Louisville football: Why Scott Satterfield is Dabo Swinney’s biggest threat

Winning when it matters

The additional strength of Coach Satterfield and his staff was shown is his ability to plan for bowl games. In his first year at Appalachian State, he went 7-5 but did not receive a bowl bid. In his next year, he won 11 games including a victory in the Camellia Bowl.

Sometimes coaches can struggle to motivate their players for a bowl that’s not a chance at a National Championship. In today’s game, many players are even starting to sit these games out to preserve themselves for the next level. But Coach Satterfield has found a way to put a refined product on the field every time he has made it to a bowl in his coaching career. As of now, he hasn’t lost one yet.

Coaches around the league have noticed the leadership, even Dabo Swinney himself.

“This is a team that’s not going to quit,” Swinney said. “This is a team that you’re going to have to go win the game. So I’m excited about the challenge, looking forward to it. I’ve got a lot of respect for Scott and the way they do things, and no doubt he’s going to build something special there in Louisville.”

Cardinal fans saw this reliance in the win in the Music City Bowl. Louisville was down 14-0 to an SEC defense, but there was a speedy momentum change that led the Cardinals to take over the game.

Coach Satterfield discussed the Music City Bowl experience in Nashville with WDRB.

“We told the guys, listen, we want to make this a fun experience for you guys. We want to have fun practices. We want to do some things together as a football team, and we were able to do that. We grew closer as a football team the last three weeks, and I think that’s very important. I think a lot of times that goes unnoticed.”

Cardinal fans are optimistic the fun experiences won’t stop there. He isn’t entering 2020 the same way he came in last year. Eyes are on him and he has set his expectations a little higher. It would be a pleasure to watch him climb the elite coach ladder.