Nebraska fans love their football. They take it very seriously, sometimes, too seriously. Occasionally they need a wake-up call or something to remind them of just what they have. For me personally that happened on Tuesday when I listened to Damon Benning’s radio show. His guest was Mike Schaefer of Husker247. The two discussed Marcus Satterfield and his time at Nebraska. I can tell you Benning has been a Satterfield guy from day one. This is how the conversation went between the two.
Damon Benning: “I really think even though it didn’t work out with him as an offensive coordinator, I’m holding firm that Satterfield is a fantastic coach.”
Mike Schaefer: “Our Marcus Satterfield experience is largely tied to the play calling. And the play calling got pare shaped at times last year. And so, I think it’s going to be hard for people to accept that Marcus Satterfield can be a fantastic position coach because they only want to think of him as the offensive coordinator. Which he no longer is. I mean beyond the fact he is sort of a unique individual on to himself, and the situation is unique where an offensive coordinator would stick around to be your position coach. I think it says a lot about how Matt Rhule thinks about him, that he wanted a former offensive coordinator who was fresh out of a job to stick around.”
Benning: “I look at the byproduct of the tight end room. It’s maybe the only position – we didn’t take a deep, deep dive – and you could make the case of running backs maybe at first blush. But it’s the only position I can’t say out loud where a guy has regressed. Like everybody seems to get better that has spent time in that room.”
Together the pair then pointed out the results of players in the tight end room after last season. Thomas Fidone is likely to be drafted, while Nate Boerkircher secured a lucrative payday with Texas A&M. Plus they really like what they are developing in the tight end room and have real confidence in Haarberg, Lindenmeyer, Markway, Nelson and Echternach.
After listening to Benning talk about his admiration for Satterfield as a coach and an individual and Schaefer pointing out our faults as fans, it made me think twice. But the pivotal moment occurred later that day when Satterfield addressed the media, followed by Heinrich Haarberg. It was Satterfield’s first opportunity to speak to the media since being demoted to tight ends coach.
Satterfield: “We preach every day there is going to be adversity, and what happened to me is no different than a player getting benched or you know having to go from first team to second team. It’s no difference. And I believe in this place. I believe in Nebraska. I believed in everything when I came here. I still believe it. We got great things ahead of us. I think we can do it, and I wanted to be a part of it. I want to finish what we started. And I thought it would be a great example for our guys just to see, when you go through some hard stuff, like practice what you preach and just keep coming to work and giving it your best every single day.”
Satterfield isn’t given enough credit for sticking around after being humbled in front of his peers and his players. He didn’t have to stay, he could have easily taken the money and just left. But the job at Nebraska required more of him and he knew it.
Haarberg has a unique perspective since Satterfield was his quarterback coach and OC in their first season together. However, by the end of last season Satterfield had been replaced by Holgorsen and Haarberg was moved to tight end. Now the two are starting over together. They can relate.
Haarberg: “Satt and I got really close during the 2023 season. That year was like a war every week, just trying to find a win. So, he and I got really tight during 2023. He knew I was going to do whatever I could to get a win on Saturdays, and I watched him basically live in the facility that year. I mean he gave everything he had that year. I mean I respect him so much, like that’s a guy I’d go to battle for any day of the week.”
When Satterfield was asked how different it was to go back to coaching one specific position and what he liked about it, this was his answer.
Satterfield: “I’m having the time of my life. It’s great. To get the order from Dana, an offensive mind like Dana. I get to coach the greatest position in football, the tight end, which you get to run, you get to run-block, you get to pass, you get to catch balls, like you get to coach the whole game. We got a really good room. We’re a very close room, and again I’m happier now than I’ve ever been in coaching.”
Listening to Haarberg and Satterfield it’s obvious the two have a great deal of respect for one another. And the foursome of Benning, Schaefer, Satterfield, and Haarberg, made it evident fans like me are terrible at passing judgment on coaches before we recognize what we have. Satterfield is an exceptional tight ends coach and an asset to have on Nebraska’s staff. If new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen didn’t think so, Satterfield wouldn’t be here. Remember, Holgorsen, with full autonomy from Rhule, chose Satterfield, Barthel, and Raiola for his offensive staff. Holgorsen has been around the block, he’s no dummy.
The dummies are some of us who call ourselves Husker fans.
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