Whatever the reason he wasn’t offered. We need to make him the only priority and make it happen.
Nate Oats
- Thread starter RunninRichie
- Start date
Oats could be the perfect coach for UK. Fiery guy, big personality, plays a fun style of offense, can recruit really well, athletes galore that can handle and shoot at all 5 positions.
Two things that could hold him back would be if he could get his team to not shoot so many threes because he has the athletes to get to the rim at will. At UK, he would have the very best athletes. And his teams lack of discipline at times. We all saw the Brandon Miller situation and how he handled that. He's probably a scumbag human being but shows that he will win at any cost. I admire that quality because almost everything is legal now and I want UK's coach to want to win as much as I do. But I have to draw the line at murder.
Two things that could hold him back would be if he could get his team to not shoot so many threes because he has the athletes to get to the rim at will. At UK, he would have the very best athletes. And his teams lack of discipline at times. We all saw the Brandon Miller situation and how he handled that. He's probably a scumbag human being but shows that he will win at any cost. I admire that quality because almost everything is legal now and I want UK's coach to want to win as much as I do. But I have to draw the line at murder.
I don’t think he’s a scumbag but I do think he will do whatever to win. I’m sure he didn’t plan on his players being involved in a murder case.
I'm sure he didn't plan on Miller being involved in a murder case but it's how he handled it that bothered most people. Miller didn't even miss a game. He should've been suspended immediately if not kicked off the team.
I wonder if people were complaining about Adolph Rupp early in his second season? He turned out alright. Pope did great last year and the two teams Kentucky had lost to are really good teams. They actually fought back to have a chance to win but some players tried to play “hero” ball. He will be alright. This is Pope’s destination job, Oates and most everyone else wouldn’t look at it like that and would probably leave if they had enormous success.
I agree with you. I just have to think if it was Kentucky going to the final four would we say that about our own. I would be saying why are they punishing our team when he isn’t guilty.
You ever noticed the third-tier debaters that post laughing emojis at good points like the ones you're making in this thread, and yet they never want real smoke by engaging in a thoughtful debate?
Nate Oats would make it here because he's a killer. Only killers make it at Kentucky. Pope is not that and he will never be that.
Weird to see you’re off the pope bandwagon in the beginning of his second year. You struck me as somewhat reasonable
You think they had a chance to win the Michigan State game? You must have watched a different game than I did.
Pope is not "young as hell" I believe he is 53... so at UK that's like 12 years to coach if he makes it that far.
I'm off the pope bandwagon as well, I never thought it was a good hire but I bought in and was a good little fan. But I'm 100% positive it's not going to work here. We were down to Louisville by 18 and I saw a stat about that hasn't happened since Billy Gillespie coached us. NIL era and all this money and can't land big time players... all our players are 5th and 6th men from other teams... we are 12 deep with no go to star guy and then we only have like 1 maybe 2 shooters to run Popes offense which is built around shooting.
I hope to god he works out, because trust me, i remember drinking a lot in the Billy Gillespie years... but Meeks 54 points is one of my greatest memories in those bad times.
Luckily Mitch retires probably this year, so he wont be in charge of any more hires. This will either work 2 ways... pope makes 1st/2nd round this year or sweet 16 and does that again for 2 more years and gets 4 or 5 years here and then is pushed out.... OR worst case scenario this team some how misses the tournament and I would think we would move on from Pope after this year if that happens. That would be a travesty in the NIL era... and totally possibly with the difficult schedule, that would suck.
I'll eat all the crow if I'm wrong and save the quotes. But if pope magically becomes some legend that would be a first. It wasn't just that he won no tournament games before here... he didn't wing conference or conference tournament games... nor do i think he ever had a 30 win season even at the small school. Pat Kelsey had 30 win seasons where he had been I believe.. not going to bother to look but remember looking at this stuff when the hires happened.
Nate Oats was the hire that should have been made just Like Calipari should have been hired in 2007 and not waiting till 2009 after Mitch's "safe" bad hire didn't work... just like this time.
You weren’t even able to comprehend my first point, and you’re 100% certain Pope won’t work here. I’m sorry my man, but on ignore you go. And don’t feel offended, I have lots of people on ignore. I don’t live in Kentucky so this is my only outlet to discuss UK and I just gotta talk with people’s opinions I respect as I don’t have a lot of free time. Good luck to ya!
53 isn't young, what is there to comprehend. I'd love to hire a dude at age 40 and get 25 years out of him and get lucky like duke did with coach k... or Bill self at kansas for 22 years now, or even Roy for 18 years at UNC.
But starting at 52 is not young ... and at UK that probably means 12 to 15 years if you are GREAT. Cal made it 15 years to age 64 and he probably got 3 years here longer than he should have because of a bad contract mitch gave him.
But i'm on ignore from you so I digress.
But yea, pope aint going to work here... and by that I mean, he wont win a championship or final four, not when in the era of paying players with a 22 million dollar budget and this was the team we built and already have 2 loses , both of which were blow outs. When a good coach gets to Kentucky and has the resources you get was Calipari had with his explosive first 5 years... Same would happen with Oats and his recruiting at Kentucky.
I’m firmly on it. I do see a problem with his system and this conference that I could get into but Mark wants this as bad as we do. A guy as mart as Mark who also wants this really bad is a dangerous combo. He’s still adjusting, and I do think he’s made some mistakes that could derail. We have to uphold our prestige and tradition. If Mark was coming in after we’d won a few titles in the last 7 years he would have longer. The issue is we’re starving and he’s expected to fix it immediately. Mark knows what he’s taken on, and he needs to be given the opportunity. The problem is how long will he get. Only the men who maintain this program and pay to keep it up know the answer to that. I trust those guys too, they are the ones that are responsible for the program being the top. So why not support one of our own in the middle of that.
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There are valid concerns but we can have those and not jump off the bandwagon yet. Mark won’t be given a super long time anyway, so not supporting him as much as we can doesn’t make sense to me. If Mark can’t do this the powers that be will make the move. Many of them are businessmen who know what should be done here with the resources. If it’s not showing they’ll see it a mile away.
I think we can notice the issues and discuss it and also get behind him to fix the issue. If at the end of the year it was a bomb out, they’ll be getting ready behind the scenes. I don’t think it would last long.
I’m gonna support this - Mark is a great guy and loves all of what we are here. I don’t think it’s good to burn him down beginning second year. I’ve always been a program guy through and through, this means more to the state than the Governor. Nobody will be allowed to tear it down that’s not going to happen. So we can support him at the same time and give him a legitimate shot. He’s come off of a sweet 16 with limited time. He showed last season that he’s real deal, you don’t come out and win all of those games if you aren’t. For all we know something beyond his control derailed this and he’ll have a final four team next season. You can’t move too late but also can’t move too early. We need Mark and his posse to help keep the program in good hands and safe.
As I’ve said the Calipari era has no gatekeepers. Rupps guys are too old now - Mike is gone. The voices that forced Calipari aren’t here. We need Mark and the brass behind the scenes to have control. And we need to offer Mark our support between the lines.
This is what happened. We all lived through this event. Why are we trying to rewrite it now? Nate is being political. If he wanted the Kentucky job the offer would have come.
He needs 4 years AKA two full years after this one, and I say that because last year was a VERY good year by any objective measure. If last year was awful then I would say 3 years. Last year was our best year since 2019 FFS! There is no objective way to look at it and say you are 100% that he’s not going to make it at this point and still claim to be a rational fan
When? After a shooting and a murder took place on his team that involved multiple players? Ever met Barnhart? He was never contacted and wasn’t going to be. I’ve thought for a long time When he realized the search wasn’t going to include him he spoke out to link himself to it.
Barnes and others did this multiple times. This is how it works because these coaches want their name linked to this program for recruiting. “Kentucky wanted me but I’m staying, so come play for the coach Kentucky wants at Alabama”.
Just because he said he’s not interested absolutely 100% doesn’t mean he was ever contacted.
Was he approached back channel to see if interests was even there? Possibly because you look around and feel the water. But the search did not include him that’s.
The next time? If there is a next time and Mark doesn’t work, then it’ll be made by others or Mitch will have to lower his ethical schtick. . And they will likely offer Oats enough to where I highly doubt he says no. Unless he’s just waiting on Izzo and Michigan State. That’s his dream job per se, but UK is better. I personally think Izzo will call his own replacement and it’ll be one of his guys.
I would venture to say if Mark doesn’t work, and we don’t know that yet, Oats will be the next coach at UK unless someone else comes to the forefront we’re not aware of yet.
11 million we over paid but hell what can I say Mitch Barnhart is the master at overpaying and getting underachieving results!
I must have come off wrong... I'm not going to stop supporting.. Heck nah, I will watch every game and cheer as hard as always... I'm just admitting I Don't have any confidence it's going to work based on this current team construction and thus far results, we still have good kenpom numbers though , so there's that lol. We will know quickly though because we have real competition coming back quick with UNC, st johns, zaga.
I also said even a first or 2nd round exit this year buys him 2 more years... Only missing the tournament this year would probably be grounds for termination after this year.
It would be awesome if he works out, he is likable and one of us, but we had all the resources in the world this year with NIL, and didn't land any real big fish and our one possible nba player (JQ) we are paying to hopefully come play in December, that kind of always smelled like desperation to me - that was the one elite player we could get.
Bingo it’s just too big of a job with a resume like his!!!
Rumor has it he’s done in June of 2026 but supposedly there is an AD in waiting which is total BS too. Why am I not surprised though I just wish anything to do with Mitch( if he does go out the door in June of 2026) goes out the door with him!!!!
If what you are saying is true, and it's just revisionist history, then it's a derelict of Mitch Barnhart's duties to not even go after one of the best coaches in the country at a program he has mentioned before has some NIL issues.
But it's not. I followed that coaching search. I remember that Oats turned Kentucky down before it ever even became a thing in the media. And if you don't believe it wasn't already rejected via backchannels, you don't understand how coaching searches work either.
Everyone in the country knows who turned down this job. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-b...-pope-nearing-5-year-deal-kentucky-head-coach
No one who knows Mitch Barnhart believes he offered Oats. I will say there were numerous rumors last season’s end that Oats was considering the NBA and rumors that he wasn’t happy with the Alabama NIL situation. Things do change year over year.
Whether it happens this year or next, we’ll probably be looking for another coach if Pope doesn’t show some kind of progress or if he decides he cannot handle the job.
Oats was NEVER offered the UK job. Didn’t happen. Should he have been is a different topic. I don’t care about those articles and coach speak intended to be power moves on the recruiting trail. If you think because a coach says something that means it happened, and that’s what you’re saying, you don’t understand how this works.Oats was actively recruit several players against us at that time. They want their names linked to the program it’s good for their standing and their recruiting. Anybody can say I’m not interested in a job that never offered them.
There are a lot of things that take place during a coaching search and that includes the vetting process. Oats had some really bad baggage during that time. You can’t let just anybody come here, he was coach at Alabama during a murder and gun crimes between several players. He’s lucky he was even retained at Alabama a lot of programs would have fired him. So no, it’s not as simple as you say and the way you’re framing this based off of coaching words doesn’t shape the reality of the situation. His players were also throwing up gun signs during intros. It was a really bad look, and lots of programs wouldn’t have touched him during that time, especially one with an AD like Barnhart. And I definitely trust what I’ve been told, he was never getting a call. Also coaches are back channeled to just gauge the situation. Even if that happened, it didn’t mean he was getting offered. If that happened and once Oats realized we were going to go another route, or we wouldn’t go all out to get him with the buyout and murder situation, he wanted to make sure he was linked. It’s possible that way too.
Just wait until Oats is at a place like Kansas, UNC or UCLA and he's competing for Final Fours every season.
We missed our chance. Mitch is a coward. His legacy is one of missed opportunities, playing it safe, and handing the mantle of top program in the nation over to Duke.
We missed our chance. Mitch is a coward. His legacy is one of missed opportunities, playing it safe, and handing the mantle of top program in the nation over to Duke.
Yes. In both basketball and football.
Hope you are wrong. But he strikes me as way too nice to win here at a high level. If we could win a championship in Mormon missionionary work, then he's definitely the man.
I heard they are already negotiating with Cal to do an encore. Early word on the contact terms are that it lifetime, buyout doubles with every CLOD post. They are even planning a documentary titled Barnhart’s Revenge. Near Beer on tap for free.
The Chiefs head coach is mormon and they got a dynasty. Anything is possible.