Louisville Football Head Coach Hot Board 1.0
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Scott Satterfield has officially coached his last game for Louisville.
On Monday, it was announced that Scott Satterfield had left the Cardinals for the vacant head coaching position at Cincinnati. He replaces Luke Fickell, who left the Bearcats to take the vacant position at Wisconsin last week.
In four seasons as the head coach of the Cardinals, Satterfield went 25-24 including a 7-5 mark this season. Louisville, ironically, will face the Bearcats in the Fenway Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 11:00 a.m. EST.
Director of Player Personnel Deion Branch will assume duties as the interim head coach for the Fenway Bowl, and a national coaching search is sure to be underway soon.
Below are the names for several individuals that are very likely candidates to be the next head coach of the Cardinals. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name:
Jeff Brohm
Position: Purdue Head Coach
Not only is Brohm the only head coach on this hot board, he's the unquestioned frontrunner for this job and betting favorite. He's a native of Louisville, played at both Trinity HS and the Cardinals as a quarterback, and was an assistant at UofL. While his 36-34 record in six years at Purdue doesn't particularly stand out, he does sport a 7-11 record against AP Top 25 teams - including three win against top five opponents - and guided the Boilermakers to their first ever Big Ten West title this season. He also went 30-10 in three years at Western Kentucky.
Jesse Minter
Position: Michigan Defensive Coordinator
It's hard to argue with a Broyles Award finalist, and that's exactly what Jesse Minter is. Coming over after spending the 2021 season with Vanderbilt, Minter helped elevate the Wolverines defense in to one of the best units in the county. Michigan ranks in the top five in both scoring defense and total defense at 13.4 points and 277.1 yards per game allowed. Not to mention has has experience in the NFL, previously spending two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens prior to his one year with Vandy. As their defensive backs coach in 2020, the Ravens allowed the sixth-fewest passing yards in the league.
Todd Monken
Position: Georgia Offensive Coordinator
How about a Broyles Award finalist on the other side of the ball, and one that comes with SEC experience? While Georgia has been known for their vaunted defenses over the years, their offense has taken a massive step forward under Monken. The Bulldogs' 491.9 yards per game is seventh in FBS, their 39.2 points per game is 11th, and quarterback Stetson Bennett will likely finish in the top three or four in Heisman Trophy voting. Plus, he's another candidate with NFL experience, with OC stints at both Tampa Bay and Cleveland before joining the Dawgs in 2020.
Sherrone Moore
Position: Michigan Co-Offensive Coordinator
The Wolverines' also have great football mind leading their offense, and it's one with ties to Louisville on top of it. Moore joined Michigan in 2018 as their tight ends coach, and was elevated to co-offensive coordinator in 2021. This season, Michigan put up 453.5 yards and 40.1 points per game, thanks primarily to the sixth-best rushing attack in the nation (243.0). Before a four-year stint with Western Michigan, Moore spent five years at Louisville on Steve Kragthorpe and Charlie Strong's staffs, serving as a graduate assistant from 2009 to 2011 and a tight ends coach from 2012 to 2013.
Dave Ragone
Position: Atlanta Falcons Offensive Coordinator
If Brohm says no to Louisville again, there is another former Cardinals quarterback with serious coaching chops to consider. However, almost all of Ragone's coaching experience has come from the NFL, and he has no experience coaching at the college level in any capacity. Not to mention the Falcons currently have the fifth-worst offense in the NFL. As a college player, he was a three-time Conference-USA Offensive Player of the Year, and helped led the Cardinals to an 11-2 record in his final year.
Garrett Riley
Position: TCU Offensive Coordinator
With how deep we currently are into this cycle's coaching carousel, Riley are arguably the hottest remaining head coaching candidate left. Joining Sonny Dykes in his move from SMU, TCU has one of the most prolific offense in the nation, averaging 473.0 yards (16th in FBS) and 40.3 points (sixth in FBS) per game, producing a Heisman Trophy finalist in quarterback Max Duggan, and helping get the Horned Frogs to the College Football Playoff. Even in his two-year stint as the OC at SMU, his offenses put up numbers, with the Mustangs averaging 465.9 yards and 38.4 points per game in 2021.
Ryan Walters
Position: Illinois Defensive Coordinator
If a defensive-minded coordinator is what Louisville wants, it's hard to do better than Ryan Walters. Also tabbed as a Broyles Award finalist, Walter helped Illinois finish with the top scoring defense in the FBS at 12.2 points allowed per game, and the second-best total defense (Air Force) in the FBS at 263.8 yards allowed per game. Not to mention that he also has SEC experience, spending six years at Missouri prior to joining the Fighting Illini in 2021.
(Photo of Jeff Brohm: Marc Lebryk - USA TODAY Sports)
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