Can Scott Satterfield Keep his Job?

You don’t even have to watch Malik Cunningham close to realizing he has a lot of Lamar Jackson in him. Shouldn’t Louisville be better? Two weeks ago, the Louisville football program suffered one of the worst losses of the Scott Satterfield era. There had been other games where the Cardinals had fallen by a much larger margin. Their 35-31 loss to Florida State embodied everything wrong during Satterfield’s tenure as Louisville’s head coach. It was a breaking point for some fans, and it’s hard to blame them. It was a microcosm of his tenure. The penalties, turnovers, missed tackles, and an inability to finish all reared their ugly heads. Everything that Satterfield and Co. had vowed to fix from last season was on full display.

Photo Cred: Card Chronicle

It seemed promising when Satterfield won the Music City Bowl in his first year. He finished the year 8-5. But those weren’t his players. Louisville football is preparing to enter the back half of a season where its fans and supporters will be more concerned with its next coach than the current product on the field. Outside of his first season, Scott Satterfield has struggled during his time at the University of Louisville. The coach has not developed his QB talent. Malik Cunningham has talent but has not progressed with his passing skills. Last season’s recruiting class has promise but limited production on the field. Fans are now questioning if Satterfield can string together a winning streak.

Photo Cred: Card Chronicle

Athletic Director Josh Heird is in the unenviable position of dealing with the constant PR headache of another losing football season, and the coaching market looks promising. The University of Louisville, its facilities, fans, ACC TV contract, future schedule, and more sell themselves. The program has a strong football history, especially before the Satterfield hire. Charlie Strong guided UofL to a Sugar Bowl win, and Bobby Petrino recruited the first Heisman winner in Lamar Jackson. Both coaches had a run of first-round picks in the NFL.

Photo Cred: Courier Journal

If Louisville decides to cut ties, there are likely to be plenty of viable suitors for the position. The elephant in the room is that most supporters of the program are uncomfortable with the financial aspect of firing a coach under contract. For a power five program to make a coaching change is not simple.

At this point, the results speak for themselves. Louisville is already 3-3 for the year. During a portion of the schedule, which is easier than the rest of the year. The Cardinals are 4-6 in their last ten games and 6-9 in their last 15 games. They are 5-7 in the last 12 ACC games.  They’ve been tied or leading in the fourth quarter in six of nine losses.

Photo Cred: Courier Journal

Louisville failed to score in the final quarter against Boston College, and star quarterback Malik Cunningham’s efforts continue to be wasted. Before the Virginia game, Cunningham was ruled out. Back up Brock Domann’s performance over the final three quarters played a massive role in the Cardinals winning on the road, and fans took notice.  The team has a bye after the win against Virginia before facing Pitt and Wake Forest. If the Cardinals cannot win either of those games following the off week, Satterfield is out.