Catching up with former Louisville football QB Hunter Cantwell

It’s been along time since you’ve probably heard the name Hunter Cantwell, but get used to seeing the former Louisville football star back in the news in Louisville as he’s the new Christian Academy football coach. We caught up with him to talk about his new gig and of course UofL football.

Hunter Cantwell once put together one of the toughest, most grittiest performances by any quarterback in Louisville football history, let alone by a former walk-on. It was the Gator Bowl in 2005 where starting QB Brian Brohm was out with a knee injury, and the Cards were on the verge of a breakthrough nationally.

Up until this point in his career, Cantwell had very little experience and Louisville fans knew little about him coming in as a sophomore walk-on QB. Now instead of holding the clipboard on the sidelines, Cantwell would be the man under center in an important game for up and coming Louisville.

Though the Cards weren’t able to pull out a victory, Cantwell proved quickly that he was capable of not only holding his own, but that down the road  he’d be the guy for the job post-Brian Brohm.

He threw for 216 yards and three touchdowns, going toe to toe with Marcus Vick, one of college football’s most dynamic players at the time, and kept the Cards in it all the way to the end all while taking shot after shot after shot from the Va Tech defense.

After two more seasons of backing up Brohm, one in which the Cards went to the Orange Bowl and walked away victorious (the first BCS victory since 1991) and the other where they underachieved in their first season under Steve Kragthorpe, the reigns were finally handed over to Cantwell for one season.

Cantwell threw for nearly 2,500 yards, 16 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in his one and only season as the starting QB, although the Cards went just 5-7 in what was the beginning of the end for Steve Kragthorpe.

The Paducah native would go on to spend three seasons in the NFL between the Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens before getting into coaching. He served as the Campbellsville QB coach for 4 season before becoming the Head Coach at Carroll County High School and serving as a Special Education Teacher, helping lead the program to their first ever playoff victory.

After three seasons in Carroll County it was announced that Cantwell would be returning to Louisville in a new role, as the Head Coach of Christian Academy of Louisville football program – taking over for his former teammate Stefan Lefors.

During eight seasons as the head coach at Christian Academy Stefan Lefors led a program that was once was one of the worst in the city of Louisville to two state titles, one in 2016 and one this past season, and a overall record of 86-20.

After taking the new job we caught up with Cantwell to talk about the role, his career at Louisville, and the current state of the Louisville football program.

First off congratulations on your new job as the Head Coach of Christian Academy. Tell me a little bit about how the opportunity came available and what intrigued you about the job?

Hunter Cantwell: Christian Academy has always been a very intriguing job to me.  My faith comes first in my life and to be at a place where I could openly share the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the great sport of football was an exciting prospect.  When I heard that Stefan had resigned I immediately applied and was blessed enough to be interviewed and ultimately selected as the next head coach.

Christian Academy has reached a new level of success the last few seasons under the leadership of Stefan Lefors. How do you plan to build on that?

Hunter Cantwell: I cannot say enough about what Stefan was able to accomplish here. What he did in his tenure and how he built this program up was truly amazing. I think moving forward it’s about keeping that foot on the gas pedal. We want to continue to see a program that builds young men up for success both on and off the field, demand a high level of execution and effort both in practice and on game days, and finally continue to foster an environment that’s fun and faith focused.

Before you took the job did you get a chance to talk with Stefan? If not, have you chatted with him since?

Hunter Cantwell:  have been in Stefan’s ear all the way back to when I first got into coaching at Campbellsville University in 2012.  Stefan, even though we only played one year together at U of L has always been a great friend to me.  We worked a couple U of L QB camps together and he even came down and did a QB camp at CU for me. During these camps I would ask him question after question about the nuances to coaching high school ball.  My last summer at CU I came up and shadowed practice at CAL multiple times just to watch him and learn from how he and his staff did things. While I was at Carroll County we talked a lot back and forth through phone and email and I came to CAL the last two summers to help him put on his Bluegrass QB challenge.  Since being hired Stefan has been a great resource to me and has been instrumental in getting my feet set here as we prepare to go into spring practice.

What is like for you to return back to Louisville after having a successful playing carer and take over a big time winning program from another former Cardinal QB?

Hunter Cantwell: It is very special to me to be back in the city.  As a walk on at UL from the western part of the state, I’ve always had a soft spot in me for how this city accepted me as a player and a person.  A lot of my family and all my wife’s family are in Louisville now so it really is a special time for me to be back.  To be able to carry on Stefan’s tradition he set at CAL in the city we both played in is truly a blessing!

Louisville football has recruited a few Christian Academy players over the last few years and that will likely be the case moving forward. Have you had a chance to meet Coach Scott Satterfield yet? If not, what are your thoughts on the hire for the Cards in general?

Hunter Cantwell: I have been able to chat with Coach Satterfield over the phone but have not been able to meet him in person.  I was really excited about the open practice’s and free coaches clinics he put on for HS coaches in the state during spring ball  but was unable to attend as my wife and I welcomed our 3rd child into the world in February.  I think he was a phenomenal hire and is not only going to get UofL football back to an elite level but improve high school football in the state as well!

Looking back at your career as a Cardinal what is it that stands out the most to you?

Hunter Cantwell: I think my first start my redshirt freshman year against UCONN at UConn.  I was still a walk on at that time and being able to go out there and get a win on the road against a conference opponent was big for me.  After hearing “no” so many times through the recruiting process it was a special experience to me to be awarded the game ball by Coach Petrino after that game.

I’ll never forget coming in the Miami game in the third quarter in 2006.  It was a nationally televised game and a fight had almost broke out pre-game because of Miami jumping on the bird.  The stadium was packed and the game was close.  Coach P called 142 Y Hook Z Post which was a deep play action pass down the field to Harry Douglas.  It was awesome that he had that much confidence in me in that situation to take a shot down the field.  I hit Harry on the post which put us on the goal line.  We went on to a huge win and the fans rushed the field after the game.  That one definitely sticks out.

Lastly I think upsetting South Florida at home my Senior year in 2008.  Although we didn’t have the success we wanted to have that year and ended up 5-7, that game sticks out as a bright spot.  South Florida was ranked in the top 15 and no one really gave us a shot of winning that game.  Scott Long came back healthy at WR from an injury from the previous season and exploded.  He gave our offense a big boost and me an easy target.  Scott and I were close and unfortunately suffered a season ending injury the next week in practice.   It was the last time we got to play together but it was awesome to get to come together for that game!

Have you had a chance to follow the team over the last few seasons? What has it been like seeing the success they had under Coach Strong and Coach Petrino, having big time QB’s like Teddy Bridgewater and Lamar Jackson, and knowing that yourself, Stefan, and Brian Brohm helped the program take a big step forward in the mid-to-early 2000’s?

Hunter Cantwell: Man it’s so special to see where the program has come from.  I remember preparing for the Gator Bowl and we were the first team to get to practice in the Trager Center (Indoor).  We thought we had it all then. Watching Teddy win a Sugar Bowl, and Lamar win a Heisman, all the stadium and facility improvements, and those teams and coaches building off of the Orange Bowl in 2006 definitely makes me proud that I played some small roll in moving the program forward.