Stoops on the hotseat

Nov 27, 2009
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He has lost a significant portion of the fan base and will likely lose a huge chunk of the recruiting class. UK fans don't expect to win every game but they despise getting squashed every year by Vandy, WKU, and UofL teams that are sub par. We needed OT to beat EKU in Stoops third year. But that is still not the biggest problem. The biggest problem is that his teams regress throughout the year as well as throughout the game. He should get at least one more year to prove or disprove the fact he and his coaching staff appear inept and unqualified.
 

OHIO COLONEL

Heisman
Feb 11, 2009
14,803
59,401
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Of course things could really turn around with a good season next year (I won't be holding my breath though), but it's been quite a drop for Stoops. At the beginning of this season he was on everybody's list for new hires at other schools for when they had openings. Now that the season is over, the jobs at some big time schools have, and are opening up and his name is nowhere to be found...other than the lists for coaches on the hot seat.
 
Apr 1, 2011
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Of course things could really turn around with a good season next year (I won't be holding my breath though), but it's been quite a drop for Stoops. At the beginning of this season he was on everybody's list for new hires at other schools for when they had openings. Now that the season is over, the jobs at some big time schools have, and are opening up and his name is nowhere to be found...other than the lists for coaches on the hot seat.

The problem with next year is the scheduling. We had such a favorable schedule this year, and some of the teams we expected to be tough were really down. Next year we aren't going to be so lucky. So even if there is some improvement in the team and the coaches manage to get their heads out of their butts, having to play @Florida, @Bama, @Tennessee and @Louisville is going to almost certainly mean 4 losses straight away. This was the year to put together a "signature season" that would have boosted recruiting further and really gotten fans on board. Alas….
 

cookscats

Freshman
Aug 1, 2006
1,089
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After what Josh Forrest said about the defensive game plan and the plan for Jackson, staff has a new name. Clown incorporated!
 
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blubo

Heisman
Oct 14, 2014
22,273
85,178
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stoops isn't on any hot seat yet, not at uk. if next year turns out like this year, which i fully expect it to considering the schedule, then he might feel some heat. i've been a fan for a long time and have come to realize years ago that football isn't a high priority at ky and i don't think it ever will be. i wish it weren't so but that is truth. UK is a Basketball school.
 

NavyCat88

All-Conference
Nov 22, 2011
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http://www.coacheshotseat.com/CoachesHotSeatRanking.htm


Atleast according to this website. Interesting to look at salaries and results

Sadly, this list of coaches on hot-seats is compiled by someone who looks at CFB through the lens of schools, AD's, coaches, & fans who take winning in football seriously. That does not include UK and their AD. Stoops is NOT on the hot-seat with anyone that matters (the UK admin or AD)......largely because the incompetent UK AD has locked-up an incompetent and inexperienced HC into a long-term extension and guaranteed salary scheme that ties us to the table for 3-4 more years of figurative fan waterboarding by conference foes and rivals.

Required actions (if we're ready to get serious about FB):
1. Discharge the AD today (a la Texas) as he is the root cause for UK's FB situation. As an AD, the Joker and CMS hires are unacceptable not to mention the placing of the nation's greatest BB program in the hands of the town drunk (BCG).
2. Hire an experienced, FB-saavy AD from a school where he has proven the ability to make hires with search committees, background checks, etc and manage the HC to success.
3. Send a public message to CMS that he has next year to win or he is gone.
4. Start the fundraising NOW for the buy out.....if Stoops proves to be a winner (doubtful with next year's schedule), channel the funds raised to continued FB infrastructure improvements.
5. If CMS does not win next year, discharge him and conduct a HC search with the help of a committee, execute the necessary background and reference checks, and hire deliberately a HC with some level of proven HC success (P5, MAC, CUSA, MW, SB, CAA, SOCON, MVFC, OVC, etc). They're out there.....get serious, define your requirement (experience, offense/defense schemes, salary) and go get one.

GBB!
 
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Rawrrr

Freshman
Oct 18, 2010
1,558
83
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Browse the schools in that list where the AD was ignorant enough to hire a first year HC, like Barney did, two times in a row now. Almost all of them are the traditionally lowest level programs, just like Kentucky.
 

Kai Slater

All-American
Jan 30, 2015
1,762
5,710
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Sadly, this is a list of coaches on hot-seats is compiled by someone who looks at CFB through the lens of schools, AD's, coaches, & fans who take winning in football seriously. That does not include UK and their AD. Stoops is NOT on the hot-seat with anyone that matters (the UK admin or AD)......largely because the incompetent UK AD has locked-up an incompetent and inexperienced HC into a long-term extension and guaranteed salary scheme that ties us to the table for 3-4 more years of figurative fan waterboarding by conference foes and rivals.

Required actions (if we're ready to get serious about FB):
1. Discharge the AD today (a la Texas) as he is the root cause for UK's FB situation. As an AD, the Joker and CMS hires are unacceptable not to mention the placing of the nation's greatest BB program in the hands of the town drunk (BCG).
2. Hire an experienced, FB-saavy AD from a school where he has proven the ability to make hires with search committees, background checks, etc and manage the HC to success.
3. Send a public message to CMS that he has next year to win or he is gone.
4. Start the fundraising NOW for the buy out.....if Stoops proves to be a winner (doubtful with next year's schedule), channel the funds raised to continued FB infrastructure improvements.
5. If CMS does not win next year, discharge him and conduct a HC search with the help of a committee, execute the necessary background and reference checks, and hire deliberately a HC with some level of proven HC success (P5, MAC, CUSA, MW, SB, CAA, SOCON, MVFC, OVC, etc). They're out there.....get serious, define your requirement (experience, offense/defense schemes, salary) and go get one.

GBB!

I'm forwarding this post to Dr. Capiluto. UK football does indeed need changes and this would be a great start.
 
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gg4uk

Sophomore
Oct 29, 2001
7,693
171
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After what Josh Forrest said about the defensive game plan and the plan for Jackson, staff has a new name. Clown incorporated!

Honestly, this shouldn't matter so much. The coaches "should" have been able to make this adjustment on the fly. UK has faced "read options" QB's all season. It should simply be changing a front and coverage behind it so that UK has a stacked box.

last year UK's game plan was to stop the running QB game and the drop back passer came in and "saved the day". This year it was the opposite. Game plan the passing QB and the running QB comes in and saves the day.
 

Rawrrr

Freshman
Oct 18, 2010
1,558
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I'm forwarding this post to Dr. Capiluto. UK football does indeed need changes and this would be a great start.
Let's not forget Lee Todd's last action as he was leaving was to extend Barneys contract and give him a big fat raise. His buyout would be 2.5 million!
 
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OHIO COLONEL

Heisman
Feb 11, 2009
14,803
59,401
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The problem with next year is the scheduling. We had such a favorable schedule this year, and some of the teams we expected to be tough were really down. Next year we aren't going to be so lucky. So even if there is some improvement in the team and the coaches manage to get their heads out of their butts, having to play @Florida, @Bama, @Tennessee and @Louisville is going to almost certainly mean 4 losses straight away. This was the year to put together a "signature season" that would have boosted recruiting further and really gotten fans on board. Alas….

True, true. Plus the the out of conference schedule is a bit tougher as well. Opening game is Southern Miss, who historically has a good team. This year they're 9-3 and playing WKU in the championship game for the C-USA. When you look at their roster, there are not a lot of Seniors (how many of those start...don't know). New Mexico St. should be a win (3-8 this year) and Austin Peay. But the season opener may not be a given.
 
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Jazzycat

All-Conference
May 23, 2002
16,038
4,587
113
You need an AD who is aggressive in pursuing all coaches, not just football. I like Mitch. He has done a great job getting UK relevant in all sports. I believe he has done a great job as AD....I really hate to see this happen to the football program. It may be time for a seed change.
 
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Sep 8, 2009
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You need an AD who is aggressive in pursuing all coaches, not just football. I like Mitch. He has done a great job getting UK relevant in all sports. I believe he has done a great job as AD....I really hate to see this happen to the football program. It may be time for a seed change.
Relevent in all sports???? How about the most imporant 1, football! If you were the ceo of coca cola and stopped promoting coke so you could be fair to your other products, you would fail and you would be fired! Je has not made football relevant and that should be the #1 p riority of any ad in the sec. Football is the cash cow, period! Its simple economics...and doesnt mitch have a business degree??
 
Jan 29, 2003
18,120
12,185
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Browse the schools in that list where the AD was ignorant enough to hire a first year HC, like Barney did, two times in a row now. Almost all of them are the traditionally lowest level programs, just like Kentucky.
Heh, I'm not sure you're thinking that thru. You think an AD at a "traditionally lowest level program" can be choosy when making a hire? Maybe they hire first time HC's because they have to.....
 

Rawrrr

Freshman
Oct 18, 2010
1,558
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Heh, I'm not sure you're thinking that thru. You think an AD at a "traditionally lowest level program" can be choosy when making a hire? Maybe they hire first time HC's because they have to.....
Well yeah of course they have to, I'm sure they have a tiny budget, but THAT is the point, UK doesn't have to scrape the bottom of the bargain basement, they are rolling in dough! But that's what Mitch does, go looking for blue light specials. He even tried to do that with basketball when he hired BCG but he got his wings clipped quick over that. It's bizarre, he acts like he is AD at Wehavenofunding College.
 
Oct 1, 2001
5,199
1,898
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stoops isn't on any hot seat yet, not at uk. if next year turns out like this year, which i fully expect it to considering the schedule, then he might feel some heat. i've been a fan for a long time and have come to realize years ago that football isn't a high priority at ky and i don't think it ever will be. i wish it weren't so but that is truth. UK is a Basketball school.
Very true. Since football was a sport at UK and into the old Siuthern Conference (forerunner of the SEC) when were a charter member, football has been poor to mediocre at best. By 1946, Bear Bryant's first year (7-3) the yearbook states "after decades of mediocrity," winning football came to UK. In fact, all sports at UK were mediocre during the thirties forward to the modern era. Basketball was nothing special until Adolph Rupp arrived. The rest is history. The south emphasized football and basketball was largely ignored. The same scenario remains today.
 
Jan 29, 2003
18,120
12,185
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Well yeah of course they have to, I'm sure they have a tiny budget, but THAT is the point, UK doesn't have to scrape the bottom of the bargain basement, they are rolling in dough! But that's what Mitch does, go looking for blue light specials. He even tried to do that with basketball when he hired BCG but he got his wings clipped quick over that. It's bizarre, he acts like he is AD at Wehavenofunding College.
Disagree. I don't think it has anything to do with money. A coach at is at all desirable is going to go where he thinks he has a chance to win. Because if he doesn't in, good chance he's ending his career. And how do you determine whether you can win at a place? By looking at the history of that place.

Barnhart can offer someone $10 million a year. He'd have to go pretty far down the list to find a taker (at which point the conversation would turn from "he won't pay enough!" to "the idiot paid too much!")...
 

cookscats

Freshman
Aug 1, 2006
1,089
61
0
Honestly, this shouldn't matter so much. The coaches "should" have been able to make this adjustment on the fly. UK has faced "read options" QB's all season. It should simply be changing a front and coverage behind it so that UK has a stacked box.

last year UK's game plan was to stop the running QB game and the drop back passer came in and "saved the day". This year it was the opposite. Game plan the passing QB and the running QB comes in and saves the day.
Jackson has taken most of the UofL snaps and everyone knew you had to prepare for both but apparently the staff didn't. I will give them next year, Show Me Something!
 

cookscats

Freshman
Aug 1, 2006
1,089
61
0
I
stoops isn't on any hot seat yet, not at uk. if next year turns out like this year, which i fully expect it to considering the schedule, then he might feel some heat. i've been a fan for a long time and have come to realize years ago that football isn't a high priority at ky and i don't think it ever will be. i wish it weren't so but that is truth. UK is a Basketball school.
 

cookscats

Freshman
Aug 1, 2006
1,089
61
0
stoops isn't on any hot seat yet, not at uk. if next year turns out like this year, which i fully expect it to considering the schedule, then he might feel some heat. i've been a fan for a long time and have come to realize years ago that football isn't a high priority at ky and i don't think it ever will be. i wish it weren't so but that is truth. UK is a Basketball school.
Football should be a high priority, it is your money maker. With all that is being finally done to the facilities pressure will be on Stoops and Barnhart to win some games and Bowl games. This fan base is dying to be a solid football program. Like or not the fans who don't care about football, it is the money machine and pressure will be on to win
 
Jan 29, 2003
18,120
12,185
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Football is the cash cow, period! Its simple economics...and doesnt mitch have a business degree??
You're arguing against yourself. If money/budget etc is the measuring stick, Barnhart wins that argument every time. Our athletics budget is, my guess, around $120 million. I'm going to guess it was around $40 million when he came in 2002. Most of that comes from football, through conference affiliation. If you're argument for firing Barnhart includes the word "money", you don't get past the first sentence and you're ushered out the door.....
 

cookscats

Freshman
Aug 1, 2006
1,089
61
0
You're arguing against yourself. If money/budget etc is the measuring stick, Barnhart wins that argument every time. Our athletics budget is, my guess, around $120 million. I'm going to guess it was around $40 million when he came in 2002. Most of that comes from football, through conference affiliation. If you're argument for firing Barnhart includes the word "money", you don't get past the first sentence and you're ushered out the door.....
Point is this..... win games or empty seats and people will not buy season tickets for a losing program anymore. Fans are finally taking a stand on this. And this year season ticket renewal should be interesting especially if no staff changes are made....
 

cookscats

Freshman
Aug 1, 2006
1,089
61
0
[QU OTE="ukgol fnut1, post: 2876837, member: 10802"]Hey Mark Richt is looking for a job,was a winner every year at Ga[/QUOTE]
I'm still cool with Stoops just my opinion is he needs make some changes on the staff. If he doesn't and we look the same, going to get ugly around here.
 

buckkiller

All-Conference
Nov 6, 2003
131,233
2,466
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It is not hot enough cause I haven't seen anything yet that he has did everyone a favour and stepped down or that he has been fired. Just saying its not hot enough which sucks. Ready for a winner in here!
 

tallkat70

All-Conference
Aug 1, 2002
3,527
3,579
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I don't mean this as a Barnhart bash but to say "the budget was this and now it's this" is really a misnomer. The role of the AD has completely evolved at all schools over the last 25-30 years from just something you let a favorite ex-jock or coach do to a CEO-type of position. With nearly all games televised and other marketing dollars from apparel companies, almost all the power conference schools have anywhere from 3x to 8x the money they had 20 years ago. That is not anything Mitch Barnhart did.
 

LowCountryCat

Heisman
Apr 17, 2010
117,188
22,769
0
He won't step down, he's got it made. He could go 0-12 next season and there isn't a damn thing Mitch Barnhart could do about it.
 

LowCountryCat

Heisman
Apr 17, 2010
117,188
22,769
0
Keep wishing Prime, because that might do it.
Ugh. Now I understand what it means to cut your nose off to spite your face. I don't think I can root against my own team. Cognitive dissonance is painful, I'd rather not even watch.
 

Myotis

Senior
Jan 1, 2003
7,624
951
0
1. Discharge the AD today (a la Texas) as he is the root cause for UK's FB situation. As an AD, the Joker and CMS hires are unacceptable not to mention the placing of the nation's greatest BB program in the hands of the town drunk (BCG).GBB!

That's laughable. UK has now gone 38 years without a winning season in the SEC, that's going back 24 years before the arrival of Barnhart. During that time the winning percentage in the SEC is .261, and 12 of those 38 years the Cat's won zero or one game in the SEC.

Kentucky's winning percentage in the SEC since 1954 is a mere .291 (129-310-5). That's a period of time more than five times as long as Barnhart has been the AD. There have only been four winning seasons in the SEC in that 62 year span, during which UK has had five athletic directors and eleven head coaches (at least three of which had significant success away from Kentucky: Collier,Curry, and Brooks).

The reasons are debatable, the long tradition of losing itself, the geographical challenge of being situated on the boundary of the SEC and the Big 10, the relative dearth of native HS football talent, and being known as a basketball school, but whatever the reasons, the outcome is obvious. It is very doubtful that Kentucky will ever be anything but a bottom feeder in the toughest football conference in the country. The only way UK is ever going to field a winning football team is to leave the SEC for an easier conference.
 

NavyCat88

All-Conference
Nov 22, 2011
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That's laughable. UK has now gone 38 years without a winning season in the SEC, that's going back 24 years before the arrival of Barnhart. During that time the winning percentage in the SEC is .261, and 12 of those 38 years the Cat's won zero or one game in the SEC.

Kentucky's winning percentage in the SEC since 1954 is a mere .291 (129-310-5). That's a period of time more than five times as long as Barnhart has been the AD. There have only been four winning seasons in the SEC in that 62 year span, during which UK has had five athletic directors and eleven head coaches (at least three of which had significant success away from Kentucky: Collier,Curry, and Brooks).

The reasons are debatable, the long tradition of losing itself, the geographical challenge of being situated on the boundary of the SEC and the Big 10, the relative dearth of native HS football talent, and being known as a basketball school, but whatever the reasons, the outcome is obvious. It is very doubtful that Kentucky will ever be anything but a bottom feeder in the toughest football conference in the country. The only way UK is ever going to field a winning football team is to leave the SEC for an easier conference.
What is laughable is in spite of the fact that the AD has made two horrible football hires such that we cannot presently compete with good FCS squads, many UK fans are willing to say "We were bad before he got here, so it doesn't matter what the AD's performance is regarding our FB team." No standards, No accountability>>>>No improvement.

As for quitting the SEC and moving to another P5 conference to find FB success--no chance. We struggled with ULL and EKU (a non P5 team and a non FBS team), just exactly what P5 conference could we move to where we could compete in FB?!? Answer....None! If we were in the ACC: UNC, NCSU and Duke would be whipping our a$$es and we would be in a dogfight with Wake Forest for the cellar just like we are with Vandy in the SEC. Change the P5 conference.....just change the cellar dweller death match (B12-Kansas, BIG-IU, P12-Ore St). Shoot, we are in no position to argue that we would compete for a championship in ANY FBS conference (sun belt--no, CUSA--no way, MAC--forget it).

The answer is we need an AD (in this modern world of college athletics where FB is king) who thinks his job hinges UK's FB fortunes. Right now, Mitch has NO FEAR of being held accountable for FB failure. Only when that changes will we begin to change our FB future.

GBB!
 
Nov 7, 2010
23,456
45
36
That's laughable. UK has now gone 38 years without a winning season in the SEC, that's going back 24 years before the arrival of Barnhart. During that time the winning percentage in the SEC is .261, and 12 of those 38 years the Cat's won zero or one game in the SEC.
The bottom line is this: Past failure is not an excuse for present/future failure. Mitch should be held accountable.
 

tmuck

All-Conference
Oct 2, 2009
10,982
3,849
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Bowl or Bust next season for Stoops. Don't think there's any doubt about that.
 

kentuckyrld

Senior
Mar 30, 2007
11,745
864
0
Stoops will, unfortunately, be with us for at least one more year. Mr. Barnhart does not have the ability to know when to cut his losses and move on to a new and better coach. His record next season will be dismal again and we will go through the same thing another time.
 

LowCountryCat

Heisman
Apr 17, 2010
117,188
22,769
0
That's laughable. UK has now gone 38 years without a winning season in the SEC, that's going back 24 years before the arrival of Barnhart. During that time the winning percentage in the SEC is .261, and 12 of those 38 years the Cat's won zero or one game in the SEC.

Kentucky's winning percentage in the SEC since 1954 is a mere .291 (129-310-5). That's a period of time more than five times as long as Barnhart has been the AD. There have only been four winning seasons in the SEC in that 62 year span, during which UK has had five athletic directors and eleven head coaches (at least three of which had significant success away from Kentucky: Collier,Curry, and Brooks).

The reasons are debatable, the long tradition of losing itself, the geographical challenge of being situated on the boundary of the SEC and the Big 10, the relative dearth of native HS football talent, and being known as a basketball school, but whatever the reasons, the outcome is obvious. It is very doubtful that Kentucky will ever be anything but a bottom feeder in the toughest football conference in the country. The only way UK is ever going to field a winning football team is to leave the SEC for an easier conference.