Cincinnati Hires Louisville Head Coach Scott Satterfield

Satterfield spent four seasons with the Cardinals.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - In a stunning turn of events, Louisville head coach Scott Satterfield is leaving for the vacant head coaching position at Cincinnati, the University of Cincinnati announced Monday morning.

According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, it will be a six-year deal to coach the Bearcats, and that the deal came together "late last night." ESPN's Adam Rittenberg added that Satterfield informed the Cardinals staff of his intentions to leave for UC earlier this morning.

Satterfield replaces Luke Fickell, who left Cincinnati to take the vacant position at Wisconsin last week. Per Satterfield's contract, he is owed a $3.5 million for his buyout, which was the same amount for Fickell's buyout.

"I am honored to be the next head coach at the University of Cincinnati and am looking forward to building on the winning tradition this program has had over the last 20 years," Satterfield said in a statement on UC's press release. "My family and I have admired this university and athletic department from afar for many years. I'm excited to take Cincinnati into the Big 12 this fall and ready to compete for championships. I'm most looking forward to meeting the current team and beginning to build relationships with these young men. We will hit the ground running today. Go Bearcats!"

In four seasons as the head coach of the Cardinals. Satterfield went 25-24 with a 1-1 record in bowl games. Louisville, ironically, will face Cincinnati in the Fenway Bowl on Saturday,. Dec. 17 at 11:00 a.m. EST.

Following a successful six-year run as the head coach at his alma mater, Appalachian State, Satterfield was hired to coach the Cardinals prior to the 2019 season. He compiled a 51-24 record with the Mountaineers, including three-straight Sun Belt championships.

Satterfield experienced immediate success with the Cardinals. He guided them to an 8-5 record, including a 38-28 win over Mississippi State in the Music City Bowl, and was tabbed at the 2019 ACC Coach of the Year.

However, the next two season under Satterfield were a roller coaster, with the Cardinals going 4-7 in 2020 and 6-7 in 2021. Towards the end of his second year, Satterfield ruffled feathers amongst the fan base when it was reported that he had interviewed for the then-vacant South Carolina job, a report he originally denied but later stated was simply a "conversation" with the Gamecocks.

His fourth year at the helm also got off to a rocky start, with Louisville kicking off the season at 2-3, including a stunning loss at Boston College as a two-touchdown favorite that sparked numerous rumors and reports that he could be fired at a moment's notice.

Following the poor start, the Cardinals performed much better down the stretch, winning five of their final seven games including a four-game winning streak - their longest since 2016. Unfortunately, Louisville ended the regular season with their fourth-straight double-digit loss to Kentucky and third under Satterfield, which had been another contentious point with the fanbase.

(Photo of Scott Satterfield: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

You can follow Louisville Report for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram:

Facebook - @LouisvilleReport
Twitter - @UofLReport
Instagram - @louisville_report

You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter