App State Football: New coach, same hope for 2020 Mountaineers
By Zach Bigalke
Eliah Drinkwitz followed Scott Satterfield out of Boone. Now it falls to Shawn Clark to keep Sun Belt juggernaut App State football atop the league in 2020.
For many people, the lasting image of Appalachian State remains the 2007 upset of Michigan at the Big House. That kicked off a year where the Mountaineers brought a third straight I-AA national title back to Boone. Things tapered off in their final years before moving to the FBS ranks in 2014, as Scott Satterfield found his footing as a head coach after taking over for Jerry Moore in the team’s final FCS season.
Satterfield proved a steadying influence that allowed App State to continue excelling after their transition to the Sun Belt. The Mountaineers have gone bowling all five years the team has been eligible after its transition to the top subdivision in college football. They have won a share of four straight Sun Belt titles, including the first two conference championship games.
When Satterfield left after 2018 to take the head coaching job at Louisville, in stepped NC State offensive coordinator Eliah Drinkwitz. The coaching switch had little impact on the overall standings, as the Mountaineers went 13-1, defeating both North Carolina and South Carolina as they claimed another league crown and threatened to reach a New Year’s Six bowl game.
Drinkwitz converted that single year of success in Boone into the Missouri head coaching gig, so now it falls to longtime offensive line coach and Appalachian State alumnus Shawn Clark to maintain the team’s winning ways. Clark was in place for all four Sun Belt titles over the past four years, and he knows the expectations well. For App State, the goal remains a major bowl berth.
In a season where the Mountain West and MAC have already recused themselves from the Group of Five race, might this be the year for the Mountaineers to finally break through and fulfill those long-term goals? Let’s dive in to look at the offense and defense at Appalachian State before breaking down what remains of the Mountaineers schedule and offering predictions on how they might fare in 2020.