Cincinnati head coach news: Scott Satterfield leaves Louisville for Bearcats job, per report

We now have our second head football coaching vacancy in the ACC this season.

Scott Satterfield has left Louisville to become head coach at Cincinnati after four seasons with the program, per The Athletic. Satterfield posted a 25-24 record with the Cardinals, a run that will include three bowl appearances, including this season against his future Bearcats in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl.

It appears both coaches in the Fenway Bowl will be coaching their last game with their respective programs. Luke Fickell is leaving Cincinnati to coach Wisconsin in the Big Ten.

After a successful five-year stint at Appalachian State, Satterfield was hired by Louisville in December of 2018 to help resurrect the program out of the smoldering ashes of Bobby Petrino's second tenure with the school. The initial results for Satterfield at UL were positive as he led the Cards to an 8-5 mark in 2019, a year that was capped off with a victory over Mississippi State in the Music City Bowl.

However, things started to go downhill from there.

Following a disappointing 4-7 mark during the pandemic-affected 2020 season, Satterfield was caught red handed talking to South Carolina about its then open coaching position. A North Carolina native, he effectively confirmed that he was seeking a position closer to home and that soured Louisville fans on their head coach. He later penned an apology letter to season ticket holders over the whole debacle.

The on-field results didn't improve that much as the 2021 Cardinals finished 6-7, losing to Air Force in the First Responder Bowl. Satterfield was identified as a hot seat coaching candidate heading into the 2022 season but he did acquire some equity with a hot run of recruiting run in the offseason. Among the several blue chip prospects to commit was Class of 2023 No. 1 running back Rueben Owens out of Texas.

However, the on-field results for the 2022 Cardinals were still spotty, even with veteran quarterback Malik Cunningham operating the controls. UL was blown out by Syracuse to open the year and suffered close losses to Florida State and Boston College within the first month of the season. Reports began to surface prior to the Virginia game that a move would be made if they lost to the Cavaliers, signaling a willingness for the powers at Louisville to move on. Instead, Satterfield finished the season, going 7-5 and making a bowl game.

Louisville will now look for a head coaching candidate that will help elevate the program towards the upper tier of the ACC. The program has failed to crack double-digit wins since joining the conference in 2014 and that includes the Lamar Jackson era. We'll see who they will target in the coming weeks.

  
Read Full Article