TicketsCINCINNATI – University of Cincinnati football head coach Scott Satterfield, defensive coordinator Tyson Veidt, and assistant coaches Adam Braithwaite and Eddie Hicks met with the media on Thursday.
The Bearcats are gearing up to begin their spring practice window, which starts on Monday, March 10. Cincinnati will hold its first of 15 practices that day. Highlighting spring practice will be UC's Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 12, which will feature an open practice and several other fun activities.
Braithwaite and Hicks joined the program in January, but their ties to Cincinnati football go back much further than that. Hicks was a graduate assistant at Cincinnati in 2013, helping the team to a 9-4 record and a Belk Bowl berth. He spent the last two seasons as the lead defensive analyst at LSU. Braithwaite, who joined the Bearcats from Samford, crossed paths with Veidt early in their respective careers as the two were graduate assistants together in 2005 at West Virginia. Hicks and Braithwaite also worked together for two seasons at Charlotte.
In addition to two new assistant coaches, third-year head coach Scott Satterfield has 28 new scholarship players on campus this spring, a number that will grow this summer when the rest of the freshman class makes its way to UC.
The Bearcats open the 2025 season on Thursday, Aug. 28 against Nebraska at Arrowhead Stadium. Seven home games highlight the 2025 slate, with Big 12 foes Arizona, BYU, Baylor, Iowa State, and UCF coming to Nippert Stadium.
Head Coach Scott Satterfield
Defensive Coordinator Tyson Veidt
Assistant Coaches Adam Braithwaite and Eddie Hicks
Head Coach Scott Satterfield
Opening Statement
"It's February 27th and we're talking some ball, that is good stuff. Our guys have been really getting after it in the weight room. I was talking to Coach Niko [Palazeti] yesterday about how we compare to other schools right now in this stage, and how hard we're working. We brought 15 transfers in this year and 27 last year, so you get a good gauge when they get here compared to wherever they just came from. We have noticed that pretty consistently the guys that come in say this is the hardest they've ever had to work in the winter. I think that's intentional on our part. What we want to see out of that is, how do they react? Our guys have been getting after it and they don't even blink, they say 'whatever you got for me, let's do it'. I would say winter is going great for our guys right now, and that's awesome. We're actually doing some things on the field with them, as much as you can, rule-wise, right now and that has been awesome. We are getting ready for spring practice to start in a couple of weeks and we're excited about that. We are excited to see what our transfers and high schoolers can do when they get to spring practice. We feel like the guys we have coming back are some outstanding players, and they're continuing to progress and get better as well. Now, it's up to these new guys, let's see what they can do, and how much depth they can provide for us.
We also have some things happening with the NFL Combine right now. We have three players that are there, and I feel great about all three of those guys that have an opportunity to get drafted. Obviously, they have to test well, we know this week is big for them. These guys have been training, I saw John [Williams] and Luke [Kandra] several times. They've been working with our guys in the weight room and continuing to do O-Line drills. We announced earlier today that on April 12th we will have a Spring Showcase. We're calling it a showcase and we will practice; we'll scrimmage some in there, some special teams and seven-on-seven. It will look more like a practice, but we will do some 11-on-11 work, and it will be a good chance for fans to come out and see some of the new guys. We are also going to do some autographs and have some fan engagement. I think this is a good time of the year for our fans to get to know some of our new players, because we do have a lot of turnover in college football now and basketball for that matter, each and every year. It's a good opportunity to get to learn the new guys, which I think is certainly a positive. I think today that's kind of what we're doing with our new coaches, to get a chance to meet our new defensive coaches and kind of get a feel for them as well."
On difference between knowing more players and less transfers in new era of portal
"I can tell a big difference. I think culturally last year, we really took a step in the right direction, getting the right guys on the team, and they were so fun to be around, and they competed their butts off. I think that has continued this winter, with our core guys coming back and particularly on defense, we've got a lot of those guys that are back, a lot of guys that had a lot of production coming back. We combine them with what we have added to come in here, we got the right guys to come in, because you don't really know until they get here. They have great attitudes; they are fun to train and fun to be around. They have really just picked up right with our team, our core team, with the culture. I believe we are light years ahead of when we first got here, and even last year as well. It's the new norm to have 30 new players in the wintertime, but they fit right in as if they've been here for a year or two, even though they've only been here for a couple months. I think that's a credit to our coaches and our scouting staff, to be able to go out and get the right ones."
On future of spring games and keeping it alive for fans
"I think it is a great chance for fans to be able to get to know these guys and for them to come out and to watch them move around, to see what they can do. It is also a great chance to interact with the fans and that's why we're doing some autograph stuff, so they get a chance to say hello to them. We want to provide that opportunity for our fans to be able to come out and get to know them, because if you think about teams in the past where you sign a high school player, he's here for four to five years and you get to really know these guys over a period of time. It has changed now and the way it is now is so difficult. There's so much turnover and so many new players that come in. How do you even have a chance and opportunity to get to know them? We still want to have that opportunity for them this spring and April 12 will be a good day. We also have a baseball game at UC, and we have the night at the Reds that night. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate that day. We got a lot of stuff going on that day, so hopefully it's a beautiful day on April 12."
Defensive Coordinator Tyson Veidt
On the difference going into his second year at Cincinnati
"I think the number one thing would be simply the routine that you develop over time when you're in one spot. So that's certainly been a positive. The number of guys we have returning from a year ago that would have the ability to speak the same defensive language is a positive as well. So, I think both of those things heading into spring feel a little bit more comfortable. I don't think you ever feel like this is going to be easy, right? So, I think you feel a little bit more comfortable."
On if fans can expect any major changes to the defense going into the Spring Showcase
"I don't know if we'll have any complete wholesale changes. Part of what I think we're able to do right now is do that as we're simply practicing and installing and working different things a year into it. So, we're going to shift and slide some guys into some different spots along the way, maybe within their position group and maybe out of it as well. So that's really what we're trying to get done now to sort those things out. One, we want to be able to put guys maybe in a better position than they were at their position, knowing a little bit more about them. Two, I think we're also trying to continue to build depth and competition at all those positions. Through that mindset is how we will get to that but we will definitely do that."
The Bearcats are gearing up to begin their spring practice window, which starts on Monday, March 10. Cincinnati will hold its first of 15 practices that day. Highlighting spring practice will be UC's Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 12, which will feature an open practice and several other fun activities.
Braithwaite and Hicks joined the program in January, but their ties to Cincinnati football go back much further than that. Hicks was a graduate assistant at Cincinnati in 2013, helping the team to a 9-4 record and a Belk Bowl berth. He spent the last two seasons as the lead defensive analyst at LSU. Braithwaite, who joined the Bearcats from Samford, crossed paths with Veidt early in their respective careers as the two were graduate assistants together in 2005 at West Virginia. Hicks and Braithwaite also worked together for two seasons at Charlotte.
In addition to two new assistant coaches, third-year head coach Scott Satterfield has 28 new scholarship players on campus this spring, a number that will grow this summer when the rest of the freshman class makes its way to UC.
The Bearcats open the 2025 season on Thursday, Aug. 28 against Nebraska at Arrowhead Stadium. Seven home games highlight the 2025 slate, with Big 12 foes Arizona, BYU, Baylor, Iowa State, and UCF coming to Nippert Stadium.
Head Coach Scott Satterfield
Defensive Coordinator Tyson Veidt
Assistant Coaches Adam Braithwaite and Eddie Hicks
Head Coach Scott Satterfield
Opening Statement
"It's February 27th and we're talking some ball, that is good stuff. Our guys have been really getting after it in the weight room. I was talking to Coach Niko [Palazeti] yesterday about how we compare to other schools right now in this stage, and how hard we're working. We brought 15 transfers in this year and 27 last year, so you get a good gauge when they get here compared to wherever they just came from. We have noticed that pretty consistently the guys that come in say this is the hardest they've ever had to work in the winter. I think that's intentional on our part. What we want to see out of that is, how do they react? Our guys have been getting after it and they don't even blink, they say 'whatever you got for me, let's do it'. I would say winter is going great for our guys right now, and that's awesome. We're actually doing some things on the field with them, as much as you can, rule-wise, right now and that has been awesome. We are getting ready for spring practice to start in a couple of weeks and we're excited about that. We are excited to see what our transfers and high schoolers can do when they get to spring practice. We feel like the guys we have coming back are some outstanding players, and they're continuing to progress and get better as well. Now, it's up to these new guys, let's see what they can do, and how much depth they can provide for us.
We also have some things happening with the NFL Combine right now. We have three players that are there, and I feel great about all three of those guys that have an opportunity to get drafted. Obviously, they have to test well, we know this week is big for them. These guys have been training, I saw John [Williams] and Luke [Kandra] several times. They've been working with our guys in the weight room and continuing to do O-Line drills. We announced earlier today that on April 12th we will have a Spring Showcase. We're calling it a showcase and we will practice; we'll scrimmage some in there, some special teams and seven-on-seven. It will look more like a practice, but we will do some 11-on-11 work, and it will be a good chance for fans to come out and see some of the new guys. We are also going to do some autographs and have some fan engagement. I think this is a good time of the year for our fans to get to know some of our new players, because we do have a lot of turnover in college football now and basketball for that matter, each and every year. It's a good opportunity to get to learn the new guys, which I think is certainly a positive. I think today that's kind of what we're doing with our new coaches, to get a chance to meet our new defensive coaches and kind of get a feel for them as well."
On difference between knowing more players and less transfers in new era of portal
"I can tell a big difference. I think culturally last year, we really took a step in the right direction, getting the right guys on the team, and they were so fun to be around, and they competed their butts off. I think that has continued this winter, with our core guys coming back and particularly on defense, we've got a lot of those guys that are back, a lot of guys that had a lot of production coming back. We combine them with what we have added to come in here, we got the right guys to come in, because you don't really know until they get here. They have great attitudes; they are fun to train and fun to be around. They have really just picked up right with our team, our core team, with the culture. I believe we are light years ahead of when we first got here, and even last year as well. It's the new norm to have 30 new players in the wintertime, but they fit right in as if they've been here for a year or two, even though they've only been here for a couple months. I think that's a credit to our coaches and our scouting staff, to be able to go out and get the right ones."
On future of spring games and keeping it alive for fans
"I think it is a great chance for fans to be able to get to know these guys and for them to come out and to watch them move around, to see what they can do. It is also a great chance to interact with the fans and that's why we're doing some autograph stuff, so they get a chance to say hello to them. We want to provide that opportunity for our fans to be able to come out and get to know them, because if you think about teams in the past where you sign a high school player, he's here for four to five years and you get to really know these guys over a period of time. It has changed now and the way it is now is so difficult. There's so much turnover and so many new players that come in. How do you even have a chance and opportunity to get to know them? We still want to have that opportunity for them this spring and April 12 will be a good day. We also have a baseball game at UC, and we have the night at the Reds that night. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate that day. We got a lot of stuff going on that day, so hopefully it's a beautiful day on April 12."
Defensive Coordinator Tyson Veidt
On the difference going into his second year at Cincinnati
"I think the number one thing would be simply the routine that you develop over time when you're in one spot. So that's certainly been a positive. The number of guys we have returning from a year ago that would have the ability to speak the same defensive language is a positive as well. So, I think both of those things heading into spring feel a little bit more comfortable. I don't think you ever feel like this is going to be easy, right? So, I think you feel a little bit more comfortable."
On if fans can expect any major changes to the defense going into the Spring Showcase
"I don't know if we'll have any complete wholesale changes. Part of what I think we're able to do right now is do that as we're simply practicing and installing and working different things a year into it. So, we're going to shift and slide some guys into some different spots along the way, maybe within their position group and maybe out of it as well. So that's really what we're trying to get done now to sort those things out. One, we want to be able to put guys maybe in a better position than they were at their position, knowing a little bit more about them. Two, I think we're also trying to continue to build depth and competition at all those positions. Through that mindset is how we will get to that but we will definitely do that."