IF UK DOESN'T PRODUCE

DaBossIsBack

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Jun 28, 2013
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I don't get this logic. Both hires were disasters so they were bad hires at the beginning, middle and end.
How do you not get that logic? Are you 12? I've made numerous decisions over the course of my life that at the time were good ideas. But due largely in part to unforeseeable circumstances they turned out to be bad decisions. Hindsight. Ever heard of it?
 
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Ugoff

Heisman
May 7, 2009
16,403
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How do you not get that logic? Are you 12? I've made numerous decisions over the course of my life that at the time were good ideas. But due largely in part to unforeseeable circumstances they turned out to be bad decisions. Hindsight. Ever heard of it?

No I'm not 12 and I don't appreciate your tone. Question for you... was Joker a good hire? Yes or no.....
 

willievic

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Aug 28, 2005
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Well, as much as I dislike Mitch, it appears they did "teach" him. After Billy G we got Cal, no matter how it happened it's worked out perfectly. After Joker he hired a big time coordinator from a big time program and although it might not work out it was a solid strategy. At least GA thinks so considering they did the same thing.

Your right, we all felt Coach Stoops was a good hire, especially after the first recruiting class. Let's hope we were right, but the next three games will tell us a lot. If he can't win all three, he should be gone.

OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!
 
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Jan 29, 2003
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None of the type coaches, named here recently, will pass Barney's morality test. Even if they did why would they want to work under the "saint"?

All the internet chest beating and demands will not move Barnhart out of the equation. He'll still be here when the yelling ends.
meh. blah. haven't read the thread yet, so I suspect it's been pointed out - but you're making stuff up.

I don't have faith Barnhart can hire the right guy after Stoops because of his history of hiring coaches at UK. This whole thing about morality tests and holy roller and saint is all made up.

He hired Dennis Erickson, Billy Gillispie and John Calipari (perception) for crying out loud.
 
Jan 29, 2003
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Simply put, Barnhart cannot choose another football coach because he will strike viable candidates without performing his due diligence based on his biases and religious beliefs.
you're smarter than that. what evidence do you have that his hiring criteria includes - let alone is entirely "based on" - his religious beliefs.

Isn't enough just to say we don't have faith in Barnhart to find the right guy because of his record of not finding the right guy, without resorting to all sorts of outlandish unfounded claims?

Again, he hired Dennis Erickson. If he won't hire someone based on "biases and religious beliefs" - how do you square that?
 

JHB4UK

Heisman
May 29, 2001
31,836
11,258
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hindsight is of course 20/20, but Barnhart should have recognized one of the reasons Joker failed is because he had never lead a program before, just being a part of building a program is much much different than being 'the man' making all the calls. Therefore the decision to hire another non-head coach/coordinator was a foolish one, he should have duplicated what worked - Rich Brooks - by hiring a seasoned veteran former head coach.
 
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Rawrrr

Freshman
Oct 18, 2010
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I am in the group that thinks Stoops should have been fired already. But Barnhart hiring him was a pretty good move at the time. The mistake, and one I don't see Mitch ever recovering from, was the preposterous raise and extension. Absolutely nothing warranted it at the time. That's why Mitch should not even be involved in hiring Stoops' successor.
Agree whole heartedly about the raise and extension, what a knucklehead move! I had a terrible feeling when he was hired, mainly because it looked exactly like the Joker coordinator to first HC job experiment all over again. Also the fact that Stoops recruited himself, that was odd and kind of troubling. But my terrible feelings were tempered by Stoops' defense rankings near the top, and his recruiting prowess, so I thought he would turn things around. But in hindsight, boy was I way off!
 
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BARRYBLUE1

All-Conference
Feb 1, 2013
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Stoops will, in my opinion, prove the negative Nancys wrong just like Brooks did. You were wrong about Brooks, Phillips, Gillespie and now Stoops will.
 

51stFan

Junior
Dec 30, 2005
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MB is the one in charge of researching these guys before they are hired. Do you not find it ironic that a guy with the Stoops name wasn't being mentioned in HC jobs? How did MB not speak with anyone that knew that BCG had some serious off the court issues? When you are going to pay someone millions of dollars you should probably get to know a heck of a whole lot about them and just not from people that like them.

If MB is putting in the time and effort in some of these hires he really needs to consider changing his criteria.
 
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shutzhund

All-Conference
Nov 19, 2005
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This has been discussed ad naseum on here, you just now figured it out?


Maybe I'm a little slow but I figured you out long ago. You should try to force a smile on that sour puss and join the fun and not stay in the curmudgeon role you seem to relish.

Surely it's only an act.
 

brianpoe

Heisman
Mar 25, 2009
27,769
21,825
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I realize that Calipari has been much cleaner since he's been at UK, but he had a fairly long list of violations and or questionable recruiting related "issues" prior to his arrival. I know many UK fans who did not like the hire for that exact reason, even saw some posts here saying that they shouldn't hire him.

All of that said, Mitch Barnhart is the guy who hired Cal, so why do y'all continue to reference his unwillingness to hire a coach who doesn't pass his "morality test?"

Did something change with Barnhart?

I don't want to argue semantics, but if you are intellectually honest, you get my point with Barnhart.



I understand that Vandy doesnt have a sports forum, but sometimes you should just sit back and read. You are a much better lurker than poster.
 

Poetax

Heisman
Apr 4, 2002
29,410
20,887
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I realize that Calipari has been much cleaner since he's been at UK, but he had a fairly long list of violations and or questionable recruiting related "issues" prior to his arrival. I know many UK fans who did not like the hire for that exact reason, even saw some posts here saying that they shouldn't hire him.

All of that said, Mitch Barnhart is the guy who hired Cal, so why do y'all continue to reference his unwillingness to hire a coach who doesn't pass his "morality test?"

Did something change with Barnhart?

For all the posts you have you would at least thought that you would have looked some facts without the rumor mill trash.
 

jauk11

Heisman
Dec 6, 2006
60,631
18,638
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I get what you're saying but by your own admission, Joker fired the staff that built the sucess and that is his fault. I think what you mean is that it looked like a good hire at the time. The tenure has to be judged in its entirety and when it ends in disaster (i.e loss of fan support and millions of $$) there are no shades of gray, IMO.

  • The strike and loss was much more on mitch than Joker.
 

Ugoff

Heisman
May 7, 2009
16,403
21,489
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For all the posts you have you would at least thought that you would have looked some facts without the rumor mill trash.
This is what happens when you take everything you hear from the Bettys at the Commodore beauty shop as fact.
 

J. Shellacque

Junior
Aug 30, 2009
11,348
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"Without music, life would be a mistake" Kentucky football doesnt seem to sing. I'm guessing 20-10 Vandy.
 

mktmaker

All-Conference
Jun 5, 2001
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Well, as much as I dislike Mitch, it appears they did "teach" him. After Billy G we got Cal, no matter how it happened it's worked out perfectly. After Joker he hired a big time coordinator from a big time program and although it might not work out it was a solid strategy. At least GA thinks so considering they did the same thing.

I live in Atlanta and know a lot of Georgia fans.

The "fire Richt and hire Kirby" situation had mixed reactions.

Few disliked Richt. It was what I call the "Saban effect." Saban's spectacular success at Bama stokes many of the SEC fan bases (Barnhart is oblivious to this). Georgia (and others) shout "Why not us?!"

Georgia always thought that they always had one of their favorite sons (Kirby Smart) in their back pocket. He could bring recruiting prowess, the Saban Method, and an alumnus' loyalty.

But then...Spurrier retired mid-season. Panic set in. South Carolina could sign Kirby!

Now Kirby is 3-2 (1-2 in the East). Richt is 4-0.

Add to that Kirby brought Saban's prickly manner to the press and (to a lesser extent) the fans.

So...Georgia does NOT think so.
 

BlueRattie_rivals

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Feb 6, 2014
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Gillespie was hired because he beat UofL. Obviously, MB did a very poor background screening on the guy. He was a poor recruiter and he recruited here like he was at EKU. No excuse for that hire.

The logic went something like this: If the guy can win at Texas A&M, a place with no national profile, imagine what he could do with UK's resources and tradition! Unfortunately, the bright lights were too much for him. The garbage that he could get away with in College Station (where no one cared what he did because. . .no one cared) won't fly on the big stage.
 

BARRYBLUE1

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Feb 1, 2013
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You don't have to be a religious zealot, to not condone the actions of some of the clowns that you morons want MB to hire.
 

51stFan

Junior
Dec 30, 2005
405
341
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The logic went something like this: If the guy can win at Texas A&M, a place with no national profile, imagine what he could do with UK's resources and tradition! Unfortunately, the bright lights were too much for him. The garbage that he could get away with in College Station (where no one cared what he did because. . .no one cared) won't fly on the big stage.

MB made an Indiana type hire and got the guy that beat UofL. With enough research you would think that someone out there could of told MB that this guy had some vices and quirks that would eventually lead to some issues. Nope instead MB considered the guy to be a better fit here than John Calipari who won and RECRUITED better than anyone in America.

How many other SEC schools would let an AD make a terrible hire in football and basketball within just a few years? I'm not going to say Stoops is a terrible hire too, but he very well may be the third bad one. Didn't the president just give MB a raise?
 

brianpoe

Heisman
Mar 25, 2009
27,769
21,825
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The logic went something like this: If the guy can win at Texas A&M, a place with no national profile, imagine what he could do with UK's resources and tradition!


This is the problem with our current AD.

2 NCAA appearances with the best getting beat in the sweet sixteen is not winning enough to be UK's head coach.
 
Jan 29, 2003
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This is the problem with our current AD.

2 NCAA appearances with the best getting beat in the sweet sixteen is not winning enough to be UK's head coach.
Agreed, bp, but recall the context. He thought - and from what I've heard, justifiably so - that he had a guy who'd just won back to back national titles. The Donovan backed out, apparently because of Mrs. BD, whatever. So......who to get then? Was there anyone else who was "qualified to be the UK coach"? Gillispie was a sort of obvious answer, probably among a few others.

Now, to be sure, I'm defending the logic of the hire as we knew it at the time, based on what happened with Donovan and what we knew of BG. Of course, what the AD should've known that we didn't was that BG was socially retarded, didn't like people much, and had alcohol tendencies. IOW, just the kind of person to put in the Fishbowl!! Heh....
 

51stFan

Junior
Dec 30, 2005
405
341
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Agreed, bp, but recall the context. He thought - and from what I've heard, justifiably so - that he had a guy who'd just won back to back national titles. The Donovan backed out, apparently because of Mrs. BD, whatever. So......who to get then? Was there anyone else who was "qualified to be the UK coach"? Gillispie was a sort of obvious answer, probably among a few others.

Now, to be sure, I'm defending the logic of the hire as we knew it at the time, based on what happened with Donovan and what we knew of BG. Of course, what the AD should've known that we didn't was that BG was socially retarded, didn't like people much, and had alcohol tendencies. IOW, just the kind of person to put in the Fishbowl!! Heh....

Tubby recruited way below where the program should be. BCG wasn't recruiting at a high level at A&M. Coach Cal, the top recruiter in the nation was getting top classes at Memphis and he didnt even get a call. Then we get Joker who MB was able to evaluate himself.
 
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shutzhund

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Nov 19, 2005
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Barnhart has, so far, shown an unwillingness to compete in major sports and hides himself in the minor ones. If Stoops can win big, in his fifth year, then that will somewhat vindicate Barny. If not we would have more luck competing against loaded dice in a crap game than having Barny make a good hire following a Brooks' departure

Now some of his celebrated minor sports hires seem to be built on sand and crumbling. It could be the majority of stable major and minor sports people have so little respect for him they may not even want to interview for a position. In that respect, consider his rumored attempt to hire a well known NFL coach as frivolous at best. What successful NFL coach would want to begin recruiting high school kids and put up with some of their parents? None, is the answer to that. Desperate propaganda, at best, to prop up Barnhart's failing major sport credibility.

Only at UK could an SEC AD, with his record, remain employed. The man is a genius at keeping his job or, more than likely, his bosses are well intentioned fools.

Therefore I'm riding out the storm and pulling for Coach Stoops this year and the foreseeable future. Keep Barny out of this.
 
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brianpoe

Heisman
Mar 25, 2009
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Agreed, bp, but recall the context. He thought - and from what I've heard, justifiably so - that he had a guy who'd just won back to back national titles. The Donovan backed out, apparently because of Mrs. BD, whatever. So......who to get then? Was there anyone else who was "qualified to be the UK coach"? Gillispie was a sort of obvious answer, probably among a few others.

Now, to be sure, I'm defending the logic of the hire as we knew it at the time, based on what happened with Donovan and what we knew of BG. Of course, what the AD should've known that we didn't was that BG was socially retarded, didn't like people much, and had alcohol tendencies. IOW, just the kind of person to put in the Fishbowl!! Heh....


The Donovan silent verbal?

Tubby didnt bolt in the middle of the night.

MB was well aware and still very unprepared.

You do not hire the head coach of the most storied basketball program based upon beating the Cards one time.
 

CB3UK

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Apr 15, 2012
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I very distinctly remember criticizing Mitch for hiring Stoops because Stoops came to Mitch and pitched himself to Mitch with his blueprints and the like. He wasn't even on Mitch's list. How unprepared is this guy? Same guy who outsourced the Gillispie hire. Who the hell does that for what is one of the most important jobs in the entire state? It's a joke that just isn't funny anymore. Now once we looked at Stoops and his resume, yes, I liked the hire. I still like Coach Stoops based on his media interactions and the like and would love for him to be the guy who turns this thing around. Expecting 6 wins and a bowl game in year 4 is a laughably low bar to set, and yet here we are struggling to get there, and fans still are excusing it. It does not take 4 years to beat 3 cupcakes and the likes of the SEC East fellow cellar dwellars plus Mississippi State. It just doesnt.
 

kb22stang

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Dec 11, 2005
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I live in Atlanta and know a lot of Georgia fans.

The "fire Richt and hire Kirby" situation had mixed reactions.

Few disliked Richt. It was what I call the "Saban effect." Saban's spectacular success at Bama stokes many of the SEC fan bases (Barnhart is oblivious to this). Georgia (and others) shout "Why not us?!"

Georgia always thought that they always had one of their favorite sons (Kirby Smart) in their back pocket. He could bring recruiting prowess, the Saban Method, and an alumnus' loyalty.

But then...Spurrier retired mid-season. Panic set in. South Carolina could sign Kirby!

Now Kirby is 3-2 (1-2 in the East). Richt is 4-0.

Add to that Kirby brought Saban's prickly manner to the press and (to a lesser extent) the fans.

So...Georgia does NOT think so.


The point was that they did, they made the hire. And I'm not talking about fans, fans opinions don't mean ****. We're uninformed and reactionary by nature.
 

kb22stang

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Dec 11, 2005
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Expecting 6 wins and a bowl game in year 4 is a laughably low bar to set, and yet here we are struggling to get there, and fans still are excusing it.

Read and history book about UK football and then tell me 6 wins isn't tough to do here. Or keep hiring and firing coaches, it's worked out so well for us over the last 50 years.
 

CB3UK

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Read and history book about UK football and then tell me 6 wins isn't tough to do here. Or keep hiring and firing coaches, it's worked out so well for us over the last 50 years.
You'd probably benefit from heeding your own advice and reading thst book instead of making smarmy replies on here to mine. If you had, you'd know that we didn't start the 12 game season until 2006...not coincidentally the first year Brooks made a bowl. The 11 game season years before that had 8 SEC games plus Louisville, Indiana, and a regional patsy. Before we renewed with Louisville we still had Indiana and whoever else. Our schedule NOW, not how scheduling was done 50 years ago, has 3 automatic wins (and we lost the first one this year.) You add Vandy, our West permanent Mississippi State who is most years not good....that's 5. Add in South Carolina, Missouri.....maybe our other West opponent is down. If you think that's asking too much then you're the one who needs to spend time studying football history.
 

kb22stang

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Dec 11, 2005
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You'd probably benefit from heeding your own advice and reading thst book instead of making smarmy replies on here to mine. If you had, you'd know that we didn't start the 12 game season until 2006...not coincidentally the first year Brooks made a bowl. The 11 game season years before that had 8 SEC games plus Louisville, Indiana, and a regional patsy. Before we renewed with Louisville we still had Indiana and whoever else. Our schedule NOW, not how scheduling was done 50 years ago, has 3 automatic wins (and we lost the first one this year.) You add Vandy, our West permanent Mississippi State who is most years not good....that's 5. Add in South Carolina, Missouri.....maybe our other West opponent is down. If you think that's asking too much then you're the one who needs to spend time studying football history.

Let's look at his 3 years here and see how your argument works out. You're saying that we should consistently beat these 3 teams.

2015 -
MSU 9-4, Miss. 5-7, USC 3-9
2014
MSU 10-3, Missouri 11-3, USC 7-6
2013
Missouri 12-2 MSU 7-6 USC 11-2

All 3 of these programs are historically better than UK.

You're completely right, we should fire any coach that can't beat these programs annually, I mean 4 years is plenty of time to make that happen. Especially with our extensive history of success.

Jesus, how hard is it to understand that this program is going to have to grow in baby steps. We have 4 wins every year that should be guaranteed (not that it has worked out that way in the past, but it should). Then we have 2 beat two teams that have better pedigrees. That should be the goal, but we also need to give a coach time to build the program to have sustained success.
 
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CB3UK

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Let's look at his 3 years here and see how your argument works out. You're saying that we should consistently beat these 3 teams.

2015 -
MSU 9-4, Miss. 5-7, USC 3-9
2014
MSU 10-3, Missouri 11-3, USC 7-6
2013
Missouri 12-2 MSU 7-6 USC 11-2

All 3 of these programs are historically better than UK.

You're completely right, we should fire any coach that can't beat these programs annually, I mean 4 years is plenty of time to make that happen. Especially with our extensive history of success.

Jesus, how hard is it to understand that this program is going to have to grow in baby steps. We have 4 wins every year that should be guaranteed (not that it has worked out that way in the past, but it should). Then we have 2 beat two teams that have better pedigrees. That should be the goal, but we also need to give a coach time to build the program to have sustained success.
Your argument is that the best 3 year stretch in Mississippi State history is a valid sample size? They are not historically better than us. Missouri is and we need to take steps towards their level. We did last year. South Carolina wasnt better than us historically either until Spurrier. Go open that history book and show me when they last won 10-11 games before him. I'll wait.
 
Oct 1, 2001
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As of the moment the hiring decision should be done THIS year if we don't win 6 games. The decision is easy - UK finally has a young alum who is a very successful head coach at a non power 5 school who is a no brainer - at least as of this moment. Just think about how well our OC did here in 2014 and how we won 5 games that year - remember it was ONLY year 2 - the cupboard was still pretty bare! That OC put 31 points up on both Georgia and Mississippi State - when State was ranked number 1. His offense led us to 5 wins that year and also put up 30 on Florida. His offense put 40 on Louisville at Louisville that year. If we had had an average defense we would have easily went to a bowl game that year with an exciting offense. He is doing very well this year and is playing with a two deep roster that is playing 17 players in the two deep he has recruited in only two years - with one of them being a short relationship year. Most people realize we need to get a great young HEAD coach who is up and coming. Yes - this should be the easiest selection of a head coach hire in UK football history!

Go Big Blue!
Whoa! What happened to the hue and cry about hiring the "big time" coach?