How Scott Satterfield plans to retool Cincinnati football in Big 12

Parker Gerl Staff Reporter

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Newly hired Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield sees the Big 12 newcomers being ready to compete right away. “I think all four schools are outstanding football programs,” Satterfield said. “I do think all four schools will be competitive.”

But why does Satterfield see it that way?

The equal playing field that exists in the conference.

“I think one of the great things about this conference is the parity from top to bottom,”

Satterfield said. “From the teams that are last year, some of the teams that were at the bottom could beat the teams that are at the top. You’ve just got to show up and play on that particular day.”

Satterfield – who’s entering his first season as the Bearcats’ coach after a three-year stint at Louisville – is determined to not only be competitive but get Cincinnati back to where it was just two seasons ago.

The College Football Playoffs.

That level of success typically doesn’t happen in one year, though. It usually has to be built over time.

The former ACC Coach of The Year linked guidance, playerled ownership and leadership as necessary tools to get where the Bearcats want to be.

“We want to recruit outstanding student-athletes and then allow them to do what they’re called to do,” Satterfield said.

“And that’s why I believe in a player-led team you know, we as coaches, (are) kind of guiding the ship, but these guys are running it. We give (players) ownership, and then they take off with (it) and we got some really good leaders on our team that do things the right way.”

Taking over a program that made the CFP semifinals just two seasons ago comes with pressure, but Satterfield doesn’t necessarily feel rushed nor the need to do things a way he wouldn’t normally do them.

But if that’s what he feels is right, he’ll do it. Especially within the transfer portal.

If it were up to Satterfield, his key players would be homegrown talent, and he’d only use the transfer portal when needed. But in his new situation, Cincinnati lost a ton of key players, meaning Satterfield had to step in and find other ways to bring in talent.

So, he went out and brought in 21 players from the portal, hoping to retool and compete right away.

“We were in a situation this past offseason where we had to get some flyers, and the portal was where we had to go get them,” Satterfield said.

“As we move forward, we’d hope not to get that many in the portal. You know, we’d love to be able to recruit right around our backyard, get a lot of great players and grow them and develop them into great football players.” sports.ed@ocolly.com

ARLINGTON, Texas — Houston coach Dana Holgorsen wants the school, fans, media and all other parties to wait on a celebration.

At Big 12 Media Days on Wednesday, he received questions about what it means for the Cougars to officially be a part of the conference. His opinion? It’s great, but Houston needs to get to work and celebrate later. “I keep coming back to this, you know, let’s not celebrate right now,” Holgorsen said. “I know this past couple of weeks there’s been a lot of celebrating. I chose to go on vacation because I know how much work is ahead of us. So you celebrate it, but you better roll your sleeves up and embrace it.”

Holgorsen previously served as offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach with Texas Tech and OSU, then head coach at West Virginia from 2011-18, bringing plenty of Big 12 experience with his newly added Cougars. He believes that experience with the conference helped Houston make its transition into the Big 12.

“I think with the experience that I’ve had in the Big 12 and doing the transition in the past, I think it’s been helpful over the last 18 months,” Holgorsen said. “A lot of closeddoor meetings with

(our athletic director) and administrators and fundraising and scheduling, staffing, budgets, all that stuff. I think it’s been very beneficial.”

Houston also got a taste of the conference last season after playing Texas Tech and Kansas in back-to-back weeks, two games that resulted in a Cougars loss. With the early look at his new conference opponents, Holgorsen expects a tough contest every week.

“Since January, yeah, I’ve talked about (Big 12 opponents) because that’s the way it’s going to be,” Holgorsen said. “It’s going to be like that every week. But every team is different.” sports.ed@ocolly.com