For the first time since he was hired Nebraskacoordinators of Markus Satterfield on the offensive side u Tony White on defense – meeting with media Friday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.
Satterfield, a long time Matt Rhule Assistant, joins Lincoln after spending the last two seasons as South Carolina’s offensive coordinator. He was also Rhules OC at Temple from 2013-2015.
While White is working with Rhule for the first time, they have known each other since the early 2000s. White was a senior linebacker at UCLA in 2001 when Rhule joined the program as the Bruins’ defensive line coach. They have stayed in touch since and Rhule liked what he saw of White’s 3-3-5 defense at Syracuse, where he has been training since 2020.
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Here are Satterfield’s fast hits and White’s time behind the podium.
>> How much did Sattefield know about Nebraska before taking this job? If you grew up with him, everyone knew Nebraska.
>> Satterfield and Rhule have a long history, first working together in 2005 in Western Carolina. Satterfield had a hunch that he could play for Matt Rhule after South Carolina’s game against Clemson in Nebraska. His phone lights up with a text message from Rhule saying, “Call me.”
>> Receiver is an area of the team that needs improvement, Satterfield said. The Nebraska reception room loses three of its top four pass catchers last season, including school records Trey Palmer, Travis Vokolek and Oliver Martin. This trio combined for 102 passes for 1,478 yards and 12 touchdowns.
>> “We’re going to be a pro-style offensive. We’re going to hunker down,” Satterfield said. The coordinator also said the offense will have a full-back.
>> “I’m on a crusade about the Huddle,” Satterfield said. The trainer is passionate about using huddle. Quarterbacks become better leaders in huddles. They speak and are louder. He’s an old-school offensive coach and not a fan of quarterbacks clapping to signal the snap.
>> “I love him,” Satterfield said of O-Line coach Donovan Raiola. Satterfield met Raiola with every intention of not liking him, but after about 30-35 minutes Satterfield changed his mind. He went to Rhule about it and asked the head coach to keep Raiola.
>> Energy and passion were two words Satterfield used to describe new tight ends coach Bob Wager, a longtime high school coach from Texas who is now taking college coaching for the first time.
>> “I think it’s perfect,” Satterfield said of his offense and how it fits into the Big Ten. He said his offense had to be tough, worker and old school. The offense must primarily focus on and master the line of scrimmage.
“We will manage football,” he said.
>> What does Satterfield like about White’s 3-3-5? He said the diversity and all the different fronts it can show at the line of scrimmage.
>> Depth in running back room? Satterfield has watched her film but hasn’t “felt” her on a practice ground yet. Until he can, it’s hard for him to judge.
>> QB Run Game is “crucial” according to Satterfield. He loves having the ability to recruit into this skillset and it only helps an offense if it has that in its arsenal.
>> What are White’s impressions of the Big Ten? Syracuse played Purdue in 2022, more of a throwing Big Ten team for sure, but the physical attitude was still there, White said. So he has an idea of what he’s going to see.
>> White doesn’t want to get “stuck” in recruiting. The goal for him is to recruit football players, not a position designation like defensive end or nose tackle. He wants to recruit soccer players and teach them what they need to know after landing them.
>> It’s too early to say anything about the Rover position and who might play it in Nebraska, White said. He hasn’t had a chance to get a feel for his players on a football field.
>> Rhule is in the defense briefing rooms and this helps White improve his defense through his comments and views.
>> Terrance Knighton is “funny” and “comes behind”. White said Knighton is a good communicator and the fact he’s played at the highest possible level only helps.
>> White said linebacker space will be key to how the defense plays.
>> White called DB’s coach Evan Cooper a “walking Red Bull advertisement”. Its energy transforms spaces.
>> White called Eric Fields, signed in 2023, a “chess piece” who could potentially compete all over the field. Is he a middle linebacker? Could he play in midfield at Rover? Maybe he’s getting over the edge. It’s too early to tell, but Fields has the staff’s attention.
>> What about the blackshirts? White needs to educate himself about the tradition and talk to former players before announcing how he will handle it. Once he really understands what this program has to do with, he will make a decision.