Scott Satterfield enters his third season as Cincinnati's head coach, with an 8-16 record since taking over in 2023. After back-to-back seasons without a bowl appearance, Satterfield has faced growing criticism from fans and media alike. With expectations high from the pre-Satterfield era, the lack of success has raised serious questions among Bearcat fans.
Here are some potential questions fans will be asking themselves as the season gets closer.
How much longer does Satterfield have to turn things around before Cincinnati looks elsewhere?
Realistically, Scott Satterfield has as much time as he gives himself. The Cincinnati Bearcats Athletic Department isn't known for firing coaches before their contract is up, which for Satterfield is through the 2028 season. Satterfield has until then to turn things around and save his job.
The Bearcats improved by 2 games from 2023 to 2024, and it's safe to say they should expect another improvement. The Bearcats have an easier schedule this year compared to last and are a more well-rounded team on both sides of the ball.
Fans should be content with the Bearcats winning six games this season and getting to a bowl game, even if that is something they saw Fickell do five times in his six years at Cincinnati, including a NY6 bowl game and a College Football Playoff game.
Anymore wins than 6, and the season should be considered a good year, even with the Big 12 being the most wide-open power conference. Cincinnati has a lot of time to improve under Satterfield before 2028 comes around, but will they improve enough to get a new contract?- Unlikely.
What adjustments have been made this offseason to address last year’s weaknesses?
The Bearcats are bringing in 19 players from the class of 2025, all 19 of them being 3-star players. This recruiting class is ranked No. 61 in the country and No. 14 in the Big 12. They are also bringing in the country's No. 50 transfer portal class, No. 10 in the Big 12.
Those incoming players don't seem like crazy adjustments, but they addressed a lot of key position groups that needed work. They addressed the defense with three safeties, one cornerback, 3 defensive linemen, and two edge rushers out of the Transfer Portal. Bringing in an experienced group of players who can improve the defense from day one.
The offensive additions are a little more name-worthy. Tawee Walker from Wisconsin will be a great addition alongside Evan Pryor, trying to replace the offensive production from Corey Kiner last season. Joe Cotton is the lone 4-star transfer from South Dakota, one of the best offensive tackles out of the portal. Patrick Gurd, a former teammate of Joe Royer at Ohio State, makes for an interesting addition to the tight end room.
Jeff Caldwell, Cyrus Allen, and Caleb Goodie are a good trio of receivers out of the portal after the departures of Xzavier Henderson and Tony Johnson.
Has the culture of the program changed since Luke Fickell’s departure, and is it for better or worse?
The culture of the program has changed a ton since Luke Fickell's departure. Cincinnati in 2021 and 2022, led by Fickell and Marcus Freeman, felt like a pro-run program. With Satterfield leading the way during the Bearcats' transition into the Big 12, it feels like no one is committed to the program in the same way anymore. Fickell never got huge recruits; the classes that we had in 2021 and 2022 were very similar to those that Satterfield had these past two seasons. it almost seems like we aren't getting as much out of our players as we did under Fickell, something that is a reflection of the coach.
It isn't easy transitioning into a power conference in your first year as a head coach, and Satterfield should get some leeway from that, but 49 outgoing transfers the last two seasons speak for themselves. The culture is undetectable right now, and it is hurting the program on a huge level. It seems to be on the way up a little from last offseason but still has a ways to go from where they were at.