Louisville Football: Coaching Candidates to Replace Scott Satterfield

Louisville is the latest college football program looking for a new head coach after Scott Satterfield left to take the job at Cincinnati. Satterfield went 25-24 over the last four years with the Cardinals and guided the team to three bowl trips. After a 2-3 start, Louisville improved significantly in the second half of the season and rallied to win five out of its last seven games.

Who could replace Satterfield at Louisville? Here are some names to watch in the coaching search:

Louisville Football: Coaching Candidates to Replace Scott Satterfield

Jeff Brohm, Head Coach, Purdue
The list of favorites to replace Satterfield starts (and could end) with Brohm. The Louisville native played and coached at this program and returning home is certainly a strong pull for any coach. Brohm went 30-10 as Western Kentucky's head coach from 2014-16 and is 36-34 at Purdue. The Boilermakers are 17-9 over the last two seasons and won the Big Ten's West Division in '22.

Bryan Brown, Defensive Coordinator, Louisville
Improvement on defense was a big reason for Louisville's in-season surge this year. Could that help Brown make a case for the full-time job? He's worked with the Cardinals since 2019 and previously spent time under Satterfield at Appalachian State (2012-18).

Sean Lewis, Head Coach, Kent State
Lewis is a rising star in the coaching ranks, and it's likely only a matter of time before he gets a chance to run a Power 5 program. The Illinois native played his college ball at Wisconsin and spent time working as an assistant under Dino Babers at Eastern Illinois, Bowling Green and Syracuse before taking over at Kent State. The Golden Flashes and their high-powered FlashFast offense are 24-31 under his watch and have played in two bowl games. Also, Kent State won the MAC East in '21.

Bill O'Brien, Offensive Coordinator, Alabama
O'Brien's name has been mentioned for vacancies at a handful of Power 5 jobs over the last couple of seasons. Does he have an interest in becoming a college coach again or is a return to the NFL up next? O'Brien went 15-9 as Penn State's head coach from 2012-13 and guided the Texans to a 52-48 mark from 2014-20.

Dave Ragone, Assistant Coach, Atlanta Falcons
Ragone is a former Louisville quarterback, so there are plenty of ties to the program. The Ohio native hasn't worked in college as an assistant but has steadily moved up the ladder in the NFL, spending time with the Titans, Bears, Commanders and Falcons.

Kane Wommack, Head Coach, South Alabama
Wommack is probably a long shot here but expect to see his name pop up in coaching searches at Power 5 jobs in the near future. The Missouri native worked as an assistant at Eastern Illinois, South Alabama and Indiana before taking over the Jaguars' top spot in '21. After a 5-7 debut last year, Wommack guided the team to a 10-2 mark in '22.