1000 x 90

It’s Official: Satterfield Unanimously Chosen as New Mountaineers Head Coach at ASU Trustees Meeting

By Paul T. Choate

Scott Satterfield, who won three national championships and six Southern Conference titles in 15 years as a player and coach at ASU, has stepped into the interim head coach position following Jerry Moore's exit. Photo by Keith Cline and courtesy of Appalachian Sports Information
Scott Satterfield, who won three national championships and six Southern Conference titles in 15 years as a player and coach at ASU, has stepped into the head coach position following Jerry Moore’s exit. Photo by Keith Cline and courtesy of Appalachian Sports Information

Dec. 14, 2012. Following a unanimous vote on Friday around 1:30 p.m. at the Appalachian State University Board of Trustees meeting, Scott Satterfield has been officially named the new head coach of the Mountaineers football team.

Board of Trustee members had already gone into closed session, but briefly moved for open session to vote on the head coaching position. Following the unanimous vote, members immediately returned to closed session.

Now, with Satterfield at the helm, the program will look to find their new identity in the post-Jerry Moore era. It was not initially certain whether or not Satterfield would actually be the head coach at the start of next season, however. According to the university, Satterfield was to serve as Appalachian State’s interim head coach while a nationwide search is conducted for the 20th head coach in program history.

Satterfield has spent 16 years with ASU as a player (1992-95) and coach (1998-2008, 2012). It was announced in January 2012 that Satterfield was returning to the program. He left ASU to be the passing coordinator for Toledo in 2009 and then spent 2010-11 as the offensive coordinator at Florida International. During the 2012 season, he was the first coach to hold the title of assistant head coach in Moore’s 24 years at ASU and the Mountaineers’ first official offensive coordinator since Rob Best held the title from 1989-2002. 

Satterfield boasts an impressive resume. During his only season with Toledo, the Rockets were No. 20 nationally in passing yards and No. 14 in total offense with 438.3 yards per game. While at Florida International, he led the Golden Panthers to their first bowl game in school history.

At ASU, Satterfield mentored wide receivers (1998), running backs (1999-2002) and quarterbacks (2003-08). He was an integral part of the team’s transition from a power-I to a spread offense during the 2004 season and was on the coaching staff during all three national championships that followed.

As ASU’s quarterback coach, Satterfield was a mentor to two of the best quarterbacks in recent school history – Richie Williams and Armanti Edwards. He coached both men to all-American recognition and Edwards additionally won back-to-back Walter Payton awards.

During Satterfield’s playing career at ASU, he made 27 starts at quarterback. He earned first-team all-conference honors as a senior when he passed for 1,461 yards and rushed for another 649 in route to the Mountaineers’ only undefeated regular season in program history (11-0).

Prior to Satterfield taking charge, former head coach Jerry Moore compiled a 215-87 record in 24 seasons at ASU, including 10 Southern Conference championships, 18 postseason appearances and three-straight NCAA Division I FCS/I-AA national titles (2005-07).

It was announced on Sunday, Dec. 2, that Moore would not return as the head coach of the Mountaineers. It was initially reported that an amicable agreement had been reached between Moore and ASU, however information later came out that Moore did not want to leave his position yet.

Moore reported that the announcement he would not return “blindsided” him, saying he wanted to coach another season with the program.

Chancellor Kenneth Peacock released a statement on the matter, saying, “My support of Appalachian State University Athletics Director Charlie Cobb remains ardent, and I appreciate the professionalism and integrity with which he leads our athletics program. A year ago Mr. Cobb presented Coach Moore with a written communication telling him it was time to end his coaching career at Appalachian and offered him a three-year commitment in a different role at a six-figure salary.”

A press conference formally announcing Satterfield as the new head coach is expected to take place around 4 p.m. this afternoon.

Continue to follow High Country Press as we cover this developing story.