who did UK ever 'buy out' in the last 50 years that had significant time left on a contract?
Whats it gonna take to put U.K football program over the top.
- Thread starter rdm1960
- Start date
I'm not familiar with UK buying any one out, I was referring only to Stoops.
I'm sure there have been others. but I can't recall the time left on contracts.
I have followed UK football since the Charlie Bradshaw era. Over the years, the biggest collective mistake of the athletic directors was hanging on to coaches that were pretty obviously not going to get the job done. Even before stadium renovation (I still don't get downsizing) facilities were pretty decent. I recall when first CWS (newest stadium in the SEC) and later Nutter Field House (still a great facility) were each hailed as the missing piece of the football puzzle. So, IMO, the greatest impediment to a better football program has been a "tolerance" for losing (and often losing big). Call that a basketball mentality or inattention to football by the administration if you desire.
And don't place the "delay" in new football infrastructure investment on Barnhart. Unless he could do it strictly with private funding it was really a question of timing with the University paying off some other bonded indebtedness thus opening the door for taking on some new debt (i.e., bonds).
As the past few years have shown, even in down years, the SEC is a pretty tough place to build a program. Without a deep well of home grown talent that will always go to State U, it will be a lengthy process. That process begins with finding a coach that can (consistently) do more with less (e.g., Snyder at KSU, Mullens at MSU, Patterson at TCU, et. al). Once you become a consistent (even if a "modest" winner) you can likely attract "more" and take another step up the ladder. Some won't like it but I'll use UofL as an example. They are not an every year Top 25 program but they have finished in the Top 25 I think 7 times in the past 16 years. Good and respectable but hardly "elite".
But it has taken 30 years to get where they are for the most part facing less problems that UK (i.e., Schedule).
As for Barnhart's "contribution" to football at UK he has made (IMO) 2 enormous mistakes and he has to own these. Number 1, he approved Joker as CIW when a UK was "trending up" and was in the best position I can recall for a national search for an experienced HC to continue Brooks good work. And, number 2, he gave CMS a ridiculous new contract based on a 5-1 record against pretty marginal competition.
IMO, Stoops had a pretty decent first contract for a rookie FBS coach and a renewal/raise/extension with a Les Miles like buyout package was totally unwarranted based on performance to date. Now this is not to say CMS won't "get it done" but performance to date is not particularly encouraging. Regardless, because of that contract, he is virtually guaranteed 2 more years regardless of performance. With that contract decision, UK has again potentially put themselves in a situation of "accepting mediocrity in football".
All, of course, JMO.
Peace
And don't place the "delay" in new football infrastructure investment on Barnhart. Unless he could do it strictly with private funding it was really a question of timing with the University paying off some other bonded indebtedness thus opening the door for taking on some new debt (i.e., bonds).
As the past few years have shown, even in down years, the SEC is a pretty tough place to build a program. Without a deep well of home grown talent that will always go to State U, it will be a lengthy process. That process begins with finding a coach that can (consistently) do more with less (e.g., Snyder at KSU, Mullens at MSU, Patterson at TCU, et. al). Once you become a consistent (even if a "modest" winner) you can likely attract "more" and take another step up the ladder. Some won't like it but I'll use UofL as an example. They are not an every year Top 25 program but they have finished in the Top 25 I think 7 times in the past 16 years. Good and respectable but hardly "elite".
But it has taken 30 years to get where they are for the most part facing less problems that UK (i.e., Schedule).
As for Barnhart's "contribution" to football at UK he has made (IMO) 2 enormous mistakes and he has to own these. Number 1, he approved Joker as CIW when a UK was "trending up" and was in the best position I can recall for a national search for an experienced HC to continue Brooks good work. And, number 2, he gave CMS a ridiculous new contract based on a 5-1 record against pretty marginal competition.
IMO, Stoops had a pretty decent first contract for a rookie FBS coach and a renewal/raise/extension with a Les Miles like buyout package was totally unwarranted based on performance to date. Now this is not to say CMS won't "get it done" but performance to date is not particularly encouraging. Regardless, because of that contract, he is virtually guaranteed 2 more years regardless of performance. With that contract decision, UK has again potentially put themselves in a situation of "accepting mediocrity in football".
All, of course, JMO.
Peace
UK's in a classic Catch-22 situation....need good players to win but have to win to get good players.
Otherwise, it takes a truck load of money and a boat load of steroids.
Otherwise, it takes a truck load of money and a boat load of steroids.
Some excellent posts on here about what it takes to win in football at UK. I think yesterday's Mitch Barnhart interviews in the CJ and HL are revealing. I see no pressure from the UK administration on Mitch. I think UK administration does not want to take on more financial responsibility to compete with other SEC schools, so "Mitch, do what you can" is the approach. The approach with regards to CMS is he can decide if he needs new assistants. I think CMS has assistants with very little experience and the few that have been up and coming coaches leave the program (i.e. Peveto to LSU and now Ansley to UGA). My only request would be set a transparent timetable as to when we expect to be competitive in the SEC and to hire SEC quality offensive and defensive coordinators. Otherwise, the Commonwealth Stadium and the new training center investments are like buying diamond earrings for pigs to wear. Hope there is a plan but sure don't feel that athletic department or UK administration have the guts to compete and instead are happy to get the season ticket sales and the share of TV money every year.
An innovative athletics director with a passion for football and a killer instinct hiring a smart, innovative head coach with a killer instinct. We're not going to out-SEC the SEC with power and we need a AD and coach that realize that.
The last president who really, really wanted football to win was Otis Singletary and his coach was Fran Curci. We know how that ended.
We have to find a way to be explosive on offense. That's where the focus has to be. How many times has an underdog upset a better team 10-7?
It's gonna come down to us giving up some points and hoping teams shoot themselves in the foot with turnovers or just a bad offensive day.
That's how Baylor did it. We may give up 40 but we're not gonna turn the ball over and we're gonna score 50. Play aggressive as hell on defense. So what if you hit a big play. We'll pick the next one.
Not the kind of football I like but that's what it's gonna take.
It's gonna come down to us giving up some points and hoping teams shoot themselves in the foot with turnovers or just a bad offensive day.
That's how Baylor did it. We may give up 40 but we're not gonna turn the ball over and we're gonna score 50. Play aggressive as hell on defense. So what if you hit a big play. We'll pick the next one.
Not the kind of football I like but that's what it's gonna take.
I like your analysis. It makes sense. Hopefully CMS can build one of renowned nationally ranked defenses to combine with a high powered offense.
Those wanting to leave the SEC should realize that half the reason we are getting the quality kids out of big ten country is becasue we are offering the opportunity for them to showcase their talents in the premier football league in the country. You take that away and your recruiting classes take a dive. Now your in a mediocre conference with mediocre talent.
UofL would waste no time then in claiming to be atop the mountain and having finally dethroned Kentucky. Seriously do any of you want to be looking up at UofL from now on?
Quitting is not a solution.
UofL would waste no time then in claiming to be atop the mountain and having finally dethroned Kentucky. Seriously do any of you want to be looking up at UofL from now on?
Quitting is not a solution.
Remember coach brooks saying for them to get into the living room of better recruits is #1. Win with the players you have. There comes a point and time where you have to win the games you are suppose and pull a upset or two...#2 was upgrade our facilities... I'm stii mad that barnhart didn't give him what stoops has finally gotten in facilities... Haven't given up on stoops yet...when I look at good coaches first jobs it took some several years to get things going...So I am willing to give him a opportunity to correct the mess he had this year. To say that i lost a lot of confidence in stoops would be a huge understatement.. Now I'm waiting to see what he does..IMO his success hinges on the staff he assembles..
Actually, Mitch had the football facilities financed in 2006-07 with IMG until the Great Recession occurred. The deal went away until Mark came on board to unite donors along with Dr. C, the state and others. While this may not be 100% correct in actual events, it is close to the situation as it happened.
Honestly, hiring a defensive minded head coach was a mistake. For us to win in the sec, we need an extremely high powered offense. Think Baylor and oregon. They have similar recruiting classes to us. We are never going to be able to recruit with the Alabama's of the world, so playing defense first, smash mouth football is just going to keep us in the cellar. We need an offensive guru type head coach. One who is going to go out there and outscore the opponent. That is literally our only chance.
Good point. If we leave the SEC we will lose so much of our "SEC level" talent we have. In all seriousness though you are correct the class rankings would dip.
So back to the meteor being the best hope.
Gonna have to cheat some and do some steroids and whatever else these other SEC teams are taking to keep up with their size and speed.. Having a good coach would help too.
Not sure what "Over the top" means. We had too many opportunities this season to show program progress to ultimately fall so hard. Plenty of blame targets but must start with the paid leadership. We had the player talent to be better than 5 wins with that schedule. Despite the perennial preseason hype to come next season- it will be largely the same names in the program(coaches & players). I do not expect a different experience next year unfortunately.
cheat like the rest of the sec big dogs, amd don't get caught..BAMA, Auburn, LSU, FLORIDA, UGA, etc..they have mastered it..and only get caught once every twenty years...one year of probation...boom ur right back at it.
You need to hire a big time coach who can hire some big time coordinators and coaches. It is the coaches that make the program. Do what South Carolina and UL did. The difference in talent on the field for the UL game was not much. The difference in talent on the sidelines was enormous. Name me another SEC level program who would have our OC and DC working at the jobs they have here.
Stop harping about Curci. He gave us the only team In my lifetime that was really competitive in the SEC. I really don't care if we ended up on probation. It's not like we invented cheating or that we were the only program over the line. Those teams were really fun.
Stop harping about Curci. He gave us the only team In my lifetime that was really competitive in the SEC. I really don't care if we ended up on probation. It's not like we invented cheating or that we were the only program over the line. Those teams were really fun.
Define over the top.
No reason we can't be a 6-8 win program. We should be able to get a decent Bowl most years and one great 8-9 win season on occasion. Got to have the right coaches and an identity. This nonsense of winning 1-3 games in this league should not be acceptable to any fan.
But we are not going to be playing for titles in this league. That gap is way too big. We can recruit our *** off and still be 7-12 ranked in our own league.
The SEC attracts the recruits but the reality is simply we cant compete year after year with the bigees. We don't belong in the SEC but I also know we will never get out of it. Defeatist? Yep. Been hopeful for 45+ years of following them. Think my remaining ones will be to just live in reality.
No reason we can't be a 6-8 win program. We should be able to get a decent Bowl most years and one great 8-9 win season on occasion. Got to have the right coaches and an identity. This nonsense of winning 1-3 games in this league should not be acceptable to any fan.
But we are not going to be playing for titles in this league. That gap is way too big. We can recruit our *** off and still be 7-12 ranked in our own league.
The SEC attracts the recruits but the reality is simply we cant compete year after year with the bigees. We don't belong in the SEC but I also know we will never get out of it. Defeatist? Yep. Been hopeful for 45+ years of following them. Think my remaining ones will be to just live in reality.
It will end when the administration and certain boosters want it to be as strong or stronger than basketball...would it ever be allowed for the fb coach to make as much make as the bb coach?...and no Stoops is WAY overpaid