

Appalachian State Football has been on a roller coaster ride for the past month. From winning the Sun Belt Championship to losing Scott Satterfield to winning the New Orleans Bowl and hiring a new head coach, it’s been quite a stretch for the program. With a new face in charge, and more to follow on the staff, the next chapter of App State Football is upon us. Eliah Drinkwitz was officially introduced as the 21st head coach in App State Football history last Monday. The 35-year-old quickly laid out a game plan for the program to continue its run of success. Right off the bat he picked up where his predecessor left off in his final press conference when speaking of the importance of the people surrounding the program. “What I realized down in New Orleans is what makes this place so unique and so special is you,” Drinkwitz said. “I really believe people are your most powerful resource. The pride and tradition of championships is because of you.” With those words, Drinkwitz ushered in a new era for Appalachian State Football. For the first time since 1988 there will be no Jerry Moore or Scott Satterfield pacing the sidelines at Kidd Brewer Stadium. The last time App went outside the program for a head coach was when it hired Moore after the departure of Sparky Woods.



Drinkwitz earleir this season at N.C. State.

Woods, like Satterfield, left to go to a power program and we all know how well his replacement fared at App State. So, although it’s been awhile, this is not unfamiliar territory for the Mountaineers. Drinkwitz comes to Boone after serving as the offensive coordinator at N.C. State the past three seasons. Before that, he enjoyed success in a similar role at Boise State, also a G5 program like App. In order to not only continue to win, but take the program to even higher levels of success, Drinkwitz laid out the plan in three words. “The first thing you’re going to see is pride because that’s what being a representative of Appalachian is,” he stated. “When I was down in New Orleans, you could see the pride. Everybody that came and shook my hand and wished me luck, you could tell there was a sense of pride and a sense of belonging in this university, in this program.” After pride came the second P from Drinkwitz. “A passion for the game, a passion to wake up every single day and be better than you were before, to be the best version of yourself that you can be. Passion is that fuel that drives you, that wakes you up in the morning and says you have a higher calling.



Drinkwit when he was at Boise State. (Idaho Statesman)