Louisville Football, Scott Satterfield provide a Lesson in Public Relations
In December Louisville football fans flooded the phone lines of call-in sports talk radio shows, demanding for the Cardinals to fire Scott Satterfield. Two months later, Satterfield is the most popular man in the city of Louisville.
This dramatic glow up for the once sitting duck head coach is a masterclass in public relations. Like Johnson & Johnson after the Chicago Tylenol Murders, the last two months should be used as a lesson in college PR classes. Let’s take a look at the UofL Football PR Playbook (one that was not stolen from Wake Forest).
Get a High Profile Quarterback Commitment
To win in the offseason, one must start by not only saying the right things, but by taking action to correct problems. Improving a roster can only be achieved through recruiting. The key to recruiting success: sign a prolific quarterback. Satterfield received a commitment from Pierce Clarkson, a west coast kid ranked in the On3 Consensus as the No. 10 quarterback in the 2023 recruiting class.
Get QB to make ESPN’s Front Page
Receiving a quarterback commitment creates momentum. That momentum is amplified when his decision is front page news on ESPN.com. Clarkson announced his commitment on billboards across the city of Louisville, sharing the story with Pete Thamel the morning the electronic billboards went into circulation.
The big splash led to three more commitments, including a four-star Georgia defensive back and Jeremiah Collins, a cornerback from Male High School. Louisville is finally recruiting kids from Louisville, just what Louisville fans love to see.
Get Every Other High Ranking Official Fired
Once the fourth-most popular man on campus, Satterfield made a Game of Thrones like ascent to the top by taking out everyone standing in his way. President Neeli Bendapudi departed for Penn State. Athletics director Vince Tyra quit when the former president wouldn’t let him fire Satterfield. Then Chris Mack got fired. Without taking any direct action on his own accord (that we know of), Satterfield became the Big Man on Campus by default.
Bring a Signed Bottle of Bourbon to a Radio Interview
Satterfield took action on the recruiting front. He let the rest of UofL’s fragile House of Cards fall. There was only one remaining domino to topple to complete his quick offseason transformation: the media.
Even though he may come off as this happy-go-lucky, “aw shucks” personality from the hills of North Carolina, Satterfield is smart. He did his homework. Satterfield realized that previous successful UofL coaches used the media to maintain favor among the fanbase. If you give just a little bit to this group of talking heads, they will return the favor tenfold by convincing their audience that this coach is the right man for the job.
Satterfield went above and beyond for his PR pièce de résistance. He made a short trip to Cardinal Station for an in-person interview with The Sheriff Friday afternoon on ESPN Louisville and brought a signed bottle of bourbon. Hook. Line. Sinker.
Silver Lining to Satterfield’s Lesson
Scott Satterfield is back on top of the world in February. It’s been a spectacular offseason for his program. Even though it would typically illicit a cause of concern for Mark Stoops, it’s actually music to the BBN’s ears.
Once again, they have fallen for it. Louisville football fans have hope. They believe in Cardinal football, but just like they believed they were going to beat Lynn Bowden in 2019. Just like they believed they were going to win as the favorite over UK in 2021. Then Mark Stoops brought his team to the field and reminded them who owns this state, defeating Satterfield by a combined 63 points. Thanks to Satterfield’s offseason success, recent history will repeat itself in 2022.
Never change, Louisville football. Never change.
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