Quick, name the last head soccer coach before Ken Lolla. What? You don’t know? Why? The reason you don’t know the name Tony Colavecchia, is because Ken Lolla took the program to national prominence. Ken took the Louisville job in Dec. of 2005 and put them on the map. The Cardinals first qualified for the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship in 2007 (Lolla’s 2nd season) and have qualified every single year except 2015. Including making the NCAA quarterfinals in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2016. Under Lolla they were also the 2010 NCAA runner-up.
Ken Lolla is widely revered as an amazing human being as well as an amazing soccer coach. That’s why it bothers me that people automatically assume there is an underlying reason why he resigned. Please just stop with the negativity. Coach has given 13 years to this University, the student athletes and the fans. If he says it’s time to go, it’s time to go. Respect his decision. Just simply say, thank you, coach.
I’m sure you all know by now that Lamar Jackson has been named the starting quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens. Joe Flacco is now listed as #2 on the depth chart. I know I’m not breaking any news here but I feel compelled to mention that the guy who won a Heisman trophy after he was told he would never make it in college as a QB, is now the starting QB of an NFL team (as a rookie) after being told if he wanted to play in the NFL, he should become a wide receiver. Keep on doubting him and watch him go.
The whole situation of rescinding scholarships is a common practice during a coaching change. This isn’t something that Scott Satterfield invented. So why is everyone acting so crazy? Especially coach Doug Preston. When Satterfield pulled the scholarship offer of one of his players, coach Preston tweeted, “Coach Satterfield shouldn’t bother sending anyone down here to recruit in the future! I can’t look my players in the eyes and tell them to trust anyone @UofLFootball any longer!”
Well, I’d like to say something to coach Preston. Coach, you have been around football a long while and seem to be a pretty good coach after winning your second consecutive Class 4A KY state championship (Congrats on that), but you, of all people, should know that after a coaching change, there is a very likely chance of players getting their scholarships rescinded. You should have been spending the last month helping your player with a back up plan in case it happened (he had 5 offers). You did not. YOU failed your player and then went to social media to blast a coach, who has been in town for less than a week, for not honoring a scholarship offered by a previous coach who was fired for not doing his job. By cutting off the pipeline from your school to UofL, you have now failed every player that you will ever coach by making one less college an option for your players. That is the exact opposite of being a leader. A leader leads by example and the example you set for your players is that it’s ok to let your fandom supersede your responsibility as a coach. We all know you are a proud BBN member. I understand doing what is best for your player but taking to social media and ranting makes you look like an ass. I would think sending an email, a letter, or call to Satterfield making a case for Louisville to honor the scholarship would be exemplary but you chose the more public “look at me” social media route. Shame on you.
It was reported the former Louisville wide receiver, Traveon Samuel, was on campus Wednesday afternoon. I can confirm this is true. Traveon transferred to Troy University after the 2017 season. I conducted an Exit Interview with him after he announced his intention to transfer. That interview should have opened some eyes to the disfunction within the program. I asked him, “How did the Louisville coaching staff react when you told them you were transferring?” He responded, “No Reaction. Haven’t talked to any of them at all …”
Traveon is interested in rejoining the Cards for next season. He told me that the coaches will tell him something by the end of the week.
I would love for him to finish out his career as a Card but I don’t think there is much need for any more receivers on this team. So, unless he can play tight end, I find it unlikely he is brought back. I hope I am wrong and I wish him the best no matter how this plays out. He will be a Card Forever.
As Always, GO CARDS!
