Three telling signs that Scott Satterfield is Louisville’s next head coach
As Louisville football narrows in on its next head coach, we look at some clues that Appalachian State’s Scott Satterfield could be Louisville’s next head coach.
Next. Vince Tyra's short list. dark
All signs point towards Scott Satterfield being Louisville football’s next head coach.
As rumors swirl around a number of different names, and posts, tweets, and message board fodder begin to fill our heads, it is easy to let our emotions confuse rumors with the facts.
Most Louisville fans did this with Jeff Brohm. We let our emotions and bias dictate what our opinions were, when in reality, the facts told a different story. So, the best way to determine what the outcome may be regarding Louisville’s head coaching vacancy is to remove emotions from logic, and separate facts from rumors.
If you listen to what Louisville Athletic Director Vince Tyra has been saying, and piece together the way that the situation has been treated, it becomes more and more clear that Scott Satterfield is next in line to be Louisville football’s next head coach.
Satterfield and Louisville have mutual interest
The first, and most obvious, reason that Satterfield is the current leader in the club house is because of mutual interest between the two parties. Aside from Jeff Brohm, there has not been expressed interest from the coach himself.
However, Satterfield addressed the issue head-on Friday night prior to Saturday’s Sunbelt Conference Championship game.
"“I think I owe it to myself and my family to take a look. And I’ve always said I’ll listen. I’ll listen to see what people have to say.“And if there is interest on their part, we’ll see where it’s at. If it’s going to benefit our family and is a situation we feel like we can have success, then that’s something we’ll take serious. And if not, we’ll move on and continue to build a powerhouse here at Appalachian State.”"
Tyra mentioned on Thursday that he never felt that Jeff Brohm truly wanted to come to Louisville. He wants someone who is going to be just as interested in the Cards as they are in him.
When asked about the Louisville position again Saturday post-conference championship, Satterfield sounds interested:
Appalachian State coach Scott Satterfield, after winning Sun Belt title game, on interest from Louisville (and maybe other programs): "We'll cross that bridge now since we're at the end of the season."
— Gentry Estes (@Gentry_Estes) December 1, 2018
The powers that be at App State and Louisville have to appreciate Satterfield’s candor throughout the process.
Satterfield is an offensive-minded head coach
Although the names of many up-and-coming coordinators have been circulating, Tyra has mentioned that he is looking for someone with head coaching experience.
Tyra also wants somebody that is offensively-minded, continuing the brand that Louisville has developed as an offensive juggernaut under Bobby Petrino.
Satterfield is a guy who checks both of those boxes for the Cards. Satterfield is one of the only remaining coaches on the board with head coaching experience. He’s been successful too, leading App State to a 51-24 record in six years as the head man in Boone, North Carolina.
As for that offensive fire power? Appalachian State ranked 25th in the country in scoring offense this season. Forget the in-conference competition, too. His 2018 squad went toe-to-toe against Penn State, hanging 38 points on the Nittany Lions with a far less talented squad.
Additionally, his defense packs a punch. They rank 4th in the country in total defense this season. Satterfield’s teams bring a balanced attack in all facets of the game- something that Louisville has lacked for nearly a decade.
Satterfield brings discipline
Lastly, Tyra has remained adamant that he wants a coach that will bring discipline and order to a program that is in absolute shambles.
To me, this sounds like a guy who has heard these concerns and may be giving his pitch publicly:
For a team in need of a culture makeover pic.twitter.com/hFXsjySYGe
— King Fiasco (@LJthaFiasc0) December 1, 2018
“We have an unbelievable culture. Our players believe in each other, and they love each other. And our coaching staff is the same way, and it just trickles all the way down.”
Uh, yes, I’ll take ‘Things That Are Polar Opposite of a Bobby Petrino-Coached Team’ for 1000, Alex.
“We have an unbelievable culture. Our players believe in each other, and they love each other. And our coaching staff is the same way, and it just trickles all the way down.”
As for discipline on the field? Satterfield’s team ranks 59th in the nation in penalties against per game. They certainly could stand to improve, but that quite the step up from Louisville’s *checks stats* 4th worst in the country in penalties against.
Satterfield appeals to Tyra, and should appeal to those around the Louisville program, because he is a guy that not only preaches doing thins the right way, but proves that he does things the right way on and off the field.
When you remove the emotion and the bias from the decision, it is becoming more and more clear that Vince Tyra is looking for a complete culture change and revamping of the culture that Bobby Petrino left behind.
It just so happens that Scott Satterfield checks all of those boxes.