CINCINNATI — Louisville's head coach, Scott Satterfield, is the next leader of the Bearcats football program, the University of Cincinnati announced Monday.
In a press conference, UC introduced Satterfield to fans in the region, where he expressed his excitement for the new role.
"We understand we're going into a new era, new conference," said Satterfield. "The Big 12 Conference, which is an outstanding conference, some great teams in that conference. I look forward to competing with them. I look forward to playing in this stadium right out here and filling that stadium up. I can't wait."
Welcome to Cincinnati, Coach Satterfield‼️
🔗: https://t.co/S6o2YjOm8j#Bearcats pic.twitter.com/rSD4TXzByY
— Cincinnati Football (@GoBearcatsFB) December 5, 2022
Satterfield signed a six-year deal as head coach with the Bearcats.
During the press conference, Satterfield said one of the most important things he plans to focus on will be recruiting — particularly as the transfer portal opened Monday morning, just before UC's announcement.
"I am 100% about the currently committed guys," he said. "That's what I am going to do this afternoon. We are going to try to reach out to those guys. We want to get them on board, bring them in, hopefully, this weekend."
You can watch the full press conference in the player below:
For Bearcats fans who were wondering, Satterfield was quick to address how he plans to handle the upcoming Wasabi Fenway Bowl on Dec. 17.
"It's kind of a weird situation, right?" he said. "I mean, Louisville's playing Cincinnati in a bowl game. I told both teams that I am removing myself from the bowl game. I won't be there, not going to be in that situation."
Satterfield said he knows there's been apprehension around who would be asked to fill Luke Fickell's shoes as head coach; he acknowledged Fickell's winning record with the Bearcats would be a tough act to follow.
"Everybody expects you to come in and kind of pick up where they left off, but I am not Luke Fickell," said Satterfield. "I am going to be Scott Satterfield. I am going to do the things that I think we need to be successfull. It was the same way when I followed Jerry Moore. I have a ton of respect for Luke, what he did here was a tremendous, unbelievable job, so it is difficult."
Justin Williams, a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Bearcats, said UC bought out Satterfield's contract with the Cardinals for $3.5 million.
The cost for Cincinnati to buy out Scott Satterfield from Louisville is $3.5 million, according to Satterfield's contract with the Cardinals.
Fickell's buyout at Cincinnati when he left for Wisconsin was $3.5 million, according to his contract with the #Bearcats.
— Justin Williams (@Williams_Justin) December 5, 2022
Satterfield flew under the radar as a candidate for UC's head coaching job. He was not mentioned in any of the rumors about who would take up the mantle after Luke Fickell announced his move to become Wisconsin's new head coach, creating the vacancy. There was a lot of buzz around Deion Sanders, who ultimately took the job at Colorado over the weekend. Brian Hartline at the Ohio State University was also mentioned, but tweeted that he was committed to the Buckeyes. A few other names were mentioned, including current UC staff, but ultimately, the school seems to have gone with the best available candidate with a pedigree of previous head coaching experience.
Satterfield's overall record at Louisville was 25-24 in four years. His team appeared in two bowls, and was ranked as high as No. 18 in the country. Before U of L, he coached 5 years at Appalachian State, going 47-16 and appearing in three bowl games. Overall, Satterfield has gone 4-1 in his bowl games.
WATCH: One-on-one with new UC head football coach:
“Scott Satterfield is a proven winner, a relentless competitor and a culture builder,” University of Cincinnati Director of Athletics John Cunningham said in a press release. “He’s an innovative offensive mind and a leader who develops men on and off the field. He’s the perfect fit to grow this program and lead us into the Big 12 next season and beyond. I’m thrilled to welcome Scott, his wife, Beth, and their three children, Bryce, Isaac and Alli to Cincinnati.”
Ironically enough, the Bearcats and the Cardinals will face off at a bowl game in Boston's Fenway Park on December 17.
The two schools have not faced each other since 2013, when they both belonged in the American Athletic Conference. It is the renewal of the "Keg of Nails" rivalry that used to exist in the team's annual game against each other.
Satterfield has been at the University of Louisville since 2018. He was previously the head coach at Appalachian State.
