LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Scott Satterfield doesn't have much "sitting around" time. The new University of Louisville football coach went from introductory news conference to hiring a staff to recruiting (winter and spring) and straight into spring football.
Spring break like be more like spring hibernation -- well, with recruiting thrown in.
He's tackled it all with a smile on his face, as he did on Sunday afternoon while signing autographs for fans in the KFC Yum! Center before the Cardinals' home basketball finale against Notre Dame.
"It's been awesome," Satterfield said of the overloaded schedule. "That's been the way we planned it out, to go from recruiting to spring practice, and we'll catch a break on spring break. But really recruiting never stops. We'll be recruiting every day of the year. We have recruits here at this game today."
Louisville wraps up spring practice this week. It's been a lot of evaluation for Louisville's staff, teaching new schemes, establishing new expectations. There has been some progress.
But the one thing Satterfield says he has been pleased to find is a receptive group of players, one that has been eager to get back to work, and to winning.
"Just their eagerness and willingness just to listen and to be coached, that was very encouraging for myself and my staff," Satterfield. said. "Then we've got some talent out there. We've got a lot of work to do, we know that. But it's going to be fun because these guys are hungry and willing to work, and when you've got that you're going to continue to get better every, single day. Hopefully by the time the season starts we'll have a good product to put on the field."
On Thursday at 7, Louisville will conclude its spring workouts with a public practice in Cardinal Stadium. What will be on display will be far from a finished product, but more the beginning. But fans will get a chance to see what work has been done so far.
"I just think they'll see a bunch of guys who are going to play hard," Satterfield said. "There are going to be some things that might not look great on Thursday, but it's practice. We've got a lot of things we're trying to get done. But just the eagerness and energy you'll see I think will be the biggest thing. . . . It's been a great transition here for these 12 practices, and we're going to finish out strong. . . . I'm just excited about working with these guys. They've got a lot to offer. Our staff is going to pour everything we have into them and I think we're going to get a lot out of that."
Satterfield signed autographs and posed for pictures for about an hour for an enthusiastic crowd. He hasn't had a ton of time to get out and meet people, but whenever he has, he said he's been warmed by the response.
"It's been open arms," he said. "The city of Louisville is a great city and everyone has been so welcoming to myself, my family and my staff. We really appreciate that. It's going to take all of us to get this program up and running again at a high level, which we all know it's capable of. It's going to take all of us and we've got a great place to do it here in Louisville."
