Deion Branch will be Louisville's interim head coach for bowl game at Fenway Park
BOSTON -- There's a rather unique coaching dynamic at play for the forthcoming Wasabi Fenway Bowl in Boston.
The game will pit Louisville against Cincinnati. It just so happened that Scott Satterfield decided to leave Louisville to become the new head coach of Cincinnati on Monday.
Welcome to Cincinnati, Coach Satterfield‼️
— Cincinnati Football (@GoBearcatsFB) December 5, 2022
🔗: https://t.co/S6o2YjOm8j#Bearcats pic.twitter.com/rSD4TXzByY
That move leaves the Cardinals without their head coach, obviously -- but fortunately for them, a man with New England football ties is ready to step in.
Deion Branch, Louisville's director of player development, will serve as the interim head coach of the Cardinals for the bowl game.
With Scott Satterfield leaving for Cincinnati, longtime Patriots WR and Super Bowl XXXIX MVP Deion Branch will serve as Louisville's interim head coach for their bowl game on December 17th. pic.twitter.com/Fh8ioytDBD
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 5, 2022
Branch was a second-round pick by Bill Belichick and the Patriots in the 2002 draft, winning Super Bowls with the team in 2003 and 2004. He was named Super Bowl MVP for New England's victory over the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX, and after leaving the team following the 2005 season, he returned to New England in 2010. Branch finished out his career having played 89 regular-season games and 14 playoff games for the Patriots. He ranks 11th in franchise history in both receptions and receiving yards.
The game obviously features two teams with few ties to Boston. But any local fans who attend the game won't have a difficult time picking an allegiance for this one.
The Wasabi Fenway Bowl will take place on Saturday, Dec. 17, at 11 a.m.