satterfield has another hole in his resume, it’s his success at only one institution. Satterfield has spent six seasons at App State and has yet to prove his winning ways in a solid conference. Satterfield has yet to lose a bowl game–but the Camellia and Dollar General bowls are uh less than ideal season-ending destinations. Satterfield’s genius will be insured with great success at a bigger program.

BRL’s odds of hire:  6/4

Not much of a timeline has been set out to the public by Athletic Director Vince Tyra over the last 24 hours. With the early signing period looming large, it’s very likely that a coach could be hired by the end of the weekend, although it’s not for certain.

Even with Jeff Brohm making the decision to stay in Purdue I still believe that the Cards and Vince Tyra will land a coach who is more than capable of getting the job done. Yes, Jeff Brohm was the best fit for the job due to his Louisville ties, but the future for the Cards is still bright with one of these guys, or potentially some others, at the helm.