Louisville football: Weighing in on the coaching departures

In the social media world, there is a largely significant debate ongoing regarding why so many of Louisville football‘s coordinators/position coaches are electing to leave the program to coach elsewhere.

There are two fair arguments that are currently the subject of chatter on the inter-webs. Of which, one is an idea that paints head coach Scott Satterfield as one that many assistants are fighting tooth and nail to get away from. The other is a way of understanding that some coaches just so happen to have gotten job promotions at other programs. Both certainly have some baseline merit to them.

To fully understand the big picture, we have to analyze who has left and where they have gone this offseason.

Norval McKenzie 2020: Louisville RB coach | 2021: Vanderbilt RB coach

For context, McKenzie’s alma mater is Vanderbilt. Newly hired Vandy head coach Clark Lea was a teammate of McKenzie’s at the program in the early 2000s. This may be a lateral move as far as school pedigree and position; but it has special meaning for a coach like McKenzie.

Frank Ponce 2020: Louisville QB coach | 2021: Appalachian State Offensive Coordinator

Despite moving back down to a group of five level of college football, Ponce gets a promotion as a coordinator. Before his two years as quarterbacks coach at Louisville, Ponce was the co-offensive coordinator with Satterfield at Appalachian State for six seasons. Now, the 49 year-old Ponce gets the opportunity to run his own offense.

Dwayne Ledford 2020: Louisville co-offensive coordinator/OL coach | 2021: Atlanta Falcons OL Coach

It’s the NFL. In a similar position to the one he was already in at Louisville, many are not saying “no” to this job. Ledford was a remarkable coach that certainly earned such an opportunity. In addition, Ledford had a prior relationship with new Falcons head coach Arthur Smith. Smith was a senior offensive lineman at North Carolina when Ledford spent his first year with the Tar Heels as a coach.

ShaDon Brown 2020: Louisville safeties coach | 2021: West Virginia co-defensive coordinator

Brown is the most recent departure from the program as he is reportedly leaving after serving as safeties coach for a couple of seasons in Louisville.

Obviously, this is a decent step up for Brown. He was assigned to a very specific role of coaching safeties at Louisville and now will get the opportunity to coach up an entire defense in the Big 12. He is a solid recruiter and his loss will be felt the most there. But this is a clear step up in opportunity for him as he stays in the power five with a much bigger role.

Bryan Brown 2020: Louisville defensive coordinator | 2021: Louisville defensive coordinator

“Hey, he isn’t going anywhere! What gives?”

Yes, I know Brown is here to stay and was named associate head coach on Thursday evening.

The reason I am bringing this name up is because he was a key coach that chose to stay put despite heavy interest from Tennessee to name him defensive coordinator there, per reports. In those same reports, it is suggested that Brown may have been the main focus for the job. If that is truly the case, Scott Satterfield did a great job of hanging onto him. Brown has improved the defense dramatically in two years and seems to be a riser in coaching ranks nationally.

What does this all mean?

Well, it means a lot. Namely that this has been one of the oddest coaching turnover offseasons for a program that just finished their season 4-7. Louisville had four coaches plucked off of their staff and another that was highly sought after by a big-name program in the SEC.

Louisville football has a good group of coaches. In 2020, for whatever reason, the pieces just did not fit together in the ways you would expect when you have this many sought after coaches.

Did any of them make a lateral move? Just Norval McKenzie. But we have to understand that an alma mater just means a little bit more. But that is the only coach you can truly look at and say “yeah, that seemed like a lateral move for him.”

Maybe there is some disconnect among the staff that the outside world has been shielded from. Perhaps – even – the staff did not appreciate Satterfield flirting with South Carolina back in late November in the twilight of a failing season.

But we certainly cannot say for sure. These coaches are taking upward projecting steps in their career. Any speculation beyond that is just that… speculation.

It was absolutely a strange feeling to have so many coaches electing to depart after a 4-7 campaign.

Strange? Yes. Scandalous? I’m not sure that’s a safe assumption.