Cincinnati Bearcats hires Louisville's Scott Satterfield as next head football coach

The University of Cincinnati has found its next head football coach.

The Bearcats hired Louisville's Scott Satterfield as the 43rd head coach in program history.

Satterfield led the Cardinals to a 7-5 record this season. Cincinnati is scheduled to face Louisville in the inaugural Wasabi Fenway Bowl on Dec. 17 at Fenway Park in Boston.

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Satterfield is 72-40 in nine seasons as a head coach, including a 25-24 mark in four seasons at the helm of the Cardinals program. The 49-year-old Hillsborough, North Carolina, native went 47-16 in five seasons at Appalachian State.

Satterfield replaces Luke Fickell, the winningest coach in the history of the Cincinnati program. Fickell left to take the vacancy at Wisconsin on Nov. 27 after leading the Bearcats to a 57-18 record in six seasons.

It will cost Cincinnati $3.5 million to buy out Satterfield from Louisville, according to Satterfield's contract with the Cardinals. Fickell's buyout when he left Cincinnati for Wisconsin was $3.5 million.

The timing of the Satterfield hire coincides with the opening of the transfer portal. The portal opened Monday.

The first day of the early signing period for Class of 2023 recruits is Dec. 21. That's when recruits can begin to sign their national letters of intent. Several players from Cincinnati's 2023 recruiting class decommitted from the program following Fickell's departure.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati hires Louisville's Scott Satterfield as next football coach