Cincinnati Bearcats Head Football Coach Scott Satterfield Opening Spring Presser
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00:00 We've been looking forward to it.
00:02 Yeah, I mean, first of all, it was an awesome winter.
00:05 Coach Nikko and his staff did a tremendous job
00:07 for the two months and, you know,
00:09 had great buy-in from our guys there in the wintertime.
00:12 So to be able to put a ball down and watch these guys fly around,
00:14 it was fun to see.
00:15 You know, obviously for me is, you know,
00:17 how are they helping each other?
00:19 I saw that today. I didn't see many guys on the ground.
00:21 That's one thing you always look at.
00:23 So guys are staying up.
00:25 We're competing at a high level.
00:27 A lot of new faces out here today, you know,
00:29 so I'm trying to take a double check.
00:31 Who's number 11 or whatever?
00:32 You know, I'm trying to figure out who these guys are.
00:35 I'm wearing the new numbers, but it was really good to see.
00:38 You know, and then, you know, obviously,
00:40 there's some new coaches out here,
00:41 so to watch those guys go out here and coach
00:42 and, you know, see the defense fly around, making some plays.
00:45 So, I mean, yeah, I think overall it was fun.
00:47 It was great to be out here.
00:48 You know, we had a couple recruits in today,
00:50 and this is a total normal day for Cincinnati in March,
00:53 you know, 75 and sunny.
00:54 So we're excited to see the great weather today as well,
00:57 but I think overall it was a great day.
00:59 Is it a sign of how much things have changed?
01:02 In spring, it used to be there was, what,
01:03 maybe five, ten new faces.
01:05 Oh, yeah.
01:07 And you walk out here and there's 30 now.
01:08 Yeah, yeah, close to 30 new faces.
01:09 Yeah, I mean, that's the new era of college football.
01:12 And, you know, and I really -
01:13 our guys did a great job of evaluating the type of kid
01:16 that we wanted to bring into the program,
01:17 and that's evident over the last two months.
01:20 And then come out here and watch them actually run around.
01:22 You know, I'm excited now to go back and watch the film
01:24 and see, you know, who really made the plays today
01:26 and who did some great things out there today.
01:28 So, you know, it's completely -
01:30 from where we are right now compared to last year,
01:32 you know, night and day.
01:34 You know, when you think about the guys
01:36 that we had out here, particularly offensively,
01:37 and a wide receiver last year at this time,
01:40 you know, and what we have now.
01:42 You know, a lot of returning guys on offense,
01:45 a lot of guys that we brought into the program
01:46 that can help us.
01:48 You know, they really gelled well,
01:49 I think, over the last two months.
01:50 And then defensively, I mean, you know,
01:52 I mean, we've got a ton of new defensive players over there.
01:55 So, with the new defensive scheme.
01:57 So, you know, you're looking at a lot of things
01:58 that happened over there.
02:00 But, you know, it's a completely different team.
02:01 And, you know, I'm excited about where we are after day one.
02:04 Got to stick with the obvious.
02:05 But what goals does this have for the QB room,
02:08 I think, as we approach spring ball here tomorrow?
02:11 Well, you know, a couple new guys in that room.
02:13 So, for them, it's like, you know,
02:16 this is their first time hearing these plays,
02:18 going live against an opponent there in our defense.
02:22 And, you know, it's one thing to get on a board
02:24 and hear and write up the plays.
02:25 They know those plays.
02:26 But to come out here and have to get the signal,
02:29 have to communicate that, and then actually snap the ball
02:30 and run the play, it's a little bit different.
02:32 But I thought they made some really good throws today.
02:34 I thought Soresby hit a couple of nice,
02:36 deep balls there for touchdowns.
02:39 You know, Samaj did some good things for being new.
02:40 But Lickety went out there,
02:42 and I thought he was very solid today, as well.
02:43 Drogos looked good.
02:45 It's really just going to be a great competition
02:47 out of those guys in that QB room.
02:49 But I think they're great human beings.
02:51 They're trying to make each other better.
02:53 And that's what we want in this program.
02:54 And so, again, that's going to be a great competition
02:56 all spring.
02:57 I know you were probably busy,
02:59 but have you had a chance to watch
03:00 Jason Kelsey's retirement speech yet?
03:02 And either way, what does he mean
03:07 to be a representative of this program?
03:08 Yeah, you know, I didn't - I heard about it.
03:11 And then I actually clicked on a couple of clips,
03:13 you know, just a few of them, you know, a minute,
03:15 minute and a half.
03:16 Well, number one, he's an emotional guy,
03:18 and that's the way he played.
03:20 You know, he played with great emotion.
03:22 He played with great heart.
03:23 And, you know, that's what we want our players to play like,
03:26 you know, and to be like.
03:28 You know, I think everything that he ever has done
03:30 in his career, and he talked about,
03:32 you know, how he's just so passionate about it,
03:34 you know, and he goes all out in it.
03:36 And I feel like everything that he's done
03:38 in his professional career,
03:40 he's had tremendous amount of success.
03:41 I mean, tremendous.
03:43 And I also talked to our players about it's not how you start,
03:45 it's how you finish.
03:46 You know, he was a walk-on player here
03:48 and turned himself into what he is today,
03:50 which is a Hall of Famer in the NFL.
03:53 And, you know, so, yeah, he embodies exactly
03:56 what we're looking for in our players.
03:57 And we, you know, want to continue to try
03:59 to find guys like that.
04:01 I mean, that's the kind of guys we are.
04:02 Of course, I think everybody is trying to find those guys,
04:04 you know, but he makes us all proud,
04:06 and, you know, the way he handles himself
04:09 and the way he played.
04:10 So, you know, it's a bittersweet day,
04:11 I think, you know, for everybody to see him finish up,
04:15 but also finish up on top like he did.
04:17 It was great.
04:18 Jason, you thanked Coach Combs.
04:20 What's it like to have Coach Combs in this program,
04:23 just knowing that he's had the impact for so long,
04:26 even going back then and now?
04:27 Yeah, I mean, you know, that's awesome.
04:29 You know, I think we all as coaches,
04:31 you know, it's why we get into this profession,
04:33 to impact young people
04:34 and to have a positive impact on young people.
04:37 And I think, you know, it's great for Jason
04:39 to be able to, you know, I saw a couple of minutes,
04:41 but to go back and thank all of the people
04:42 that helped him get to where he is, you know,
04:45 because I think sometimes we, as young people,
04:47 we feel like we're going to get there on our own,
04:49 and that's not the case.
04:51 It takes a lot of people to get to you
04:52 where you want to get to in your life, to have success,
04:55 and for him to acknowledge those people, I think, was awesome.
04:58 You know, Coach Combs obviously has an impact on his life,
05:01 and he's still having a great impact today
05:02 and right here as a Bearcat, which is great.
05:05 What are the biggest things you and your staff
05:06 look for coming off of this first week of spring break,
05:09 usually getting that spring break period
05:11 to go over the state fully in depth,
05:13 and then what are kind of the biggest things
05:14 you're trying to see from your team
05:16 in that first few practices?
05:17 Well, I mean, you know, like I said,
05:18 a lot of new guys out here,
05:20 so we're trying to figure out what they can do,
05:21 what they can't do, those type things.
05:23 Putting a new defense in, you know,
05:25 trying to get better offensively,
05:27 figuring out ways, you know, a big emphasis for us will be,
05:29 in spring, will be red zone third down.
05:32 We got to get better there. We all know that.
05:34 You know, the first two days are just helmets,
05:36 so we're out here.
05:37 You can't really get a true feel
05:39 because you don't have any pads on yet,
05:40 so I think the first three days, you know,
05:43 get everybody acclimated to spring practice,
05:45 you know, learn what we're trying to do
05:46 in these first three days.
05:48 They'll get a break over the spring, spring break,
05:50 and then we'll come back,
05:51 and then we'll start really gearing up,
05:52 and hopefully they got a good foundation underneath them
05:54 about what we're trying to get accomplished out in spring.
05:56 What have been your biggest takeaways
05:58 from the early enrolling that you brought in?
06:00 Kosko, Kyle Woodburn, Ari Anderson?
06:03 Yeah. Well, I mean, you know, I think, number one,
06:06 they're all really bought in and willing to work,
06:09 and they come in here from day one.
06:11 It was a hard winter program,
06:12 and they got introduced right off the bat to that,
06:14 and they didn't miss a beat.
06:15 You know, they came in and worked extremely hard.
06:18 I think they're competitors.
06:20 You know, Samaj in the weight room this winter,
06:23 I mean, I think he did 225, like, 17 times.
06:25 I mean, that's a true freshman doing that.
06:26 I'm blown away by that.
06:27 So he's like a linebacker.
06:30 Kel can run. I mean, today Kel ran by at least three
06:33 or four times he's wide open behind the defense,
06:35 you know, so we know he can run.
06:37 I saw Dakar make a great contested catch
06:38 right over the middle here, so I love --
06:40 we love being around them. I think they're great kids.
06:42 We love being around them. They work their tails off.
06:45 And then it's good to see them come out here
06:46 and make some plays, too.
06:47 So, you know, Samaj had a nice throw out there
06:49 on a deep out, you know,
06:50 in that last little 11-on-11 period.
06:52 So they all got talent.
06:53 They all got, you know, great character,
06:55 so it's fun to work with those type players.
06:57 How much of a difference does it make having a full cycle
07:00 coming into the spring ball season like last year?
07:04 Tremendous difference.
07:05 I mean, you know, we're able to bring in, you know --
07:08 because you get a full year to recruit, right?
07:10 You know, and then we have our recruit staff in place,
07:12 and we get to really identify
07:13 what we want to bring in in the portal, you know?
07:15 And so they did a great job.
07:17 We're close to 30 new players that have come in here.
07:19 On top of the leadership
07:20 that we brought back off last year, man, I mean,
07:24 what a world of difference. I mean, it's night and day
07:26 from where we are today right now compared to,
07:28 you know, a year ago.
07:30 Look at the group that you brought in.
07:32 How close do you think you are physically
07:35 kind of getting up to speed with this conference?
07:37 Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think, you know, as freshmen,
07:40 I think that's hard to look at those guys
07:42 because I feel like, you know, it's going to take
07:43 a little bit of time for the freshmen
07:45 to develop, you know, really mentally and physically,
07:47 all the aspects.
07:48 Now, some are far along than others.
07:50 But, yeah, 17 transfers we brought in.
07:52 We brought in a lot of guys that didn't compete.
07:54 You know, we brought them in to compete.
07:56 I mean, that was the hope, you know?
07:58 But also great individuals.
07:59 That was one thing that we looked at is, like,
08:00 what kind of -- you know, what do they have right here?
08:02 What kind of people are they?
08:03 So, but, yeah, I mean, the Joe Royers,
08:06 you know, the Stokes, you know, the Canteens.
08:10 I mean, there's some -- the Miller --
08:13 I mean, there's some really good players
08:14 that's going to help us this year.
08:16 No question about it. Two running backs.
08:18 I mean, Chance and Evan.
08:19 I mean, both of those guys are going to help.
08:21 I mean, so, yeah, I mean, all you guys did a great job
08:23 of bringing some guys in that's going to help us
08:24 compete for a Big 12 championship.
08:25 Yep. One more for Coach.
08:27 It's not going to happen instantaneously.
08:29 How long do you think it takes to take a roster
08:32 and really get it, like, all the way where you want?
08:35 I take -- I mean, I think it takes, you know --
08:38 I think realistically it takes about three years.
08:41 I mean, I really do.
08:43 I think we're, like I said, much further along
08:46 compared to, you know, a year ago this time.
08:49 You know, but you got some good young players.
08:50 I mean, you got to think in another couple years,
08:52 those guys are going to be really developed
08:53 and really going to be able to help you.
08:55 But, you know, it is what it is.
08:58 You know, we all know in college sports today,
09:00 you don't get a lot of time.
09:02 You got to produce. You got to win some games.
09:05 Ironically, I looked at something yesterday.
09:09 Beamer at Virginia Tech, it took him six years
09:12 to have a six-win season,
09:14 and then he went 13 straight years with double-digit wins.
09:17 But that's hard to see that nowadays.
09:20 And so we recognize the fact that you got to put
09:21 a competitive product on the field.
09:23 You got to bring guys in that are going to help you win.
09:25 You know, we felt like we met some needs there
09:27 with the 17 guys that we brought in.
09:29 And then we'll see at the end of the semester.
09:31 I mean, we got another period of transfers
09:33 to see what we want to bring in.
09:34 And we'll try to help our team.
09:36 But we are much further along compared to last year.
09:39 So that's certainly positive.