University of Tennessee Chattanooga head football coach Russ Huesman on Friday introduced the coaching staff he is banking on helping him pull the UTC program out of the doldrums.
Huesman announced the members of his coaching staff for the 2009 season, including Marcus Satterfield leading the offense and Mike Elko the defense.
He said his first priority had been to quickly assemble a staff, then he and his team of assistants "will hit the road and go out and find some great football players."
Huesman said, "You don't have to go over 200 miles from Chattanooga to have one of the best recruiting classes in this league."
Asked if he will utilize players from the Chattanooga area, he said, "Obviously, our team will have a local flavor, but you have to go after the best talent."
The new coach said he will meet with the current Moc players on Monday. He said, "I don't want any of them to leave. I want them to help be a part of our rebuilding program."
The complete list of position coaches and their biographies are listed below.
Marcus Satterfield Offensive Coordinator East Tennessee - 1999 Assistant Coach - UT-Martin
Mike Elko Defensive Coordinator Penn - 1999 Defensive Coordinator - Hofstra
Carter Cardwell Defensive Backs Middle Tennessee - 1981 Assistant Coach - Sewanee
Russ Ehrenfeld Offensive Line Chattanooga - 1981 Offensive Line - Tennessee State
Will Healy Offensive Assistant CoachRichmond - 2008 Quarterback - Richmond
Jason McManus Receivers/Recruiting Gardner-Webb - 2000 Receivers/Recruiting - Chattanooga
Fred Tate Defensive Line Southern Miss - 1997 Defensive Line - Chattanooga
Marcus West Assistant Defensive Line Memphis - 2005 Defensive Line - Whartburg (Iowa)
Marcus Satterfield
Offensive Coordinator
East Tennessee State - 1999
Marcus Satterfield joins the Mocs from the University of Tennessee at Martin. He will serve as the offensive coordinator at Chattanooga. Satterfield helped the Skyhawks win the 2006 Ohio Valley Conference championship and advance to postseason play for the first time since 1988. This past season he helped the Skyhawks compile an 8-4 worksheet and come within one game of a second OVC crown and postseason play.
Satterfield is responsible for recruiting Skyhawk quarterback Cade Thompson. Thompson earned first team All-OVC honors for his effort this season. Thompson completed 190-of-328 passes for 2,680 yards and 24 touchdowns. One of Thompson’s favorite receivers, Mike Hicks, is another player coached by Satterfield. Hicks had 66 catches for 894 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was also named to the All-OVC first-team.
UT-Martin was the No. 1 ranked scoring offense in the OVC in 2008. Satterfield also led the 2007 squad No.
1 ranking in total offense and points-per-game in the OVC.
Chattanooga head coach Russ Huesman and Satterfield worked together at Richmond during the 2004 season. Satterfield left Richmond, where he was the wide receivers coach, and coached at Western Carolina for two years before joining UT-Martins’s staff in 2006.
Satterfield was a three-year letterman as a wide receiver and punter at East Tennessee State from 1995-98, earning his degree from ETSU in 1999. He also played point guard for Chattanooga State Community College during the 1994-95 season. Satterfield is married to the former Sarah Houser. The couple has one daughter, Harper.
Mike Elko
Defensive Coordinator
Penn - 1999
Mike Elko joins the Mocs as the defensive coordinator after holding the same position at Hofstra for the past three seasons. The pride posted the No. 1 passing defense in the Colonial Athletic Association last season, holding teams to just 136.8 yards-per-game through the air.
Hofstra’s defense ranked first in the CAA and 11th in the FCS in rushing defense, second in the conference and 15th in the country in total defense, and fourth in the CAA and 37th in the FCS in scoring defense in 2007.
In 2006 Elko directed the Pride defensive backs in addition to his defensive coordinator duties with the Pride defense ranked in the top half of the conference in total defense, scoring defense, rushing defense and pass defense.
Elko came to Hofstra after two seasons as linebackers coach and special teams coordinator at the University of Richmond. His first recruiting class at Richmond was a large part of the Spiders’ 9-4 record, including a 7-1 slate in the Atlantic 10 in 2005. Richmond defeated Hampton, 38-10, in the first round of the I-AA playoffs before dropping a 24-20 decision at Furman.
The Spiders ranked 12th in I-AA in scoring defense, allowing just 17.7 points per game, and 22nd in rushing defense, allowing just 120.1 yards per contest. Before coaching at Richmond, Elko worked with former Spiders Head Football Coach Dave Clawson at Fordham University as his linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator in 2002 and 2003. While at Fordham, Elko coached a defense that led the Patriot League in scoring defense (14th nationally in 2002) and sacks, as well as ranking third with 25 turnovers caused in 2002. In 2003 the Rams led the league in pass defense.
Elko’s coaching experience also includes time at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, where he served as defensive coordinator. He also coached at his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, directing the secondary. He began his coaching career at Stony Brook in 1999 where he guided the linebackers in the fall and the defensive backs in the spring.
A member of the Penn football team for four years, Elko helped the Quakers win the Ivy League title in 1998. He received a bachelor’s degree in history in 1999. Mike and his wife Michelle, have two children, Michael (5) and Andrew (2).
Carter Cardwell
Defensive Backs
Middle Tennessee - 1981
Carter Cardwell comes to the Mocs after spending the last five years at Sewanee. Cardwell is entering his 22nd season of college football coaching and has coached in the ACC, SEC, Southern Conference, at the NCAA Division II level and at two NCAA Division III schools.
Since 1983, his college stops have included Clemson, Auburn, VMI, Catawba, Maryville and UTC. He has coached in two New Year’s Day Bowls (Cotton, Citrus).
Prior to Sewanee, he was at Chattanooga (1997-2002) serving as an assistant coach for the offensive line, defensive backs, running backs and as recruiting coordinator.
At the prep level, Cardwell was the offensive coordinator at Red Bank High School (Chattanooga, Tenn.) (fall, 2003). He also was an assistant coach for two seasons at McMinn County (Tenn.) High School (1991-92) and at Loudon (Tenn.) High School (1981-82).
A walk-on at Middle Tennessee State, Cardwell was a three-year letter winner at Loudon HS and played on state football championship teams in 1974 and 1975. He is a 1977 graduate of Loudon and earned a health education degree at MTSU in 1981. He has a master’s degree from Clemson (1985) in administration and supervision.
Cardwell and his wife, the former Allison Sue Arnold, live in Chattanooga with their three sons, Jim (10), Jack (5), and John (4/21/08).
Russ Ehrenfeld
Offensive Line
Chattanooga - 1981
Russ Ehrenfeld is the Mocs’ new offensive line coach, bringing more than 27 years of coaching experience to Chattanooga. His last stop was Tennessee State, where his offensive line set the tone for the No. 1 rushing offense in the Ohio Valley Conference while allowing just the second fewest number of sacks in the league.
Ehrenfeld has coached more than ten offensive lineman that have gone on to play professionally. He tutored Cornelius Lewis to 1st Team All-American status at TSU last season while starting center Cecil Newton will represent the Tigers in the East-West Shrine game.
Ehrenfeld previously coached the offensive line at TSU for three seasons (1997-99), helping the Tigers capture back-to-back OVC championships in 1998 and 1999. TSU was ranked number one in the OVC in rushing over those two seasons. Notably, four lineman from the 1999 team went on to play in the NFL. During his tenure at Tennessee Tech, he coached Frank Omiyale (Carolina Panthers), who became the first draft pick from the program in more than ten years.
Prior to his experience at Tennessee Tech, Russ coached at Bucknell University where he coached the offensive line, coordinated the running game and assisted with special teams for two seasons.
A native of Hillside, N.J., Russ played four seasons at UT Chattanooga, helping the Mocs claim three Southern Conference titles as a starting offensive guard. He earned his bachelor’s degree in secondary education-history in 1981. Following graduation, his first coaching position was at TMI Academy as the offensive line coach. In two seasons, 10 of his linemen earned college scholarships.
His first collegiate position was as a graduate assistant at the University of South Carolina, where he had the opportunity to coach the Gamecocks in the 1984 Gator Bowl.
He served three seasons as offensive line coach at Austin Peay, and in 1988 and 1989, he coached the defensive line and inside linebackers at Itawamba Community College. He returned to the OVC as the defensive line coach at Southeast Missouri State from 1990 through 1992.
After two years at Eastern Michigan, he then returned to Austin Peay as assistant head coach from 1995 through 1996. In 1997, he moved to Tennessee State for three seasons, helping to capture back-to-back OVC championships in 1998 and 1999. Russ also coached at Alabama State for one season, tying for the eastern division title in the SWAC in 2000.
He and his wife Laurie have three children, Ashley, Brennen and Katie.
Will Healy
Offensive Assistant Coach
Richmond - 2008
Will Healy is entering his first season as a collegiate assistant coach after playing four years at the University of Richmond. He was a team captain on the Spider’s 2008 FCS National Title team. The Chattanooga native saw action in 31 games in his collegiate career
Healy earned all-state twice, all-state honorable mention two other years, and was a four-time all-region, selection at Chattanooga’s Boyd-Buchanan High School. A Tennessee “Mr. Football” finalist as a senior, Healy holds the Chattanooga area career passing record with more than 7,700 yards.
Healy’s father, Rob, played football at Georgia Tech from 1971-73.
Jason McManus
Receivers/Recruiting Coordinator
Gardner-Webb - 2000
Jason McManus is entering his fourth season at Chattanooga as the receivers coach and recruiting coordinator. McManus’ leadership has made the Mocs receiving corps one of the strongest position groups in the program. He has also made his mark in recruiting as the 2008 signing class ranked among the top 15 in the Football Championship Subdivision, according to Rivals.com.
Under McManus’ guidance, the receiving tandem of Blue Cooper and Clint Woods ranked among the top 10 in the Southern Conference in receptions per game and receiving yards per game in 2007.
In 2006, the starting receiver duo of Emanuel Hassell and Michael Johnson combined to catch 101 passes for 1,099 yards. Hassell became the school’s all-time leading pass catcher, and Johnson tied for the league lead with eight touchdown catches. Hassell has gone on to play professionally in the Canadian Football League.
UTC demonstrated improvements in the passing game from 2005 to 2006. The Mocs improved their passing yards per game average from 147.5 yards to 162.5 and their number of receiving touchdowns from six to 12.
McManus spent the 2004 and 2005 seasons at Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tenn., as the defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator for Head Coach Frankie Debusk.
While with the Pioneers, McManus coached All-America defensive backs Ra’ Shun Judge and Octavius Love. Judge earned All-America honors in 2004, while Love was a 2005 All-America selection. In 2005, Love led all NCAA Division II players in punt return average and set numerous school records as a kick and punt returner. Also under McManus’ guidance, Tusculum punter Cory Newton earned All-America accolades, setting school records for career punting average and longest punt (78 yards).
Prior to his arrival at Tusculum, McManus worked for one year at Sewanee. He served as the Tigers’ defensive coordinator in 2003 and put together the highest-rated pass defense in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, giving up only 149 yards per game. He helped Sewanee go from eighth to first in pass defense and from eighth to second best in total defense. In 2003, the Tigers ranked second among league teams and 53rd in NCAA Division III in total defense (302.6 yards).
The Newton, N.C., native earned his master’s degree in Physical Education from Middle Tennessee in 2001. While in Murfreesboro, McManus worked as a graduate assistant coach for the Blue Raiders, assisting with the wide receivers, secondary and special teams. During his tenure at Middle Tennessee, McManus developed the reputation as an outstanding young coach and recruiter and was responsible for signing several of MTSU’s top recruits during his time with the Blue Raiders.
He was also a member of the 2001 MTSU coaching staff which claimed the inaugural Sun Belt Conference Championship.
McManus graduated from Gardner-Webb in 2000 with a degree in Physical Education. He was a two-year football letterwinner for the Bulldogs then worked as a student assistant coach in the spring of 2000.
Fred Tate
Defensive Assistant Coach
Southern Mississippi - 1997
Fred Tate is entering his second season on the Mocs’ coaching staff and will coach the defensive line. Prior to joining the Chattanooga program, he worked two years at Southern Mississippi, coaching defensive tackles and outside linebackers for Head Coach Jeff Bower. Tate recently completed an internship with the New England Patriots in the summer of 2008.
One of his Golden Eagle defenders, Tom Johnson, earned All-Conference USA honors in 2005. USM finished 7-5 in 2005 and 9-5 in 2006. The 2005 squad was New Orleans Bowl Champions with a 31-19 victory over Arkansas State. The 2006 Eagles claimed the Conference USA East Division title, played Houston in the CUSA Championship Game and defeated Ohio University 28-7 in the GMAC Bowl.
Tate’s coaching career began in 1997 at East Central Community College in Mississippi where he coached tight ends and receivers. He moved to Jacksonville State in 1998 and served as the defensive line and special teams coach for two years. While with the Gamecocks, he mentored Mark Word who played in the National Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cleveland Browns.
The 2000 season saw him return to the junior college level, coaching the defensive line, punting and kicking teams at East Mississippi Community College. His defensive line expertise led him to coach the front line at Southwest Texas State in 2001 and at Middle Tennessee in 2002. At Southwest Texas, he guided Clenton Ballard to All-America status. Ballard went on to play in the NFL for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the San Diego Chargers.
Tate joined former Southern Mississippi defensive coordinator John Thompson at East Carolina in 2003. He coached the Pirates’ outside linebackers for two years and assisted with special teams.
A native of Hattiesburg, Miss., Tate enlisted in the United States Army upon high school graduation. He served five years in the Airborne Division.
Following his Army career, Tate attended East Central Community College in Decatur, Miss. While on the football team, he was a JC Gridwire All-America selection as a sophomore and was voted the Most Valuable Offensive Player of the National Junior College All-Star Game.
His playing career continued at Southern Mississippi, playing defensive end and tackle in 1995 and 1996 for Coach Bower. The Golden Eagles were charter members of Conference USA in 1996 and won the league’s first football championship that season with a 4-1 mark. The 8-3 overall record included a victory over Georgia and a seven-game winning streak.
Tate was born Oct. 31, 1968, and earned his bachelor’s degree from USM in 1997. He is married to the former Andrea Beckles of Huntsville, Ala. The couple has a three-year-old son, Christian, and a one-year-old daughter, Caitlyn. Also included in the family are Darrion and Donavan Tate.
Marcus West
Assistant Defensive Line Coach
Memphis - 2005
Marcus West comes to Chattanooga from Whartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. He was the defensive line coach for the Division III Knights last season. Whartburg went 10-3 in 2008, advancing to the Division III quarterfinals after winning the Iowa Conference Title.
West joined the Knights’ coaching staff last summer after playing across three professional leagues. His stops included one-year stays in NFL Europe as a member of the Amsterdam Admirals, in the Canadian Football League as a member of the Hamilton Tiger Cats, and in the National Football League as a member of the Indianapolis Colts.
West starred collegiality at the University of Memphis, earning All-Conference USA honors in 2004 and 2005. Current UTC head coach Russ Huesman was an assistant coach at Memphis during West’s first two seasons. West was a team captain and gained the program’s Defensive Player of the Year award following his senior season.