It's Barnhart's fault!

[willievic]

I remember when fans and posters thought hiring Stoops was a really good hire. I'm one of the fans who thought this. I really thought his hiring was good after his first recruiting class, and then in his second year, when we had 5 wins with several games left to play.
I didn't understand why Barnhart give him a big extension on his contract, when there was no other school after him. He still hadn't proved himself as a HC, even though he was a very good DC at Florida State. We have seen good DC's and OC's in the past, who did not cut it as a HC.
I don't fault Mitch for hiring him. I think it was a good hire at the time, and so do a lot of you who are bad-mouthing Mitch at the present.
However, if we don't go bowling this year, which would mean that our program is no better then it was, in Stoops 2nd year, then he needs to go, and a young HC brought in, such as Neal Brown, P.J. Fleck or Chris Klieman. Oh, I know, some on here will say, "Look at the progress we've made." I, and a lot of fans measure progress by WINS AND LOSSES. At the end of football season, I don't say, "We only won five games, but we really played hard."
I know the amount we have to pay Stoops if he is let go, is a lot, but it will be small as compared to the number of fans who will give up their seats, and a lot of them will find out it's fun to set at home, watch the game on TV and have friends over, something good to eat, and a lot of beer.

OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!

 

[cat_in_the_hat]

I remember when fans and posters thought hiring Stoops was a really good hire. I'm one of the fans who thought this. I really thought his hiring was good after his first recruiting class, and then in his second year, when we had 5 wins with several games left to play.
I didn't understand why Barnhart give him a big extension on his contract, when there was no other school after him. He still hadn't proved himself as a HC, even though he was a very good DC at Florida State. We have seen good DC's and OC's in the past, who did not cut it as a HC.
I don't fault Mitch for hiring him. I think it was a good hire at the time, and so do a lot of you who are bad-mouthing Mitch at the present.
However, if we don't go bowling this year, which would mean that our program is no better then it was, in Stoops 2nd year, then he needs to go, and a young HC brought in, such as Neal Brown, P.J. Fleck or Chris Klieman. Oh, I know, some on here will say, "Look at the progress we've made." I, and a lot of fans measure progress by WINS AND LOSSES. At the end of football season, I don't say, "We only won five games, but we really played hard."
I know the amount we have to pay Stoops if he is let go, is a lot, but it will be small as compared to the number of fans who will give up their seats, and a lot of them will find out it's fun to set at home, watch the game on TV and have friends over, something good to eat, and a lot of beer.

OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!

I think we are getting close to the point of crap or get off the pot, but I'm not ready to say it's this year, yet. I really think next years team has a chance to be much better than this team. It should have more experience and depth than this team. I am okay with letting him coach that team and seeing what he can do with a more experienced team. That being said, how we finish the rest of the year might cause me to change my mind.

 

[Longtrip]

He had his opportunity and simply did not deliver. I hope he can suddenly learn how to win and still get us to a bowl this season. I am not optimistic.

 

[law1127]

Been going to games since1953, I've earned the right to say that UK football is at the precipice of falling into a dark valley, not to emerge any time soon! I was on board with Stoops until SoMiss,then the complete implosion in the 2nd half,just about sucked all the fandom out of me. Went to Alabama game,big stadium,lots of suites, great players,and upon reflection our CWS is nicer,parking better,football training facility top notch,but I'm afraid we don't have the innovative,motivating,do more with less type coach or staff , to make us competitive! I hope I'm wrong! Willievic if I'm not wrong,I'll join you on the couch and drink some more beer!

 

[Uk44cats]

law1127

I agree with your comments. I really thought this team could win 6-7 games this year. The 2nd half of the Southern Miss game was like a constant slap in the face... And we had to watch that damn Shannon Dawson's smug look as he kicked our tail... I was sick at my stomach after that game. Then the Florida debacle....

We still have a chance to right the ship if we can beat Vandy, Ms. St and Missouri - but us winning 3 straight SEC games is a tall task for us. If we lose to Vandy, its all OVER!!

I was at the Alabama game last week as well. Great atmosphere there. But if our QB had lofted the pass to Conrad he would have probable scored and put us up 10-0. Then Johnson fumbles 3 times and the rout was on...

 

[Mr Schwump]

Barnhart's fault? Yes, but he's hardly in a class by himself. He joins the ranks of other UK ADs dating back about seven decades. One would think by the simple law of averages UK will hit upon the right formula at some point.

 

[Black Diamond Cat]

Barnhart's fault? Yes, but he's hardly in a class by himself. He joins the ranks of other UK ADs dating back about seven decades. One would think by the simple law of averages UK will hit upon the right formula at some point.

Right you are, many mistakes made by earlier AD's. Hiring Charlie Bradshaw in 1962, hiring John Ray instead of Jerry Claiborne in 1969, not hiring Howard Schnellenberger after Curci was fired in 1981, the Bill Curry hire in 1990, which at the time seemed great, but turned out horribly, heck even letting Bear Bryant leave after the 1953 season.
Mitch is not by himself in bad coaching hires for Football at UK, the bar was set for that many years ago !

 

[buckkiller]

Its a collective mess of Bumms that has made football decisions! It is time for Mitch to move on if we lose to Vandy. He canntakes Stoops Troops with him!

 

[TrollCat_rivals128405]

Bunch of microwave fans on here. The lack of patience is apalling.

 

[Mr Schwump]

Right you are, many mistakes made by earlier AD's. Hiring Charlie Bradshaw in 1962, hiring John Ray instead of Jerry Claiborne in 1969, not hiring Howard Schnellenberger after Curci was fired in 1981, the Bill Curry hire in 1990, which at the time seemed great, but turned out horribly, heck even letting Bear Bryant leave after the 1953 season.
Mitch is not by himself in bad coaching hires for Football at UK, the bar was set for that many years ago !

Another to add to that woeful list is hiring Hal Mumme instead of David Cutcliff. UK was fun in Mumme's first year or two but the SEC quickly caught up to him and the following probation was a killer. Don't know what kind of success Cutcliff would've had but the program would've been much more stable. Thanks CM.

 

[truebluewildcat_rivals34254]

Still have to see how the rest of this season and next goes.

CMS will be back next year.

If next year is anything less than .500 reg season and a bowl MB will have to make a move, and it could very well be his last if botched.

MB and the shot callers need to be mustering up all the spare change they can over the next 15 months because if a move has to be made they are going to have to swing for the fences.

We cannot afford another no name, no experience coach with no record of building successful football programs.

Ground breaking, precedent setting money is going to have to be on the table. That, in addition to brand new state of the art facilities, and a decent roster should be enough to attract a quality coach.

 

[chroix]

It's crazy to me that fans expected things to change drastically within four years. In my book we need to ride out some difficult times with Stoops for 2-3 more years and continue building with decent recruiting classes. Being impatient and starting over every four years is asking for continued failure.

 

[UKRob 73]

The fans wanted two hires.....1.cal. 2. Petrino.
Instead he chose Billy gillispie and Stoops.

Thankfully people stepped in the second time and forced the Cal hire. We now see how great that was. We also see what petrino is doing and what stoops isn't.
The bottom line, 90% of the fans would have made better picks than barnhart. The guy is the worst AD in the country.

 

[Woodrow24]

It's crazy to me that fans expected things to change drastically within four years. In my book we need to ride out some difficult times with Stoops for 2-3 more years and continue building with decent recruiting classes. Being impatient and starting over every four years is asking for continued failure.

What has stoops done so far to make you say he needs 2-3 more years?

 

[chroix]

His recruiting primarily. The progress the team has made from the first three games seems positive. I also really believe we need some sort of continuity to get over the hump. We keep resetting every 3-5 years and were always going to suck.

 

[Woodrow24]

His recruiting primarily. The progress the team has made from the first three games seems positive. I also really believe we need some sort of continuity to get over the hump. We keep resetting every 3-5 years and were always going to suck.

If the right hire is made IF stoops doesn't work out here, they would have a good platform to build from because of the improved roster. Recruiting is just one aspect of the game. If we keep a coach that is a decent recruiter but below average coach we will always be a bad program.

 

[NavyCat88]

His recruiting primarily. The progress the team has made from the first three games seems positive. I also really believe we need some sort of continuity to get over the hump. We keep resetting every 3-5 years and were always going to suck.

If he continues to lose, should we expect his recruiting to stay strong for a few more years? I ask this because I am not sure there is value in maintaining continuity of losing on the field for a period of years. I'm not sure what "hump" we get over by continued losing.

 

[BARRYBLUE1]

Fellowship of the miserable.

 

[bigbluewildcat84]

If Stoops would have fired Elliot last year would we be having this conversation?? As the HC, Stoops is responsible for everything but Elliot is getting paid to focus primarily on defense. He doesn't have to worry about anything else. Instead Stoops has had to step in and make changes when he should be able to empower his coordinators and not worry about getting into the weeds with the defense.

Friendship and business doesn't work well when things start going to hell in a hand bag like this football team. Quit giving Elliot 2nd, 3rd or 4th chances at making it right and fire his ***. Get someone in here that is going to inject discipline and blue collar work ethic into our program and win games!! If you want to keep your BFF, demote him and his pay to an advisor role or grad assistant.

While hes at it replace Schlarman too!!

 

[J. Shellacque]

Weird. Every time I see a post about Mitch, I get this feeling that he's late for a macrame class, or a nail appointment.

 

[richbrookstomato]

The ridiculous buyout is proof enough that Mitch really blew it with Coach Stoops. Giving a coach that hadn't even finished above .500 a 5 year extension with a fully paid buyout, was incompetence personified.

Now we are stuck hoping Coach Stoops can turn it around with all of his past failures indicating it is extremely unlikely. Mitch is 100% to blame for this mess.

I am pulling hard for Coach Stoops to prove me and many others wrong, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

It looked like a solid hire on paper if Petrino was not an option. I think most agreed at the time the extension was too soon.

 

[jauk11]

Still have to see how the rest of this season and next goes.

CMS will be back next year.

If next year is anything less than .500 reg season and a bowl MB will have to make a move, and it could very well be his last if botched.

MB and the shot callers need to be mustering up all the spare change they can over the next 15 months because if a move has to be made they are going to have to swing for the fences.

We cannot afford another no name, no experience coach with no record of building successful football programs.

Ground breaking, precedent setting money is going to have to be on the table. That, in addition to brand new state of the art facilities, and a decent roster should be enough to attract a quality coach.

agreed, much better roster and proof talent will come here-----with wins.

 

[chroix]

If the right hire is made IF stoops doesn't work out here, they would have a good platform to build from because of the improved roster. Recruiting is just one aspect of the game. If we keep a coach that is a decent recruiter but below average coach we will always be a bad program.

I don't think he's a below average coach. I think we were in that bad of a place program wise. Matter of opinions I guess.

If he continues to lose, should we expect his recruiting to stay strong for a few more years? I ask this because I am not sure there is value in maintaining continuity of losing on the field for a period of years. I'm not sure what "hump" we get over by continued losing.

This assumes we will continue losing. I'm of the opinion that his recruiting will eventually pay dividends in the win column.

 

[kyjohn]

Been going to games since1953, I've earned the right to say that UK football is at the precipice of falling into a dark valley, not to emerge any time soon! I was on board with Stoops until SoMiss,then the complete implosion in the 2nd half,just about sucked all the fandom out of me. Went to Alabama game,big stadium,lots of suites, great players,and upon reflection our CWS is nicer,parking better,football training facility top notch,but I'm afraid we don't have the innovative,motivating,do more with less type coach or staff , to make us competitive! I hope I'm wrong! Willievic if I'm not wrong,I'll join you on the couch and drink some more beer!

That puts you and me in the same boat as i have suffered thru UK football seasons since those day too.
I have to add that i was so happy about the Stoops hire just as i was at the Gillespie hire.But alas,they have both proved to be a disaster.Why Mitch gave Stoops the contract he did has to be onr of the biggest head scratchers of all time.
And must add that having top notch training facilities does not guarantee a winning football program.

 

[jc2010]

Right you are, many mistakes made by earlier AD's. Hiring Charlie Bradshaw in 1962, hiring John Ray instead of Jerry Claiborne in 1969, not hiring Howard Schnellenberger after Curci was fired in 1981, the Bill Curry hire in 1990, which at the time seemed great, but turned out horribly, heck even letting Bear Bryant leave after the 1953 season.
Mitch is not by himself in bad coaching hires for Football at UK, the bar was set for that many years ago !

The mistakes of the past don't matter, they are not here, Mitch is. I'm not going to look it up but I would guess that Mitch has had more chances to hire a good coach than the others and has failed.

 

[merrimanm]

The fans wanted two hires.....1.cal. 2. Petrino.
Instead he chose Billy gillispie and Stoops.

Thankfully people stepped in the second time and forced the Cal hire. We now see how great that was. We also see what petrino is doing and what stoops isn't.
The bottom line, 90% of the fans would have made better picks than barnhart. The guy is the worst AD in the country.

I didn't want Ptrino then, and I don't want him now. And I don't want Briles either. Brohm, I could get behind. Miles I could get behind. But not the other 2. So don't put all fans in the same category.

 

[UKRob 73]

I didn't want Ptrino then, and I don't want him now. And I don't want Briles either. Brohm, I could get behind. Miles I could get behind. But not the other 2. So don't put all fans in the same category.

Ok let me clarify, all the fans that weren't idiots.

 

[Woodrow24]

Ok let me clarify, all the fans that weren't idiots.

Ole merri backs stoops harder then anyone on this board.

 

[megablue]

I remember when fans and posters thought hiring Stoops was a really good hire. I'm one of the fans who thought this. I really thought his hiring was good after his first recruiting class, and then in his second year, when we had 5 wins with several games left to play.
I didn't understand why Barnhart give him a big extension on his contract, when there was no other school after him. He still hadn't proved himself as a HC, even though he was a very good DC at Florida State. We have seen good DC's and OC's in the past, who did not cut it as a HC.
I don't fault Mitch for hiring him. I think it was a good hire at the time, and so do a lot of you who are bad-mouthing Mitch at the present.
However, if we don't go bowling this year, which would mean that our program is no better then it was, in Stoops 2nd year, then he needs to go, and a young HC brought in, such as Neal Brown, P.J. Fleck or Chris Klieman. Oh, I know, some on here will say, "Look at the progress we've made." I, and a lot of fans measure progress by WINS AND LOSSES. At the end of football season, I don't say, "We only won five games, but we really played hard."
I know the amount we have to pay Stoops if he is let go, is a lot, but it will be small as compared to the number of fans who will give up their seats, and a lot of them will find out it's fun to set at home, watch the game on TV and have friends over, something good to eat, and a lot of beer.

OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!

I wasn't impressed with Stoops from his initial press conference, when he was introduced as the new coach. When asked why he wanted to be the head coach of Kentucky, he smiled and said because of the Big Blue Nation. He lost me right there with that comment. You've simply got to do a little better than that ...... !!

Likewise, when Billy Gillispie was announced as the new basketball coach, I was surprised and really didn't know much about him. So, I googled youtube videos and the first one I landed on and watched sent me a really bad signal. It was the press conference right after losing to Texas Tech, having called a timeout with seconds on the clock only to fail to get a shot off during regulation to tie or win the game. I called work associates into my office and said: "Did we really just hire this guy?" It's no wonder why Pitino commented that it was a good hire for our program ....

 

[theoledog]

How many get-outta-jail checks does an AD get to write? Barnhart hired the guy/he should go down with him...
BCG, Joker, and now CMS (if it happens)....

 

[richbrookstomato]

Ole merri backs stoops harder then anyone on this board.

He did Joker, too. I'm beginning to think he's related to Mitch.

 

[Woodrow24]

He did Joker, too. I'm beginning to think he's related to Mitch.

Lol did he defend joker as hard as he does stoops?

 

[willievic]

Been going to games since1953, I've earned the right to say that UK football is at the precipice of falling into a dark valley, not to emerge any time soon! I was on board with Stoops until SoMiss,then the complete implosion in the 2nd half,just about sucked all the fandom out of me. Went to Alabama game,big stadium,lots of suites, great players,and upon reflection our CWS is nicer,parking better,football training facility top notch,but I'm afraid we don't have the innovative,motivating,do more with less type coach or staff , to make us competitive! I hope I'm wrong! Willievic if I'm not wrong,I'll join you on the couch and drink some more beer!

Law1127, you've got it! We can talk about the "Good old times," when Coach Bryant was here, and we had, not a good team, but a GREAT team. Old guys like us just refuse to give up, but when we grew up, playing hard meant kicking the other team's A$$ and WINNING. I truly believe that winning is not as important to a lot of people as it was to us old guys. I did a lot of "Dog-Fighting" in fighters when I was in the Air Force, and I hated to lose, even though it was practice, with my friends. If it doesn't hurt someone to lose, they will never win.

OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!

 

[J. Shellacque]

The mistakes of the past don't matter, they are not here, Mitch is. I'm not going to look it up but I would guess that Mitch has had more chances to hire a good coach than the others and has failed.

Well put. Doubtful many AD's have had three, going on four chances at making a good call for a football coach. Add in Clyde..... We need a new Athletic Director point blank.

 

[Mojocat_rivals48469]

The fans wanted two hires.....1.cal. 2. Petrino.
Instead he chose Billy gillispie and Stoops.

Thankfully people stepped in the second time and forced the Cal hire. We now see how great that was. We also see what petrino is doing and what stoops isn't.
The bottom line, 90% of the fans would have made better picks than barnhart. The guy is the worst AD in the country.

yes, the worst! except, about a year ago, his own peers voted him AD of the Year.

how to reconcile this seemingly impossible set of facts?

edit: before you give in to your worst impulses and call me an idiot - I am not - let me go ahead and address this further by pasting my response to someone yesterday. speaks for itself:

For the record, I've said MB has proved himself incapable of fixing football (had several bites at the apple, no progress), it's time for him to leave and give someone else a shot, and if he stays I'm not sure how much sense it makes to get rid of Stoops as I have no faith Barnhart can identify and get the right guy to replace him.

Having said that, basketball is in really good shape, the Olympic sports are in really good shape, all the athletes and employees in the athletics office seem to really like him, we've had no scandals under his watch, no NCAA issues, administratively he seems to run things well, and some big time schools keep hiring his assistants (Miss State, Arizona, Oregon, Sryacuse, Florida, etc), which tells me he must be respected.

I know most posters on the football board don't care about any of that.

But, there's a difference between saying,

"I don't care that Barnhart is good about all that other stuff. He sucks regarding football, which is what I do care about."

vs.

"Barnhart is a moron, one of the worst ADs in the country, no other SEC school would keep him. I heard he won't hire anyone who's not an ordained minister. And he had something to do with 9/11."

 

[merrimanm]

Ok let me clarify, all the fans that weren't idiots.

Or, those fans that don't support rapists enablers or illegal activity. All of.you that are slurping Petrino are the same ones bashing Petino. Yall also trashed Petrino before you wanted him here. So, I just choose to stick to my morals and stadards instead of selling my sole to the devil.

 

[merrimanm]

Ole merri backs stoops harder then anyone on this board.

This has nothing to do with Stoops.

 

[merrimanm]

He did Joker, too. I'm beginning to think he's related to Mitch.

Not related to Mitch at all. And again, I did support Joker, until his last year. I will support any coach here.

 

[Woodrow24]

yes, the worst! except, about a year ago, his own peers voted him AD of the Year.

how to reconcile this seemingly impossibly set of facts?

Yeah he was recognized with 3 other AD's. 28 total athletic directors got awards. C.M newton got the same award in 1999.