Marcus Satterfield's first move to Chattanooga didn't work out as planned.

A football and basketball standout at Greenback High School, Satterfield, now the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga offensive coordinator, was recruited in both sports but opted to play basketball after graduation. He signed with Chattanooga State.

"Bobby Hurley was my idol and I wanted to be the next Bobby Hurley," he said, referring to the former Duke star point guard.

Satterfield spent one season with the Tigers, but before that even started he realized he'd rather be playing football.

"By the time football came around in the fall, I was miserable. My buddy played quarterback at (East Tennessee State) and I'd go up there and watch him play and think that I'd made the dumbest mistake of my life," he said. "I suffered through one year of playing basketball and then went back to ETSU and walked on as a wide receiver and earned a scholarship during two-a-days."

Following his ETSU career, Satterfield was hired as an assistant by former Mocs coach Donnie Kirkpatrick and spent three seasons with the Mocs. At the time, he wanted a spot on Phillip Fulmer's staff at Tennessee, and eventually he got it, going to Knoxville as a graduate assistant in 2002.

"I tried to get that job for three years before I got it," he said.

It was a life-changing opportunity, Satterfield said, one that shaped his entire coaching philosophy.

"My philosophy is I'm Phillip Fulmer, Randy Sanders, David Cutcliffe -- I'm two-back run the football and eventually they're going to put enough people in there to stop you, and then you can just get chunks and chunks of yardage through the air," he said.

Sanders, who spoke with UTC athletic director Rick Hart when the Mocs job was available after last season, remains a good friend and mentor.

"He's like my best friend, my brother, my father all rolled into one person," Satterfield said. "He showed me the ropes, introduced me to a lot of people and created a lot of avenues for me. He was the best thing that happened to me while I was there."

With his easygoing personality (as long as things are going well) and sense of humor -- he couldn't be much more different than former offensive coordinator Carmen Felus -- Satterfield quickly developed a rapport with the offense, especially the quarterbacks.

At 33, Satterfield is little more than a decade older than his players, but he said age isn't important when it comes to working with players.

"I think if you can coach, you can coach. It doesn't matter how old you are," he said. "I think if I was an older coach I'd be sitting here talking about the wisdom and respect I bring to the table because I'm an older guy and father figure.

"We try to keep it kind of light-hearted, but we're serious when we need to be."