Starting to become nostalgic for Rich Brooks.

[Robcatt24]

I love the recruiting prowess of this staff.

But damnation, some of the crap they do just blows my mind.

This coaching staff looks like grade schoolers compared to Rich Brooks and his crew.

Damn, I just can't stand seeing us look so poorly coached.

 

[mebeblue2]

to be fair RB had a lot more years under his belt
i would imagine in his early years fans were saying the same about him
Stoops and company are going to be fine
we knew going into this we were going to have some growing pains, this game was one of them

minus a couple dropped passes and 1 bad throw, we win this game
on our last series the play calling was as bad as you can get

 

[kyboy1998_rivals34276]

Would love to have had Stoops as a defensive and recruiting coordinator with Brooks and we'd have a helluva set up.

 

[Free_Salato_Blue]

Would love to have had Stoops as a defensive and recruiting coordinator with Brooks and we'd have a helluva set up.

Brooks did a lot with a shoe string budget tying his hands. Would Cobb been even recruited now?

 

[Tannerdad]

Screw that. We have the right guy.

Brooks had a horrid SEC record while everyone thinks he was Saban. Good man, decent coach. That's it.

Stoops has warts but turning UK into whatever we all want is a ridiculous task. He will get it done or it can't be done, IMO

 

[TBCat]

Also keep in mind that we gave Brooks 8 years. We are trying to compare Stoops in year 3 to Brooks in year 8. Look at what Brooks did in year 3. There is a major benefit to having a system in place for more than one recruiting class.

Still Stoops seriously needs to address his poor end game/end half management. He is really bad in those situations and that alone cost us at least 6 points tonight.

 

[Free_Salato_Blue]

Screw that. We have the right guy.

Brooks had a horrid SEC record while everyone thinks he was Saban. Good man, decent coach. That's it.

Stoops has warts but turning UK into whatever we all want is a ridiculous task. He will get it done or it can't be done, IMO

Please comparing Brooks to Saban.
Why not compare the recruiting budgets of Alabama and Kentucky during his time here?
(football not basketball)

 

[Robcatt24]

Screw that. We have the right guy.

Brooks had a horrid SEC record while everyone thinks he was Saban. Good man, decent coach. That's it.

Stoops has warts but turning UK into whatever we all want is a ridiculous task. He will get it done or it can't be done, IMO

Um, go back and look at some of the quality wins Brooks had.

Beat Georgia twice, once in Athens. Won at Auburn.

The big win over top ranked LSU. Beat Louisville when they were in the top ten.

Won at Arkansas when the Hogs had Darren McFadden and Felix Jones at RB.

Beat Clemson and Florida State in bowl games.

 

[4UK]

Brooks was a better coach than Stoops is now. I don't see how anyone could argue otherwise. But Stoops has a much higher ceiling. He's recruiting at a level Brooks never did. If he learns from the mistakes he's making now - which you have to believe he will with experience - he has the potential to be a great one.

 

[UKWinsAgainYep]

Um, go back and look at some of the quality wins Brooks had.

Beat Georgia twice, once in Athens. Won at Auburn.

The big win over top ranked LSU. Beat Louisville when they were in the top ten.

Won at Arkansas when the Hogs had Darren McFadden and Felix Jones at RB.

Beat Clemson and Florida State in bowl games.

Great post. I like Stoops, but he has a long way to go to match the quality wins mentioned above.

 

[DaBossIsBack]

Um, go back and look at some of the quality wins Brooks had.

Beat Georgia twice, once in Athens. Won at Auburn.

The big win over top ranked LSU. Beat Louisville when they were in the top ten.

Won at Arkansas when the Hogs had Darren McFadden and Felix Jones at RB.

Beat Clemson and Florida State in bowl games.

Did he do it half way into year 3? Stoops inherited a mess almost as bad as Brooks did. If you didn't see improvement tonight then I'm sorry.

 

[sluggercatfan]

to be fair RB had a lot more years under his belt
i would imagine in his early years fans were saying the same about him
Stoops and company are going to be fine
we knew going into this we were going to have some growing pains, this game was one of them

minus a couple dropped passes and 1 bad throw, we win this game
on our last series the play calling was as bad as you can get

Head coach...OJT. DC..OJT. OC. .ojt....won't get you where you want to go in a conf like the sec

 

[Robcatt24]

I really hope Stoops is the man to take UK where we all want it to go.

Kinda wish he had a couple of veteran assistant coaches on staff to go along with all the young guns.

 

[Dallas-Wild]

Great post. I like Stoops, but he has a long way to go to match the quality wins mentioned above.

How about letting Stoops get the years in and grow as a coach.

Then compare the two.

 

[kb22stang]

Brooks? Revisionist history. He was solid, but got to bowl games because of Krags. He was good at winning the games against the bad teams. This team is 4-2 2-2, what are you morons complaining about.

We win if Baker makes the Td catch, or if Johnson makes the grab on the last drive.


You people kill me. One win and we are winning the SEC. One loss and the coach is terrible. This team should have goal, win six games and get to a bowl. Then you recruit more talent and improve next year. If you can't see the growth in the program over these 3 years then you're simply not very bright.

 

[BigBlueCatNation]

Please comparing Brooks to Saban.
Why not compare the recruiting budgets of Alabama and Kentucky during his time here?
(football not basketball)

If Stoops gets this thing going like he wants and we all want, NO school in the country will have the budget UK Football and UK basketball will have. That's pretty much guaranteed

 

[kyboy1998_rivals34276]

Did he do it half way into year 3? Stoops inherited a mess almost as bad as Brooks did. If you didn't see improvement tonight then I'm sorry.

Brooks took over a probated team with scholarship limitations in an SEC east that was much tougher and more games against good West opponents.

Stoops has been given a gift with the easiest SEC schedules we'll ever see.

He is making great progress though.

 

[UKWinsAgainYep]

How about letting Stoops get the years in and grow as a coach.

Then compare the two.

True, Brooks had so much more HC experience including in the NFL. I'm just saying Brooks' had some impressive wins, including against a #1 ranked LSU team.

 

[BigBlueFanGA]

Brooks had an extra 20 years of experience. Give Stoops a break. Stoops is learning. I appreciate what each coach has given us.

 

[Dallas-Wild]

True, Brooks had so much more HC experience including in the NFL. I'm just saying Brooks' had some impressive wins, including against a #1 ranked LSU team.

Love coach Brooks...he had some big wins no doubt.

I just feel Stoops will surpass that...he is a young coach learning like the young talented players he has brought in.

 

[Free_Salato_Blue]

If Stoops gets this thing going like he wants and we all want, NO school in the country will have the budget UK Football and UK basketball will have. That's pretty much guaranteed

True but some comparing Brooks recruitment ability and Stoops is not fair.
I wasn't on the Brooks bandwagon at first but I think he got the most out of what was given to him.
He couldn't even get a recruitment room built and here Stoops has a remodeled stadium and new uniforms, etc...
It was and still is an arms race in competitive SEC football and we were during Brooks tenure only edging out Vandy in dollars spent.

 

[bigblueinsanity_rivals250340]

Brooks was a better coach than Stoops is now. I don't see how anyone could argue otherwise. But Stoops has a much higher ceiling. He's recruiting at a level Brooks never did. If he learns from the mistakes he's making now - which you have to believe he will with experience - he has the potential to be a great one.

Agree totally.

Sometimes we forget - our young coaches are learning alongside our young players. Brook was incredible in big games, especially bowl games. But he had alot of years under his belt.

Brooks? Revisionist history. He was solid, but got to bowl games because of Krags. He was good at winning the games against the bad teams. This team is 4-2 2-2, what are you morons complaining about.

We win if Baker makes the Td catch, or if Johnson makes the grab on the last drive.


You people kill me. One win and we are winning the SEC. One loss and the coach is terrible. This team should have goal, win six games and get to a bowl. Then you recruit more talent and improve next year. If you can't see the growth in the program over these 3 years then you're simply not very bright.

He was good at beating bad teams. And pretty good at beating other teams too. He had us ranked #8 at one point. Number, freaking, 8.

Noone here is saying Stoops is terrible. I would venture to guess we're all glad to have him. But sometimes growing pains hurt. We just need to realize our coaches will have growing pains as well.

 

[CatOnRockyTop_rivals376981]

Don't forget that Brooks started out 4-8, 2-9 and 3-9. If message boards would have had any say so he wouldn't have been around for his good years.
I am a Rich brooks fan but I believe that we are building for something better than he was able to accomplish here. I don't place the blame for that on Brooks as he did what he did with very little support. As a long suffering UK fan I am looking forward to the rest of this year and the next few may be a hell of a ride.

 

[ManitouDan]

to be fair RB had a lot more years under his belt
i would imagine in his early years fans were saying the same about him
Stoops and company are going to be fine
we knew going into this we were going to have some growing pains, this game was one of them

minus a couple dropped passes and 1 bad throw, we win this game
on our last series the play calling was as bad as you can get

One dropped pass and we lose to EKU . !

 

[akaukswoosh]

Don't forget that Brooks started out 4-8, 2-9 and 3-9. If message boards would have had any say so he wouldn't have been around for his good years.
I am a Rich brooks fan but I believe that we are building for something better than he was able to accomplish here. I don't place the blame for that on Brooks as he did what he did with very little support. As a long suffering UK fan I am looking forward to the rest of this year and the next few may be a hell of a ride.

Yeah, only 3 wins in his third year here. It will be hard for Stoops not to have 6 in his third year with a trip to a bowl.
Also remember that Brooks was 3-5, 2-6 and 3-5 in the SEC his last three years here, from 2007-2009. Won his non-conference games but his conference prowess was hardly amazing.

 

[DACats86]

I have followed UK football closely since the late 70's. There was less talent on the team that Stoops inherited than on any UK football team I remember, including the probation-ridden post-Curci and post-Mumme teams. Just as with the players, this coaching staff is growing and gaining experience.

 

[Tskware]

Almost the entirety of Brooks reputation and "Legacy" at Kentucky was built on a 13 game stretch in 2006-2007, which included the win over Clemson in the MCB, his only 4-4 SEC record (2006) and the epic win over LSU. After that LSU win, he finished 16-16 in his last 32 games at Kentucky, with a 6-14 record in the last 20 SEC games he coached. And could never ever recruit well enough to even get back to a .500 record in the conference. For example, could never sign a QB worth a crap after Woodson, whom he inherited as a commitment already to UK.

Nice guy, good bench coach. Legend? Meh . . .

As for Stoops, jury is still out. Has a lot more money and resources to work with than previous Kentucky coaches, and has shown a lot of potential on the recruiting trail. As a game coach, leaves something to be desired, but not the worst I have ever seen either.

Frankly, I am not all that discouraged so far this year. If we win just one of the next three games, we will head to Vandy with a 5-4 record, and a reasonable chance to win out and finish 8-4, a hell of a season in my book.

 

[Anon1712931820]

Almost the entirety of Brooks reputation and "Legacy" at Kentucky was built on a 13 game stretch in 2006-2007, which included the win over Clemson in the MCB, his only 4-4 SEC record (2006) and the epic win over LSU. After that LSU win, he finished 16-16 in his last 32 games at Kentucky, with a 6-14 record in the last 20 SEC games he coached. And could never ever recruit well enough to even get back to a .500 record in the conference. For example, could never sign a QB worth a crap after Woodson, whom he inherited as a commitment already to UK.



Frankly, I am not all that discouraged so far this year. If we win just one of the next three games, we will head to Vandy with a 5-4 record, and a reasonable chance to win out and finish 8-4, a hell of a season in my book.





These are the only things that need to be said when comparing the two. Stoops year 1 was a wash due to the Joker experiment. So far through his 2nd and 3rd year he is 9-9 (.500) overall and 4-8 SEC (0.333) which is better than almost anyone else through their first few years. Not trying to pad stats by excluding the first year, but everyone knows what he inherited.

Main positive: WE ARE RIDICULOUSLY YOUNG.

 

[Deeeefense]

This coaching staff looks like grade schoolers compared to Rich Brooks and his crew.

Yea who could forget the mighty Ron Hudson offense that averaged 140 yards and ten boring points a game or the formidable Steve Brown defense that once yielded 650 rushing yards to MSU without making any adjustments. And of course our wonderful head coach in waiting. Yea the good ole Brooks crew.

 

[Robcatt24]

Yea who could forget the mighty Ron Hudson offense that averaged 140 yards and ten boring points a game or the formidable Steve Brown defense that once yielded 650 rushing yards to MSU without making any adjustments. And of course our wonderful head coach in waiting. Yea the good ole Brooks crew.

I'm not convinced yet that D.J. Elliot and Shannon Dawson are that much better than Brown and Hudson.

Well, Hudson maybe. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

But I'm looking more at the position coaches.

Guys like Jimmy Heggins, Chuck Smith, Rick Petri. To me, those guys were immensely better teachers than what we have now.

I've always believed you need a mixture of older and younger coaches to make a complete staff. And I fear that the staff we have now while great recruiters, just don't have the coaching chops yet.

 

[Pulaski Cat Fan_rivals377587]

I'm not convinced yet that D.J. Elliot and Shannon Dawson are that much better than Brown and Hudson.

Well, Hudson maybe. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

But I'm looking more at the position coaches.

Guys like Jimmy Heggins, Chuck Smith, Rick Petri. To me, those guys were immensely better teachers than what we have now.

I've always believed you need a mixture of older and younger coaches to make a complete staff. And I fear that the staff we have now while great recruiters, just don't have the coaching chops yet.

I share the same concerns Robcatt. I honestly wish Stoops would have kept Summers and Chuck Smith. I think a coach like Petri is much better than Brumbaugh as well. I agree on the mixture of solid teachers and solid recruiters. There needs to be a balance, and I have my concerns if that balance is there.

 

[Burly]

Brooks is overrated as a Coach and left us with Joker...I take Stoops everyday of the week of gramps

 

[JHB4UK]

Hahahaha, love our fans, now revisionist history making Rich Brooks, who I love like a Grandfather, to be a Don Shula level genious coach during his tenure here?

Stevie Johnson scored the go ahead TD against UL in '07, put us up 5, and Rich Brooks....kicked an extra point to put us up a useless 6, 40-34. Brohm had plenty of time & damn near beat us 41-40.

yeah the 8 on the punt last night was embarrassing. Know what was more painful? 13 on the punt against Florida in 2003, leading 21-3 in the 4th quarter. THIRTEEN. Flag! Too many men! 1st down, Florida! And thus began that particular UK football falcon punch.

Coaches ain't perfect, they all look like morons when things don't work & their teams lose, look like the smartest men ever when they plays do click & their team does have the most points at the end of the game. If some of you people don't recognize what Mark Stoops has done thus far in 2 1/2 years, and the future we have in front of us then I feel sorry for you. Truely.

 

[Levibooty]

I like what Stoops has done and think he will succeed here but to say Brooks didn't have a huge challenge with UK a weak program to start with but also on probation with lost scholarships, well....

 

[irishcat1965]

People wishing for Brooks. Lol. The idiocy knows no bounds on this forum. [roll]

 

[Onomatopoeia]

As dumb as Rob is, you really have to appreciate the skill it takes to subtly troll for so long without getting banned.

 

[mdlUK.1]

I love the recruiting prowess of this staff.

But damnation, some of the crap they do just blows my mind.

This coaching staff looks like grade schoolers compared to Rich Brooks and his crew.

Damn, I just can't stand seeing us look so poorly coached.

Wow, just when you think posters can't get any worse, this guy shows up.

 

[Deeeefense]

Hahahaha, love our fans, now revisionist history making Rich Brooks, who I love like a Grandfather, to be a Don Shula level genious coach during his tenure here?

Stevie Johnson scored the go ahead TD against UL in '07, put us up 5, and Rich Brooks....kicked an extra point to put us up a useless 6, 40-34. Brohm had plenty of time & damn near beat us 41-40.

yeah the 8 on the punt last night was embarrassing. Know what was more painful? 13 on the punt against Florida in 2003, leading 21-3 in the 4th quarter. THIRTEEN. Flag! Too many men! 1st down, Florida! And thus began that particular UK football falcon punch.

Coaches ain't perfect, they all look like morons when things don't work & their teams lose, look like the smartest men ever when they plays do click & their team does have the most points at the end of the game. If some of you people don't recognize what Mark Stoops has done thus far in 2 1/2 years, and the future we have in front of us then I feel sorry for you. Truely.

THIS X 1000

Thank you JHB!

 

[anon_l8pbkn96tg3j6]

OP, you can't be serious. We got outgained in almost every game we played with Rich Brooks, even against crappy teams. We won a lot of times with field position, and the score often didn't reflect the game.

Now we play like a real football team, and It is objectively more fun watching us play real teams straight up. Enjoy it.

 

[Robcatt24]

Those Brooks years feel like the Belichick era compared to what we have now.