Remember, Remember

[KyCPA2000]

It's almost like a lot of dingleberries on here forget that problematic coach, took over a 2 win team loaded with MAC talent and turned in 2 10 win seasons, ended the Florida streak and built the foundation that Stein is standing on. And did that without the portal and NIL.

That is true and Stein has praised Stoops for that. Stoops just missed on QBs in his last few years.

 

[kyhankypanky]

I want to go on a Stoops/Pope rant, but anyone watching this game should realize how significant of a culture change a coach can bring to a program YEAR 1. It doesn’t take longer than that in this current college sporting world. But let Stein’s success press that point I’m trying to make. It. Doesn’t. Take. Longer. Than. A. Year. Not for Stoops; not for Cal; not certainly for Pope. It’s now. Immediately.

We’re seeing it with Stein; we’re seeing it with Cignetti at Indiana; Chesney at UCLA, Dusty May at Michigan. You don’t learn success on the job. You either bring it or you don’t.

Exactly. What I have been saying for years. In almost all cases, you can tell very quickly if a coach has it. The exceptions aren’t worth waiting on.

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

Not to hijack the thread, but how good does that win in Columbia look now? South Carolina got portrayed as a team that was completely dead in the water around that time, but it’s proven not to be the case since then.

It looks really good. We all knew USC was not a bad team. Sellers is a heck of a QB himself and he made a ridiculous play to tie that game.

 

[vhcat1970]

Honest question. What is it that bothers you that a handful of people want more time for Pope (or for Stoops back then)? I wanted Stoops gone and I’m ready for Pope to move on

it doesn’t even register to me if there’s a few guys that want him to stay. What is it you think is going to happen? The vast majority of the fanbase and this board will be ready to move on. A majority will be ready to move on with just “good” results.

Don't know if this is directed at me since you didn't quote me.

I'm not bothered by what people think of Pope. Not important to me. But what bothers the hell out of me is bringing him up in any manner in a feel good football thread. Why that negativity here? Leave it to hoops threads. Is that hard to understand?

 

[Nightwish]

Remember all the crap talk and old fuddy duddies that said we should just accept being the doormat of the SEC?
And how a lot of us said, "Just takes the right coach?"

Yeah, Pepperidge Farms remembers.

UK Football is currently GOOD.

7-1, an incredibly fun and wild season, a top 10 rating later today, and playoff conversations in Nov which isn't just a crazy dream anymore...

and you thought it'd be a good idea right after another SEC win to smack around nameless posters from years past. I mean, have at it but I don't get that mindset. Not to mention with the site change, who knows if the posters you're referring to post here anymore lol. I call it chasing or fighting ghosts online. Instead of being happy about our season and how we've got the right guy to take us even further, you're trying to fight ghosts who you disagreed with.

Again, have at it but at 11pm last night you wanted to battle posters from the past instead of celebrating another SEC win.

 

[Chadrock]

The lack of respect for UK football by supposed fans shows up in the repeated and frequent posts about Pope and hoops in football threads. Sickening. Leave football alone and to itself without the pollution. But I know won’t be able to help themselves.

It would be cool if we had a forum titled UK Football but they decided to kill that forum and move football to the basketball forum and keep its name. That was done on purpose to let us know that bball was still in charge. Now, we see both sports intermingled on one board.

 

[SenseMaker_Cats]

Don't know if this is directed at me since you didn't quote me.

I'm not bothered by what people think of Pope. Not important to me. But what bothers the hell out of me is bringing him up in any manner in a feel good football thread. Why that negativity here? Leave it to hoops threads. Is that hard to understand?

Not even close to being directed at you VH. We’re on the same page here.

 

[SenseMaker_Cats]

It would be cool if we had a forum titled UK Football but they decided to kill that forum and move football to the basketball forum and keep its name. That was done on purpose to let us know that bball was still in charge. Now, we see both sports intermingled on one board.

There could be a football thread. Just start a thread called “Football thread”. The problem is the abundant thread starters that start new threads with every thought. They wouldn’t post in the Football thread.

Look at the wrestling thread. They look to have a good time in that thread. What they don’t do is have several members posting random new wrestling threads across the board.

 

[darkshadesofblue]

Soak it all in..

 

[Johnnie Africa]

Just goes to show how important the coach is, even more so than the program. A great program (UK basketball for example) will have more opportunities to attract a great coach whereas a mediocre program (UK football for example) will have to get lucky to get one, and we certainly are with stein. And it’s sometimes better to be lucky than good. If stein stays for a while and turns the UK football program into a consistent winner than that will elevate the program and make it easier to hire a great coach. But at the end of the day, make no mistake, the coach is the most important piece.

 

[bbnkat02]

I’ve seen multiple posters over the years contend that what’s happening at IU or even what happened when Missouri won the SEC east and went to the SEC title game in back to back seasons, can’t happen at UK.

Not the majority mind you. But multiple posters have made those claims.

Bout to say. I didn't pull that out of my butt. I've seen MANY posts saying Stoops is the best we could ever land or accept mediocrity and be ok with it

 

[bbnkat02]

7-1, an incredibly fun and wild season, a top 10 rating later today, and playoff conversations in Nov which isn't just a crazy dream anymore...

and you thought it'd be a good idea right after another SEC win to smack around nameless posters from years past. I mean, have at it but I don't get that mindset. Not to mention with the site change, who knows if the posters you're referring to post here anymore lol. I call it chasing or fighting ghosts online. Instead of being happy about our season and how we've got the right guy to take us even further, you're trying to fight ghosts who you disagreed with.

Again, have at it but at 11pm last night you wanted to battle posters from the past instead of celebrating another SEC win.

Huh, it's almost like I can do BOTH. Shocking I know. I'm very happy were finally doing things a P4/5 programs SHOULD be capable of doing. And yes, it's very relevant to bring it up because even when Stein was hired there were people mocking the hire.

 

[AllBall]

It’s almost like changing a problematic coach who isn’t getting you anywhere is a good thing…

Now let's keep that same energy evaluating how basketball plays out.

 

[RunninRichie]

I couldn’t care less about Pope while talking football. Give it a rest here and take your b!tching to one of the 500 threads on him that already exist. Dam.

Keep polishing bro

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

It was the "pony up" comment that doomed him. You can't claim to be blue collar and like the fans and then turn on the fan base like that. Just can't. I guarantee Stein doesn't have Bama, LSU, TAMU NIL money and yet we beat two of those dudes.

Stoops was playing 90s style FB in the NIL era. That was the problem.

That is true, he would rather win 3-0 and take a knee the second half than try to score again. It was not good football and no real offensive players wanted to grind games out like that.

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

What
WHAT Are you smoking dude. " Built the foundation" like not winning an SEC home game for nearly 3 years or perhaps the highest turnover and penalty in SEC the last 2 years or maybe having players going to the concession stand and getting hot dogs DURING THE GAME. In what universe can you see somebody from a Stein coached team doing that. He padded his record each year playing tomato cans. He SUCKED at the end of his career here and left the cupboard completely bare for Stein. I might also add he coached for 2 years with NIL in place and they were the worst of his career. Get real man!

Yeah he took the money he earned, and then coasted and really let guys do what they wanted at the end while not building competitive rosters.

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

Those same guys are the same guys telling you to give Pope more time. Don't forget it, either.

It put up or shut up time for the Popester. Stein is showing him how it’s done. How to lead, how to inspire, how to recruit.

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

The difference between seeing Barrion Brown coast hoping he made plays the way his athletic ability called for, and seeing someone like Darby who constantly makes plays is crazy awesome to me. The precision, the route running, the play calling. It’s a world of difference.

 

[Dward13]

It put up or shut up time for the Popester. Stein is showing him how it’s done. How to lead, how to inspire, how to recruit.

I feel bad for Pope. This isn’t a Cal situation where hes just mailing it in. It’s clear he’s trying. I just don’t think he has “it”.

 

[Dward13]

The difference between seeing Barrion Brown coast hoping he made plays the way his athletic ability called for, and seeing someone like Darby who constantly makes plays is crazy awesome to me. The precision, the route running, the play calling. It’s a world of difference.

Brown sure was a lot of fun to watch when he got loose though. Stoops never seemed to be able to completely figure out the passing game.

 

[FLBBNFAN]

The difference between seeing Barrion Brown coast hoping he made plays the way his athletic ability called for, and seeing someone like Darby who constantly makes plays is crazy awesome to me. The precision, the route running, the play calling. It’s a world of difference.

He runs with a chip on his shoulder . He has a running back mentality with the ball in his hands.

 

[Beatle Bum]

Stoops had a good plan for the pre-NIL / Tr Portal era but struggled thereafter. Stein maximized the portal. Where did Stein fail in the portal? It looked like ILB was going to be a problem, but that young group has done fairly well and is getting better each week. Seems Stein and his staff crushed assessments and picked well from players in the portal. A+

 

[Ukbrassowtipin]

Right coach is what it took. Stein is playing and getting a lot of major production from Stoops guys.

But let's be honest with ourselves too, the football gods blessed upon us that the best young mind in football happened to be a KY native and UK fan.

Remember how many thought Sumrall was the guy?

 

[bbnkat02]

Right coach is what it took. Stein is playing and getting a lot of major production from Stoops guys.

But let's be honest with ourselves too, the football gods blessed upon us that the best young mind in football happened to be a KY native and UK fan.

Remember how many thought Sumrall was the guy?

I mean he's not exactly sucking down in Florida....

 

[3 Putts]

Stein might start winning a few games in 3-4 years once he flips the roster and gets his guys in here. Every coach deserves 4-5 years to turn a program around. Can’t come to school like UK and expect to win right away.

Heard these things years after year after year. I honestly appreciate and respect what Stoops accomplished here and it wasn’t his fault Barnhart dished out these massive contracts for minimal expectations. Give ‘em 6-8 wins with a Music City Bowl and they’ll keep filling the stadium. Mitch always had trouble reading the room and was always the smartest one in it.

 

[3 Putts]

The difference between seeing Barrion Brown coast hoping he made plays the way his athletic ability called for, and seeing someone like Darby who constantly makes plays is crazy awesome to me. The precision, the route running, the play calling. It’s a world of difference.

Another big difference is last years receiving corp took a lot of plays off and most didn’t want to block. Didn’t hear much about DJ Miller this summer except Stein saying he needed to buy in and work harder, tough to ditch old habits. This entire WR room bought in to what Stein was selling and it definitely shows.

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

Another big difference is last years receiving corp took a lot of plays off and most didn’t want to block. Didn’t hear much about DJ Miller this summer except Stein saying he needed to buy in and work harder, tough to ditch old habits. This entire WR room bought in to what Stein was selling and it definitely shows.

Yup and DJ got himself a TD last game because of it.

 

[seccats04]

Stein might start winning a few games in 3-4 years once he flips the roster and gets his guys in here. Every coach deserves 4-5 years to turn a program around. Can’t come to school like UK and expect to win right away.

Heard these things years after year after year. I honestly appreciate and respect what Stoops accomplished here and it wasn’t his fault Barnhart dished out these massive contracts for minimal expectations. Give ‘em 6-8 wins with a Music City Bowl and they’ll keep filling the stadium. Mitch always had trouble reading the room and was always the smartest one in it.

Mitch was the biggest thing holding UK back, football or basketball. Look no further than the atmosphere at the football games now. Night and day difference. Stuff we’ve been asking for, for years. Fans, recruits and players need to be entertained because there are so many other entertainment options now, not to mention every game being on tv.

 

[Johnfarrel]

It's almost like a lot of dingleberries on here forget that problematic coach, took over a 2 win team loaded with MAC talent and turned in 2 10 win seasons, ended the Florida streak and built the foundation that Stein is standing on. And did that without the portal and NIL.

Yes. Stoops did all that and should get credit for that. Even now, the core of the defense are Stoops' players. When a Stoops team got a lead, they held on like a bulldog.

 

[RunninRichie]

Yes. Stoops did all that and should get credit for that. Even now, the core of the defense are Stoops' players. When a Stoops team got a lead, they held on like a bulldog.

Wouldn’t be opposed to bringing him back as a DC.

 

[Damage_inc]

No it was time for Stoops to go, but too many people on here act like he didn't accomplish anything while he was here.

They need look no further than this year's roster. Many of our main contributors are Stoops kids. It was time for a change but Stoops maximized his resources in the previous era. He was loyal and had loyal assistants for the most part aside from the revolving door of OC's.

 

[Damage_inc]

I want to go on a Stoops/Pope rant, but anyone watching this game should realize how significant of a culture change a coach can bring to a program YEAR 1. It doesn’t take longer than that in this current college sporting world. But let Stein’s success press that point I’m trying to make. It. Doesn’t. Take. Longer. Than. A. Year. Not for Stoops; not for Cal; not certainly for Pope. It’s now. Immediately.

We’re seeing it with Stein; we’re seeing it with Cignetti at Indiana; Chesney at UCLA, Dusty May at Michigan. You don’t learn success on the job. You either bring it or you don’t.

I have a slightly adjacent take. Everyone always said it took 5 years to build a program and I believe that was true at the time we all said it. To be fair to those people who had that opinion I don't think anyone could have predicted what the portal/NIL era would look like. Nobody could see this coming. Even if you did hire the perfect coach in the pre-portal era he would get hired away by a big fish before he could imagine his 5 year re-build. Then that school's cycle had to re-start. Franklin at Vandy is a good example.

In today's game a good coach can build a program in 1 season and he can do it anywhere provided the resources are there for him. The big fish can't lure in a coach with their logo anymore. That logo carries residual baggage from a bygone era. The prestige is offset by the lofty expectations. But now everyone is expecting to win NOW. That's where we get to see who the true coaching studs are. There are only a very few who have that IT factor and can come to a basketball school and win right away, NIL/portal or not. Look at Michigan and Penn St. Hell Penn st interviewed Stein and passed. I bet they'd like to have that back.