Bicknell Excited for His New Opportunity
February 15, 2021 | Football
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Newly-hired University of Louisville offensive line coach Jack Bicknell, Jr. spoke to the media Saturday for the first time since joining head coach Scott Satterfield's squad in January, giving those following the program a look into his philosophy and plans for his time with the program.
Bicknell, who brings NFL experience to the Cardinals and a coaching pedigree, said he sees himself as a good fit for Satterfield's offensive scheme.
"I think everybody in the country knows (the Cardinals) run the outside zone probably as good as anybody," Bicknell said. "I felt like we did the same thing at Kansas
City. When I was at the Chiefs, 2012, we had Jamaal Charles. If you took away the quarterbacks running, we led the league in actual rushing yards."
Bicknell, who comes from a family of coaches, said he plans to continue that legacy the same way he always has, by bringing a family feel to his leadership style.
"I would just have to say my dad was a coach until he was 70," Bicknell said. "He told me to treat every player like they're your own son. That would be the number one thing. I always try to keep that in mind. If you get on them, love them up, don't let them go home upset. You know what I mean? But, I wasn't always easy on my own son."
He also gave his assessment on the situation that he's walked into, which he views as markedly better than the Auburn squad he took over that had five offensive linemen walk amid a coaching shakeup.
In contrast, the Cardinals have what he called a hungry group of experienced players ready to turn the page on the history of Louisville football.
"We got some guys that have played some football before, and hopefully I can come in, and give them some of the insight and some of the experiences I've had to help them get better," he said. "But I really like the group. I really feel like there's some experience there."
Bicknell also went into the recruiting strategy he plans to bring to the program.
A veteran coach who has coached in nearly every region of the country, Bicknell has a multitude of potential pipelines to employ.
But that's only part of the job, according to his philosophy.
"To me, recruiting is, number one, about evaluation. People forget the evaluation part of it. Just saying this guy's a five star and we got to go recruit him, that's a big mistake. You got to evaluate them, especially in the O-line. You got to figure out which guy is going to develop."
Satterfield and the Cardinals hope that Bicknell's more-than 35 years of experience coaching football will help elevate the offensive line to a degree that helps turn the program back into a winning program.
A year after at times struggling to score despite NFL-caliber talent at multiple skill positions, Bicknell hopes to unlock potential that aids Louisville's offense in reaching its full potential.
And if he has it his way, he'll be helping the Cardinals improve for a long time coming.
Â
Bicknell, who brings NFL experience to the Cardinals and a coaching pedigree, said he sees himself as a good fit for Satterfield's offensive scheme.
"I think everybody in the country knows (the Cardinals) run the outside zone probably as good as anybody," Bicknell said. "I felt like we did the same thing at Kansas
City. When I was at the Chiefs, 2012, we had Jamaal Charles. If you took away the quarterbacks running, we led the league in actual rushing yards."
Bicknell, who comes from a family of coaches, said he plans to continue that legacy the same way he always has, by bringing a family feel to his leadership style.
"I would just have to say my dad was a coach until he was 70," Bicknell said. "He told me to treat every player like they're your own son. That would be the number one thing. I always try to keep that in mind. If you get on them, love them up, don't let them go home upset. You know what I mean? But, I wasn't always easy on my own son."
He also gave his assessment on the situation that he's walked into, which he views as markedly better than the Auburn squad he took over that had five offensive linemen walk amid a coaching shakeup.
In contrast, the Cardinals have what he called a hungry group of experienced players ready to turn the page on the history of Louisville football.
"We got some guys that have played some football before, and hopefully I can come in, and give them some of the insight and some of the experiences I've had to help them get better," he said. "But I really like the group. I really feel like there's some experience there."
Bicknell also went into the recruiting strategy he plans to bring to the program.
A veteran coach who has coached in nearly every region of the country, Bicknell has a multitude of potential pipelines to employ.
But that's only part of the job, according to his philosophy.
"To me, recruiting is, number one, about evaluation. People forget the evaluation part of it. Just saying this guy's a five star and we got to go recruit him, that's a big mistake. You got to evaluate them, especially in the O-line. You got to figure out which guy is going to develop."
Satterfield and the Cardinals hope that Bicknell's more-than 35 years of experience coaching football will help elevate the offensive line to a degree that helps turn the program back into a winning program.
A year after at times struggling to score despite NFL-caliber talent at multiple skill positions, Bicknell hopes to unlock potential that aids Louisville's offense in reaching its full potential.
And if he has it his way, he'll be helping the Cardinals improve for a long time coming.
Â
The Card Tape: Boca Raton Bowl
Friday, December 26
FB: Bush's Boca Raton Bowl Postgame Press Conference
Wednesday, December 24
The Card Tape: Kentucky (2025)
Monday, December 01
FB: Highlights vs. Kentucky
Sunday, November 30
