Jimmy Satterfield, head coach of Furman’s 1988 NCAA I-AA (FCS) National Championship football team and a member of both Furman and South Carolina Athletic Halls of Fame, passed away on May 6 following a brief illness. He was 79 years old.<\/p>\n
“It is truly a sad day for the Furman football family with the passing of coach Jimmy Satterfield,” said current Paladin head coach Clay Hendrix. “He had an incredible impact on so many young men and sincerely cared about what kind of men, fathers, husbands and citizens we would all become.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Lancaster, S.C., native, Satterfield spent 21 years as a member of Furman’s coaching staff, serving as an assistant for 13 seasons (1973-85) and head coach for eight years (1986-93).\u00a0 During his Furman tenure he played a key role in the program’s unparalleled success that included 16 winning seasons, nine Southern Conference Championships, and 1988 NCAA I-AA National Championship\u2014the first by a SoCon school.\u00a0 His 66-29-3 head coaching record ranks second in program history in winning percentage (.689).<\/p>\n