LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville head football coach Scott Satterfield and Athletics Director Vince Tyra sat down Friday for their regular season wrap-up meeting, and both emerged encouraged about the program and their plans for its future despite a disappointing blowout loss to Kentucky in the regular season finale.
While talk radio and social media have bristled with fan disappointment and speculation about Satterfield's future, Tyra has not wavered with regard to his football coach.
"We had a great meeting today," Tyra told WDRB News. "Scott had a very detailed game plan, a very compelling game plan, ready for the meeting. It continues the development that he's tried to do in the first three years. I think everyone feels we're getting further away from where we were three years ago and continue to put ourselves in a good spot. I think we can see where the recruiting class is. And I think we're supportive of other moves that he'll talk soon to further enhance those efforts, and we're ready to invest in those efforts."
Satterfield is expected to meet with the media early next week after the team learns of its bowl destination this weekend. Among the items likely under consideration are additions to his coaching staff and enhancements in support staff.
Earlier Friday, two key players announced that they are set to return next season: quarterback Malik Cunningham and linebacker Monty Montgomery. While wideout Jordan Watkins elected to transfer, Tyra said he feels as if the players like Satterfield and the culture he is building within the program.
"The players believe in him," Tyra said. "They like him. They like what they're doing to develop the culture. It doesn't happen overnight. They're in a rhythm, and I think getting another year away from COVID is helpful for this type of culture where it's a lot of team bonding and, you know, position group dinners in coaches' houses and all those things are valuable when you run a program like Scott's."
Satterfield had momentum going before the finale against Kentucky with a pair of impressive performances against Syracuse and Duke. But Kentucky physically dominated Louisville, underscoring just how much work is left to do.
Still the program finished the season at 6-6 and will head to a bowl game for the second time in Satterfield's three seasons after a 2-10 debacle in 2018 that resulted in the firing of Bobby Petrino before the end of the season.
What Tyra wouldn't discuss, but what I will, is how far the program had to come. If you were at the first spring game of Satterfield's tenure, held on a cold February night in front of handful of fans, you wouldn't have been in a minority if you came away wondering if they'd win a single game.
They wound up going 8-5, and Satterfield was voted ACC coach of the year. The Cardinals won only four games a year later, though they played several of those with a significant number of starters lost to COVID-19.
This season, the Cardinals lost one-possession games to Wake Forest, Virginia and Clemson. They won a one-possession game against UCF on a late Pick-6 by Jamin Alderman.
"When you have a program that it's going to rely on developing, three years is a short window for a coach," Tyra said. "And I know we've seen that sometimes at other schools. You can be opportunistic or strategic. We're trying to be strategic about where he's taking the program. He knows this is a year to really show more improvement than what we did this year. The ball didn't go our away. You miss a field goal against Virginia. The Wake Forest game, there were a lot of issues and not being about to get it in the end zone against Clemson ... I would say it usually doesn't always turn out that way. Usually, you win your share of those."
Satterfield's last statements to the media came immediately following his team's loss to Kentucky. He had learned of his father's death less than an hour before kickoff. He did not make reference to it in his postgame comments, some of which he was criticized for (including by me).
But even fans who are frustrated with the losses this season ought to respect that Satterfield is not someone who has made excuses. He has not criticized players. He has not pointed at his predecessor and outlined just how depleted it was when he arrived. He filled his first recruiting class with anyone he could get and still won.
His biggest misstep at Louisville came in a decision to speak with South Carolina about its open coaching position after his first season in Louisville, something some fans haven't forgiven him for.
Regardless, Satterfield will be the coach at Louisville next season. He is building a home in Prospect, Kentucky, and he's hoping to develop the young recruits he is getting, over the course of years, into a program that can win consistently and isn't reliant on any single player or recruiting class for its success.
That kind of thing takes time. And at least for now, it appears Satterfield will get that from U of L and its leadership.
Copyright 2021 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
