Louisville May Operate Without Designated Offensive Coordinator in 2021
(Photo of Scott Satterfield: Jamie Rhodes USA TODAY Sports)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After retaining most of their coaching staff since Scott Satterfield took over as the head coach of the Louisville football program, the Cardinals experienced a solid amount of turnover amongst the coaching staff prior to the start of this year’s spring practice. Running backs coach Norval McKenzie, quarterbacks coach Frank Ponce, offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford and safeties coach ShaDon Brown all departed the program this offseason for other opportunities.
Fortunately, Satterfield was able to fill all the vacancies ahead of spring ball. East Carolina RB coach De’Rail Sims joined the Cardinals to the same position, as did Auburn offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr., then quality control coach Pete Thomas was promoted to quarterbacks coach. It has also been reported that Army co-defensive coordinator Greg Gasparato will coach the safeties at Louisville.
What Louisville has yet to do, is designate one of their offensive assistants to be their next offensive coordinator, the title carried by Ledford before he left for Atlanta. However, when Satterfield spoke to the media following the first practice of the spring, it sounded like Louisville may not formally assign that title to anyone.
“What we've done in the past, ever since I've been calling plays - really going back a long ways, but even since I've been a head coach, we've had years when we didn't have a coordinator. We've had years where we've had a coordinator, I've had co-coordinators,” Satterfield said when asked who will assume the role of offensive coordinator.
Satterfield expanded on his answer, stating that every offensive assistant has a defined role, that everybody has a “ton of input” as to how the offense operates, and they there are all “involved heavily” in what they do. In essence, it sounds like all five offensive assistants will be co-offensive coordinators without the official title.
“(Gunter) Brewer's got a huge role in the pass game with along with Pete Thomas,” Satterfield said. “As you start looking at the run game, De'Rail (Sims) and (Jack) Bicknell, which are new guys so they're still kind of learning it. Stu (Holt) has been around a long time, so he's got great input in both run and pass, obviously, coaching the tight ends.”
He went on to praise the working relationship between himself and the rest of the offensive staff, noting that everyone brings forth certain aspects to overall gameplan, such as the in-game script and in practice. Even without an officially designated OC, as least not yet, Satterfield notes that little has changed due to him being the offensive play caller.
“We're obviously trying to get the best plays into our system, but at the end of the day, I'm calling the plays during games,” he said. “So, really nothing has changed with that.”
Louisville conducted their first of 15 spring practices on Monday, Feb. 8, with the final sessions slated for Saturday, Mar. 13. The Cardinals will kickoff the 2021 season against Ole Miss in the annual Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. on Monday, Sept. 6.
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