CINCINNATI — A new conference and a new fearless leader for the Cincinnati Bearcats: Scott Satterfield is ready to start with his new team in the Big 12.
“I can’t wait to play that first game at Nippert,” Satterfield said.
Satterfield is an offensive-minded head coach and one aspect of his offense has a few select Bearcats very excited: the running backs.
“They took the job, me and some of the other running backs started watching some Louisville film, some games, and we were like 'man, they are really running the ball,'” Cincinnati senior running back Ryan Montgomery said.
In the last two seasons, Satterfield’s offense at Louisville finished in the top three in the ACC in every major rushing category. The game plan for the Bearcats will be more of the same.
“We are counting on them, more than they ever have in their career. I think they are going to be up to that challenge,” Satterfield said.
Running backs coach De’Rail Sims has a major role in getting these running backs ready for Satterfield's offense.
“I just like touchdowns. Whatever it takes to win the game,” Sims said.
“You mess up, he’s going to tell you. You do good, he’s going to tell you too,” Montgomery said.
“Very tough, hard nose coach. His main focus is to teach us,” junior running back Corey Kiner said.
To Sims, the most important part of coaching is teaching. Starting with philosophy.
“Understanding that not every play is going to be a home run. You have to take the five-yard gain, you got to take the two-yard gain. In order to break the stone, you got to hit it 101 times. Don’t get bored with mundane, routine things,” Sims said.
For a new generation of players to learn, it takes a new wave of teaching.
“Everybody learns different … you look at Corey Kiner, he’s one that does a really good job at taking phenomenal notes,” Sims said.
“I just write everything down multiple times. It just helps me remembering everything," Kiner said.
“And he can translate from the board to the grass,” Sims said.
“You look at a Ryan Montgomery. He takes really good notes, but he learns best when comes out here and does it multiple times,” Sims said.
“Once I got more and more reps, I was comfortable with it. I was able to go inside and match the notes to the film, once I was able to do that I feel like it kind of clicked for me,” Montgomery said.
Sims keeps his players engaged by using creative drills. Some of which come from a surprising platform.
“Honestly, YouTube. I call it pirating; we all steal it from each other. I see something that I like that another coach does and I might add a twist to it,” Sims said.
“I will say that everything that we have done in those drills has shown up in practice,” Kiner said.
And showing up is the most important aspect that Coach Sims teaches.
“Instilling in them the toughness, the hard-nosed physical mentality. Which the city of Cincinnati is built off of,” Sims said.
“Tough nasty Cincinnati football,” Montgomery said.
An old mentality, from new teachers, on a new Cincinnati football philosophy.
Cincinnati's season opener is Saturday against Eastern Kentucky at 3:30 p.m.
