With the ever truthful Bobby Petrino's recent comments about last years receivers not only ignorant of the plays but also not knowing what routes to run in said play. Which is a clear shot directly at Lamar? It's going to be interesting this season to see how the Ky receivers respond this year under his guidance and how the Cardinal receiving corps do under their new receivers coach of which I'm having trouble recalling his last name. However I believe they are paying him very well for a first time position coach? IMO Lamar Thomas' rep is on the line here and I think he is well aware of this. Thoughts ?
The Lamar Thomas question ?
- Thread starter Trublupopeye
- Start date
Let's see...Petrino came back to UL in 2014 after coaching one season @ Western Kentucky. He brought Thomas with him from WKU. Thomas came to UK this year and bad-mouthed the UL program and Petrino responded in kind after hiring Lonnie Galloway from West Virginia. So who is the better WR coach? It remains to be seen. Galloway has more experience, but who knows if he's a better coach.
Lonnie Galloway:
1996 – 2002: QB/WR coach @ Elon
2003 – 2004: WR coach @ East Carolina
2005 – 2007: Asst Head coach @ Appalachian State
2008 – 2010: Passing Game Coord. & WR coach @ West Virginia
2011 – 2012: Passing Game Coord. & WR coach @ Wake Forest
2013 – 2015: Associate HC/WR coach @ West Virginia
Read more @ Louisville Media Guide
Lamar Thomas:
2011 – 2012: WR coach @ Hampton
2013: WR coach @ Western Kentucky
2014 – 2015: WR coach @ Louisville
Read more @ 2016 Media Guide
Lonnie Galloway:
1996 – 2002: QB/WR coach @ Elon
2003 – 2004: WR coach @ East Carolina
2005 – 2007: Asst Head coach @ Appalachian State
2008 – 2010: Passing Game Coord. & WR coach @ West Virginia
2011 – 2012: Passing Game Coord. & WR coach @ Wake Forest
2013 – 2015: Associate HC/WR coach @ West Virginia
Read more @ Louisville Media Guide
Lamar Thomas:
2011 – 2012: WR coach @ Hampton
2013: WR coach @ Western Kentucky
2014 – 2015: WR coach @ Louisville
Read more @ 2016 Media Guide
passing game/Wake Forrest? well now... that's something to hang your hat on....... 
but I agree with you OP...... lots of interesting things going on this year @ UK and just as much of it happening on the sidelines as on the field.....
but I agree with you OP...... lots of interesting things going on this year @ UK and just as much of it happening on the sidelines as on the field.....
From everything I have heard and seen! This will be breakout years got Baker, Conrad and Timmons! With Ryan and Conrad being utilized for their strengths in creating mismatches! Also with a strong armed QB, and combination of offensive minds in Gran & Hinshaw! The players love Thomas, they also are big fans of Barker! (Wanted him last year) the ? Is the offensive line! I look for a bunch of 2 tight end sets with Hart and Conrad and a lot of motion with Timmons! Players play better for people they LIKE! They were all split last year on Dawson and PT! Will se for sure on Sept. 3rd!
UL's WRs were transfers and freshmen last year, except for Quick and one or two others. I don't think a comment like that was a shot at Thomas. BP also said Jackson did not know the playbook and improvised most of the time. He was not slighting himself with that comment.
My thought is UL's QB and WRs, especially Samuels and the transfer from UAB, are going to be studs.
The issue with LT last year at UL was a well established story during the regular season; for reasons that only Lamar can explain .....he became totally ineffective as the receiver coach, as anyone who watched UL football over the last 20 years recognized the lack of discipline and timing in terms of the receivers running pass routes. So much so that Nick Petrino took over the responsibilities in mid-season.
Lamar Thomas was the most popular assistant coach on the staff; the players loved and respected him. However, again for reasons only he can explain ........he totally lost focus and interest in his job.
Everyone knew by the time the Bowl Game arrived that Lamar would be leaving and Galloway had been rumored to be the prime candidate as early as January. Most were surprised that he would leave WVU, until it was obvious that he would have a greater role than just coaching the receivers.
We only need to wait a few weeks to see who is the better receiver coach, as both Thomas & Galloway are both first year coaches and both inherited a lot of talent, experience and depth at this critical position.
Lamar Thomas was the most popular assistant coach on the staff; the players loved and respected him. However, again for reasons only he can explain ........he totally lost focus and interest in his job.
Everyone knew by the time the Bowl Game arrived that Lamar would be leaving and Galloway had been rumored to be the prime candidate as early as January. Most were surprised that he would leave WVU, until it was obvious that he would have a greater role than just coaching the receivers.
We only need to wait a few weeks to see who is the better receiver coach, as both Thomas & Galloway are both first year coaches and both inherited a lot of talent, experience and depth at this critical position.
BS post (typical for this poster)
(Bobby had Thomas directly involved in recruiting right up to the end - UL fan rationalization)
If UK's WRs are better, that must mean that Gran is a better coach that Petrino, if you are buying what 233 is peddling.
The more I listen to Thomas speak, the more I'm thinking he may not be a great WR coach per say. I think he's good for the players and will eventually pay in recruiting, but it seems like he's an energy guy who knows how to get through to players and Mangino is more of the x and o guy. Just an opinion and a response to his interviews.
I think that having a great QB and talented receivers will dictate who "appears to be" the better coach...
Great players make all the difference.
I know this...
After listening to Lamar Thomas, there's NO WAY you can convince me that he won't be a great recruiter!!
The guy is just oozing with personality!!
I'm glad we have him!!!
Great players make all the difference.
I know this...
After listening to Lamar Thomas, there's NO WAY you can convince me that he won't be a great recruiter!!
The guy is just oozing with personality!!
I'm glad we have him!!!
I don't know how good Lamar Thomas is going to be as a coach at Kentucky but I'd bet money he is better than Tee Martin was for us.
Funny that this came up this soon, just yesterday some talking heads were picking him as one of the assistant coaches most likely to become a head coach, heavy emphasis on how great a recruiter he is. I know a lot of UK fans questioned his work as a WR coach. With his admission that while at UK he never showed prospects UK's facilities but lied to them about them(think "recruiting room", so you can't blame him too much) i can see how he won't let facts stand in the way of selling his product.
Amazing that in his young career Nick Petrino has become qualified as a position coach at not just one but two positions, but then he does have a couple of recent arrests so he does meet or exceed jurich's requirements there. I think one or two were drug related so that could be a valuable recruiting tool at UL.
I haven't heard anything but positives about Thomas so far, and I think he has a wealth of talent to work with AND an emerging star at QB so I am very glad we have him, wouldn't trade his NFL experience for Nick's------if Nick had a different last name he would be trying to break into high school coaching, but with his arrest record he probably would never get a shot there.
This reminds me a lot of jurich throwing a contract worth over $20,000,000 at BP when no other legitimate University of higher learning would hire him. Has anyone figured out who he was bidding against yet? Of course part of that might have been earmarked for donating a large part of it to charity to "try" to improve his image, or some of it might have even found its way back to the overly generous AD, UL student's (and Kentucky taxpayer's) have deep pockets.
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If you are correct it sounds like he could be a lot like Tee was at UK, and he has gone on to coach some great talent at USCw.. And I did hear the talking heads on ESPN (can't remember which ones) saying he was one of a few candidates they mentioned as emerging Head Coach candidates, a great recruiter.
I sure hope not, we went thru that last yr didn't we?passing game/Wake Forrest? well now... that's something to hang your hat on.......
but I agree with you OP...... lots of interesting things going on this year @ UK and just as much of it happening on the sidelines as on the field.....
Yea, Lamar didn't like bobby and he started to let it show. Bobby being the azzhat he is, let his son do the on field coaching and was going to ride lt's recruiting til spring and they figured he would leave.... so they spun the whole "we were firing him story. They knew he was leaving and crafted the narrative to save face.
I don't think the comments were a shot at Thomas. Louisville had early injuries to their starting receivers (Quick, Staples, Savage) and were forced to play a bunch of true freshmen for a good part of the season. Louisville was a very young team last year, with a QB and receivers that really didn't know the system very well. That is one big reason why they could be much, much improved this year.
I have no idea of what the reasons were but as the season wore on a "gap" evolved between Thomas and Petrino. Rumors mainly centered around Thomas not being a "football 24/7 guy" and that doesn't set well with CBP. Regardless, at the end of season, it was hardly a secret that it was very unlikely Lamar Thomas would be coaching at UofL this year.
However, FWIW, I don't consider that a necessarily a bad thing for either party. Naturally, as rivals, Cat fans and Card fans will try to make more of this than what it actually is. But "moving on" is the career destiny for young assistants. It is the way you build your resume, even for guys that had a nice NFL career before embarking on a coaching career.
By all accounts Stoops and UK fans are very happy with Thomas and Petrino and UofL fans are very happy with Galloway. Is it possible this is the often mentioned but seldom achieved Win-Win situation? All JMO.
Peace
However, FWIW, I don't consider that a necessarily a bad thing for either party. Naturally, as rivals, Cat fans and Card fans will try to make more of this than what it actually is. But "moving on" is the career destiny for young assistants. It is the way you build your resume, even for guys that had a nice NFL career before embarking on a coaching career.
By all accounts Stoops and UK fans are very happy with Thomas and Petrino and UofL fans are very happy with Galloway. Is it possible this is the often mentioned but seldom achieved Win-Win situation? All JMO.
Peace
I'm sure Nick Petrino had nothing to do with the 'gap' between Thomas and Harley Petrino. I'd be frustrated too if you know preferential treatment is going on.
This is spin. Whether it is spin from Petrino or someone else, we will probably never know. But it is definitely loaded with spin. UL fans cannot see that, so they repeat.
Caveman; you simply cannot handle anyone sharing the facts with you. Obviously you responded to my post without either reading it, or understanding what I said. At no point in my post did I mention anything about LT recruiting one way or another, but rather I confined my post to LT's performance coaching the receivers. Your response about recruiting is pretty typical of what most UK fans seem to focus on ..........specifically recruiting.
If you have not learned anything by now, you should at least recognize that Petrino's domination of UK in football has not been predicated by superior recruiting, it has been about what he and his staff have done with his recruits once they arrive into his program. You and Stoops can continue being immersed in the recruit ratings war, while Petrino and his staff will continue focusing on player performance in practice and games. LT is, as I stated previously, a very engaging young man and my all accounts can be an extremely effective recruiter (responsible for recruiting Lamar Jackson to UL) and LT was as popular as any assistant coach on Petrino's staff ..........but coaching kids on the disciplines of execution and timing is how assistants get to the next level.
My challenge to you ......... Let's see how UK receivers perform in game situations under Thomas against Florida, as compared to how UL receivers perform under Galloway against FSU. It's just a few weeks away. If Thomas receivers out perform Galloways receivers I will come back and acknowledge that My position was wrong, would you agree to do the same?
If you have not learned anything by now, you should at least recognize that Petrino's domination of UK in football has not been predicated by superior recruiting, it has been about what he and his staff have done with his recruits once they arrive into his program. You and Stoops can continue being immersed in the recruit ratings war, while Petrino and his staff will continue focusing on player performance in practice and games. LT is, as I stated previously, a very engaging young man and my all accounts can be an extremely effective recruiter (responsible for recruiting Lamar Jackson to UL) and LT was as popular as any assistant coach on Petrino's staff ..........but coaching kids on the disciplines of execution and timing is how assistants get to the next level.
My challenge to you ......... Let's see how UK receivers perform in game situations under Thomas against Florida, as compared to how UL receivers perform under Galloway against FSU. It's just a few weeks away. If Thomas receivers out perform Galloways receivers I will come back and acknowledge that My position was wrong, would you agree to do the same?
I read your crap. If UK's WRs perform well, how about you stop posting on UK boards?
We all know talent makes a major difference in how good or bad a coach can look during games. We're loaded with wide reciever talent. I have a feeling our wideouts look great this coming year and i guess that will mean this dude is a great coach, right? I have faith In Stoops knowing who to hire to win games. The UL fans are going to spin this guy leaving in their favor and that much is obvious. Whatever their fans say, i don't pay attention to. We will see the results on the field, where it actually matters! Bobby and UL has won games over Kentucky in the past? No ish. If you really think recruiting ratings don't matter, you should be confident UL would beat Bama if you guys played? Any fan that thinks recruiting rankings don't matter are delusional at best. I don't care how much football you know as a coach. If you don't have the talent, you don't beat the elite programs in college football. While in the past 2star and 3star players have went on to become NFL players for both schools, there is a reason neither school is ever at the top of the national football ranking list each year. Until you start recruiting like the big boys, you aint in the big boy's clubhouse.
I'M not in love with any of the showboating either, but Muhammed Ali ruined the idea of just letting your play talk for you for a good percentage of athletes long ago, JMO.. He was also known as the Louisville Lip, and seems like he has a lot of followers there. But most of them don't come close to backing it up as well as he did.
If UK's receivers were young, inexperienced, and short on talent I would have preferred a WR coach that was highly technical, experienced, and a strong disciplinarian. That being said Stoops needed a guy who could manage egos, reinfuse confidence and swagger into the group, and ultimately recruit. Gran and Hinshaw are demanding perfection and discipline out of every position group so all LT needs to do is focus his group and keep everything moving in a positive direction.
If we lined up UK's skill positions vs UL's I think a strong argument can be made that UK is more talented. Problem is we have way more question marks on the Oline and at QB than UL does and that's the ultimate difference.
If we lined up UK's skill positions vs UL's I think a strong argument can be made that UK is more talented. Problem is we have way more question marks on the Oline and at QB than UL does and that's the ultimate difference.
UK has more talent on the OL than UL, and a lot of it is experienced. When our freshmen get some experience it should be obvious which group is more talented.
I don't know much about their front seven, only that one of their big stars wouldn't be allowed to play at UK and one of them that was supposed to go to UK but didn't qualify was a very late qualifier there. Losing three of our more talented players that would more than likely still be playing at their city school hurt us a great deal also.
As for the QB Barker was rated higher and had better offers out of high school, about time he started living up to it, and he just might, certainly he will have a lot of support.
We'll take our chances with what we have.
So you'll take Barker over Jackson because of his offers?
Me? Surely you jest. I'm not sure why you would think that. I'll stack up my BBN record against yours anytime. Like I said, I grew up in Lexington and attended graduated from UK in 1971 after I returned from Vietnam. I don't have to justify my fandom to the likes of you.
You do act like Bobby did Thomas a favor and Thomas responded by dumping on Bobby. Most probably realize there were probably blows that occurred in private, first (or maybe Bobby and his "media" hacks promoted the crap we see regurgitated here by some UL fans).
While that UL narrative is premised upon making Thomas appear ungrateful and/or lazy and/or incompetent, I suspect there was a falling out. The distinction is that Bobby clearly thought Thomas had value, because Bobby had him recruiting right up to Thomas's departure. You don't do that when you have revealed that a guy is history. Also, some dumb UL fans point to their young WRs last year not having consistent success and blame Thomas (even though many claim Thomas was not even coaching them, but rather baby Petrino was doing the job -- inconsistencies usually abound when people are making crap up), but the same idiots don't blame Bobby for Jackson looking clueless in the context of the offense for much of the season (admitted by Jackson).
I suspect the falling out had more to do with ego. Bobby has a huge monochromatic ego. Thomas has a huge peacock ego. I think Bobby did not like that Thomas was loved by the players. The HC wins in that situation.
Rather than following the actual chronology, Caveman is trying to speculate on issues between CBP and LT without a hint of knowledge. My contribution is for those reasonable UK fans (as there appear several on this thread) on this site who want to hear background information and not spin.
Bobby never said a negative word about LT throughout 2015 ........he quietly placed Nick Petrino (go read today's CJ article for confirmation of the facts) in the role as receiver coach mid way through the season without a single public comment. It was hardly a secret when the players shared it with their friends and relatives; as that is where most of us learned it.
I met LT, and like most everyone who comes in contact with Lamar will tell you is a very nice person and the players love him .........my comments are confined to his inability to deliver the level of discipline to his receivers when it came to running routes .........pure and simple. However, it was Lamar who started the conversation about his departure from UL after being questioned by the media. No one blames LT, but when anyone starts that narrative, it results in responses.
Yes Caveman, if UK receivers out perform UL receivers when the two teams play UF and FSU respectively; I will voluntarily leave this site. If, on the other hand, UL receivers out perform UK receivers; will you acknowledge on this site that Galloway was an upgrade for UL in replacing Thomas?
BTW Orlando ....Thank You for Your Service!
Bobby never said a negative word about LT throughout 2015 ........he quietly placed Nick Petrino (go read today's CJ article for confirmation of the facts) in the role as receiver coach mid way through the season without a single public comment. It was hardly a secret when the players shared it with their friends and relatives; as that is where most of us learned it.
I met LT, and like most everyone who comes in contact with Lamar will tell you is a very nice person and the players love him .........my comments are confined to his inability to deliver the level of discipline to his receivers when it came to running routes .........pure and simple. However, it was Lamar who started the conversation about his departure from UL after being questioned by the media. No one blames LT, but when anyone starts that narrative, it results in responses.
Yes Caveman, if UK receivers out perform UL receivers when the two teams play UF and FSU respectively; I will voluntarily leave this site. If, on the other hand, UL receivers out perform UK receivers; will you acknowledge on this site that Galloway was an upgrade for UL in replacing Thomas?
BTW Orlando ....Thank You for Your Service!
233, you drink and regurgitate the KoolAid. I get it. You have no objectivity. If you want to believe that Thomas was relegated to a scrub position and then BP had him front and center for recruiting a couple of days before signing date, that is your biased prerogative. I do, however, like the fact that you admit through your inconsistencies that young Petrino cannot coach WRs, as UL's young WRs were inconsistent all season long.
But, as usual, you misstate the challenge. You say Thomas cannot coach. If UK's WRs perform well, will you agree not to ever again post on a UK board? I never said Galloway cannot coach. In fact, I said UL's young WRs will be more mature this year and will actually know the playbook. I predicted they would be studs. Just like I think Jacksob will actually know what he is doing this year (read the CJ for reference).
Mark this spot, however, for reference, because I have seen 233 repeatedly lie about his prior positions and others' prior positions. He will claim, either out of an inability to comprehend or just plain desire to spin untruths, that I claimed Galloway was not as good a coach as Thomas. These last two posts are the first times I have typed the name Galloway since UK had its own baller by the name.
So you're a veteran, thanks for your service, but answer the question are you a big Petrino fan? It's not a knock, but it would explain your last post.
I see no need to answer your question. Like I said, I don't have to justify my UK fandom to you. Take it for what you will. Your opinion of me means nothing to me. Get it?
Poetax...think you can take that as a yes:basketball::scream::smiley::sunglasses: