The often-awkward overlap between the college football coaching carousel and college football bowl season has reared its head again.
Cincinnati hired Scott Satterfield away from Louisville on Dec. 5, just 12 days before the schools were to face each other in the Fenway Bowl at Fenway Park in Boston.
The Bearcats conducted a stealth search after Luke Fickell, who led the program to a College Football Playoff berth last season, left for Wisconsin. After Deion Sanders chose Colorado and USF hired Alex Golesh, Cincinnati turned to Satterfield and got a deal done.
BENDER: Luke Fickell to Wisconsin: Great timing, great hire as Badgers aim to take next step
Satterfield's move will cast a shadow over the Fenway Bowl, even if he's not involved in the actual game preparations.
Unlike many lateral coaching moves, Satterfield's exit doesn't leave many fans outraged. Satterfield was thought to be on the hot seat for a portion of this past season, and Louisville filled his spot with a hometown favorite.
Why did Scott Satterfield leave Louisville?
Satterfield left Louisville to become the head coach at Cincinnati on Dec. 5.
He doesn't have a local connection to Cincinnati. A North Carolina native who coached for many years at Appalachian State, Satterfield's only tie to Ohio was a year on Toledo's coaching staff.
But with the Bearcats making the jump from the AAC to the Big 12, Cincinnati was one of the most attractive jobs on the market.
MORE: College football coaching carousel: Every FBS coaching change in 2022
Satterfield may be resetting his career clock, in a sense. His job was thought to be in danger at Louisville this year until a midseason win streak, and he would have been under pressure to show progress in 2023. By bolting for Cincinnati, Satterfield won't have to worry about his job security for at least a couple years.
The relationship between Satterfield and Louisville fans was often an awkward one. He apologized to the fan base after interviewing for the South Carolina head coaching job in 2020.
Satterfield's interview process with Cincinnati was kept under wraps, but it signals that he knew he wasn't a perfect fit at Louisville.
Is Scott Satterfield coaching in the Fenway Bowl?
Satterfield will not be coaching Cincinnati or Louisville in the Fenway Bowl. While the awkwardness of coaching against a former employer is clear, it's standard for newly hired head coaches to wait until after a bowl game to take over.
"I told both teams I’ve removed myself from the bowl game," Satterfield told The Athletic after he accepted the job at Cincinnati.
MORE: College football bowl picks, predictions for all 41 postseason games in 2022-23
Deion Branch, Louisville's director of player development and the MVP of Super Bowl 39, will serve as the Cardinals' interim coach for the Fenway Bowl. Cincinnati secondary coach and special teams coordinator Kerry Coombs will serve as the Bearcats' interim coach with Fickell gone to Wisconsin.
Who is Louisville's new football coach?
Louisville hired Purdue's Jeff Brohm as its new head coach days after Satterfield was hired by Cincinnati.
Brohm's arrival is one reason you won't see many Cardinals fans complaining about Satterfield's exit. He starred at Louisville as a quarterback and was the program's top target after Bobby Petrino was fired in 2018.
Brohm opted to stay at Purdue that winter, but he decided to return home earlier this month after back-to-back winning seasons with the Boilermakers. Louisville gave Brohm a six-year, $31.5 million contract.
JUST IN:
— Griffin Gonzalez (@grifgonzo) December 8, 2022
Jeff Brohm officially approved as the new head coach of the University of Louisville.
Term sheet is below: pic.twitter.com/VXs9gBl7l4
Brohm won nine games at Purdue in 2021, something Louisville hasn't done since Lamar Jackson's Heisman Trophy season in 2016, so expectations will be high.
