Why Kentucky?

[billoliver40]

I've read scads of posts about looking for coaches and screaming about coaches that weren't hired.

Why would a proven coach come to a school that has proved itself to truly be a basketball school? Where you are underfunded by every other team in your conference? Where you HAVE to relive on out of state prospects from the jump? Where there IS no heritage of winning? Where you know your team will play about six top twenty teams each year....sometimes back to back to back.

Why would these names that get thrown around consider the UK job?

 

[jgraf1]

Because our fans have shown they really care about football.
Because facilities are really good.
Because it's the sec and good coaches want to coach against the best.
Because the talent on this team is really good and there is a lot coming back.
Because heritage of winning has to start somewhere.

Fans, school, administration, students have shown they care for the better part of the last decade minus joker's last year. This isn't some other basketball schools were opposing teams have more fans in the seats. Fans are showing up and supporting the team. Could you imagine the support if UK put a really good product on the field? That's why you come here. You know if you win, you'll be loved and seen as the man who finally pushed UK through. High risk sure, but very high reward. And with the facilities and talent pool UK is setup to make that breakthrough.

That's why someone would consider coming here.

 

[buckkiller]

Lets see they just dumped millions and millions into program.

 

[jauk11]

Lets see they just dumped millions and millions into program.

ALMOST made up for decades of neglect, none worse than mltch's first decade, considering football's growth in the SEC-------ALMOST.

 

[cardinals1970]

I've read scads of posts about looking for coaches and screaming about coaches that weren't hired.

Why would a proven coach come to a school that has proved itself to truly be a basketball school? Where you are underfunded by every other team in your conference? Where you HAVE to relive on out of state prospects from the jump? Where there IS no heritage of winning? Where you know your team will play about six top twenty teams each year....sometimes back to back to back.

Why would these names that get thrown around consider the UK job?

Honestly I am sure many people thought the same thing about UofL when Schnellenberger decided to come to UofL after only a year or two removed from winning a National Title at Miami. Sure he didn't leave The U for Louisville but I am sure he could have went just about anywhere he wanted after the USFL deal went south. In fact it's well known he wanted the U.K. Job but the AD their at the time didn't want to give him full control of the football program.

 

[sluggercatfan]

Honestly I am sure many people thought the same thing about UofL when Schnellenberger decided to come to UofL after only a year or two removed from winning a National Title at Miami. Sure he didn't leave The U for Louisville but I am sure he could have went just about anywhere he wanted after the USFL deal went south. In fact it's well known he wanted the U.K. Job but the AD their at the time didn't want to give him full control of the football program.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:football::football::clap::boxing::cool2::sunglasses:

 

[VikingsCat]

Because our fans have shown they really care about football.
Because facilities are really good.
Because it's the sec and good coaches want to coach against the best.
Because the talent on this team is really good and there is a lot coming back.
Because heritage of winning has to start somewhere.

Fans, school, administration, students have shown they care for the better part of the last decade minus joker's last year. This isn't some other basketball schools were opposing teams have more fans in the seats. Fans are showing up and supporting the team. Could you imagine the support if UK put a really good product on the field? That's why you come here. You know if you win, you'll be loved and seen as the man who finally pushed UK through. High risk sure, but very high reward. And with the facilities and talent pool UK is setup to make that breakthrough.

That's why someone would consider coming here.

A very shortsighted post. You claim we have talent, which we have. 3 coaches in our history have managed to recruit at a high level;
Bear Bryant early years (1947-1949)
Fran Cursi (1973-75)
Mark Stoops from 2014

The football landscape has changed since the two former coaches recruited. Stoops and staff got an unique recruiting going on in Ohio. What makes you think any other HC can sustain the high level of recruiting? It's not that we haven't hired good coaches that have been busts before due to their inability to attract good recruits to UK.

 

[LordEgg_rivals16573]

i can't fathom the stupidity that prevented schnellenberger from being hired here.

 

[CB3UK]

Its spelled Curci

 

[rmattox]

Lets see they just dumped millions and millions into program.

True but they are still just playing catch-up. In order to compete with real Football schools, " dumping" millions into the sport has to be a regular thing and not something that happens only every 5or 10 years

 

[megablue]

If I were a big name coach, I would only come if I was CERTAIN that I could bring in better players than we currently have and are recruiting. If I were an up-and-coming coach, then I'd come for the money and the challenge, with $$$ being the top priority.

 

[bigbluewildcat84]

True but they are still just playing catch-up. In order to compete with real Football schools, " dumping" millions into the sport has to be a regular thing and not something that happens only every 5or 10 years

I agree "dumping" millions is a requirement. We need to keep our facilities up to date not only to provide the players with the best facilities possible but also to increase the fan experience.

Money also needs to keep up with the latest salary trends. The days of being cheap and having the lowest paid HC and assistants need to go. UK is already behind the power curve alluring Coaches to Kentucky because we are labeled a basketball school and have no real football heritage. If we are to hire a good to great coach, the money needs to be there.

Average SEC salary, 2016: $4.11 million
Mark Stoops Salary, 2016: $3.5 Million

 

[vhcat70]

If we are to hire a good to great coach, the money needs to be there.

Average SEC salary, 2016: $4.11 million
Mark Stoops Salary, 2016: $3.5 Million

Well, they range $3M - $5M except top one & bottom two, so he's in the range of common salaries. NBD to me.

 

[ORCAT]

A very shortsighted post. You claim we have talent, which we have. 3 coaches in our history have managed to recruit at a high level;
Bear Bryant early years (1947-1949)
Fran Cursi (1973-75)
Mark Stoops from 2014

The football landscape has changed since the two former coaches recruited. Stoops and staff got an unique recruiting going on in Ohio. What makes you think any other HC can sustain the high level of recruiting? It's not that we haven't hired good coaches that have been busts before due to their inability to attract good recruits to UK.

Not so sure I would dismiss it as a VERY shortsighted post. I agree with much of what you say except you fail to recognize that we now FINALLY have the facilities in place where a top notch coach could recruit top prospects to UK. We've never ever had that advantage before. Combine these great facilities with a top level name coach and I do think it would be possible for that type of coach to come here and succeed. Of course, we still have to convince Barnhart to hire such a coach and not go on the cheap.

 

[51stFan]

A couple of what we could consider "big time" coaches did want to come here (Leach and Petrino). One won nine games last year at a worse program than UK and the other is coaching one of the best teams in the country. Just got to make the hire when you have the chance.

 

[jc2010]

I agree "dumping" millions is a requirement. We need to keep our facilities up to date not only to provide the players with the best facilities possible but also to increase the fan experience.

Money also needs to keep up with the latest salary trends. The days of being cheap and having the lowest paid HC and assistants need to go. UK is already behind the power curve alluring Coaches to Kentucky because we are labeled a basketball school and have no real football heritage. If we are to hire a good to great coach, the money needs to be there.

Average SEC salary, 2016: $4.11 million
Mark Stoops Salary, 2016: $3.5 Million

How much do you think we should be paying a first time HC? IMO he's being overpaid, a man who puts himself on the search list should work pretty cheap just for the opportunity to prove himself. Proving himself could easily be written into the contract so there would be merit and incentive raises and.......what the hell am I talking about talking about, Mitch negotiated the contract.

I definitely believe the money should be there for a good coach (winning).

 

[Mr Schwump]

i can't fathom the stupidity that prevented schnellenberger from being hired here.

2 words...Cliff Hagan.

 

[dgtatu01]

i can't fathom the stupidity that prevented schnellenberger from being hired here.

You just saw it on full display in 2013. U of L is competing for conference championships and BCS Bowl games because they hired Schnellenberger and Petrino. Meanwhile a great year for us is scrapping together 6 wins and finishing 8th or 9th in the SEC.

 

[Myotis]

You just saw it on full display in 2013. U of L is competing for conference championships and BCS Bowl games because they hired Schnellenberger and Petrino. Meanwhile a great year for us is scrapping together 6 wins and finishing 8th or 9th in the SEC.

It isn't just the coaches. While as an Indepented under Schnellenberger, and in CUSA and the Big East under subsequent coaches, the lower general level of competition has allowed UofL to go 114-82 (.648) since 1998. It's easier to recruit to a winning team, and over the last 19 years, they've won almost 2/3rds of their games.

 

[CatsPaws270]

I don't think its anything about coaches not wanting to come here. I think it is more about an administration that goes cheap and hires someone that is a good PR move.

Petrino wanted to come here and was begging for it in 2012 and I'm pretty sure Howard S. would've gladly comeback to his alma mater, but we did not act and let UofL snatch up those guys. They ran Bear Bryant out of town because of a lack of support.

Hal Mumme was an exciting coach, but he was seen as a cheap thrill and was not given any money for decent assistants. Brooks was a safe and steady choice, but again he was cheaper and given no money and support for facilities. Joker was the status quo..the program could've gotten a decent coach after Rich but they wanted a coach in waiting.

Stoops has shown now that the admin will put up the money to win for coaches and facilities. The fans were putting almost 65,000 butts in seats for average to awful teams that last 20 years. It's not a bad job in the least if the admin will go out and make a good hire.

 

[dallasg23]

Because our fans have shown they really care about football.
Because facilities are really good.
Because it's the sec and good coaches want to coach against the best.
Because the talent on this team is really good and there is a lot coming back.
Because heritage of winning has to start somewhere.

Fans, school, administration, students have shown they care for the better part of the last decade minus joker's last year. This isn't some other basketball schools were opposing teams have more fans in the seats. Fans are showing up and supporting the team. Could you imagine the support if UK put a really good product on the field? That's why you come here. You know if you win, you'll be loved and seen as the man who finally pushed UK through. High risk sure, but very high reward. And with the facilities and talent pool UK is setup to make that breakthrough.

That's why someone would consider coming here.

couldn't agree more.

 

[docholiday51]

It isn't just the coaches. While as an Indepented under Schnellenberger, and in CUSA and the Big East under subsequent coaches, the lower general level of competition has allowed UofL to go 114-82 (.648) since 1998. It's easier to recruit to a winning team, and over the last 19 years, they've won almost 2/3rds of their games.

Why is this so hard for people to understand? Maybe they don't want to understand.It isn't the sole reason but it is a large part of our problem.Put UL in the SEC for all those years and things would be different

 

[Woodrow24]

Because our fans have shown they really care about football.
Because facilities are really good.
Because it's the sec and good coaches want to coach against the best.
Because the talent on this team is really good and there is a lot coming back.
Because heritage of winning has to start somewhere.

Fans, school, administration, students have shown they care for the better part of the last decade minus joker's last year. This isn't some other basketball schools were opposing teams have more fans in the seats. Fans are showing up and supporting the team. Could you imagine the support if UK put a really good product on the field? That's why you come here. You know if you win, you'll be loved and seen as the man who finally pushed UK through. High risk sure, but very high reward. And with the facilities and talent pool UK is setup to make that breakthrough.

That's why someone would consider coming here.

Good points. This school doesn't have as much pressure to win games. If a coach wins 6 games here fans would be happy. We now have some of the nicest facilities in the country, and a better roster then what Kentucky has had in the past. Stoops almost got beat by a bad EKU team last year and we still have fans that constantly defend him. The pressure is on Mitch because Louisville is making him look terrible considering the difference in their program and ours.

 

[richbrookstomato]

I've said that UK Football needs to find the equivalent of Billy Donavon at Florida. A coach that wants to win but doesn't have to have the spotlight. We have the facilities, avid fanbase, money and the desire for a better program.

As Muph_23 stated above, the pressure to win big here is very small. UK fans realize that we are never going to be Alabama, but we could definitely win the East like Missouri has.

So why can't UK find a coach that fits the mold of a football version of a Thad Matta or a Billy Donavon?

 

[BMo643]

It isn't just the coaches. While as an Indepented under Schnellenberger, and in CUSA and the Big East under subsequent coaches, the lower general level of competition has allowed UofL to go 114-82 (.648) since 1998. It's easier to recruit to a winning team, and over the last 19 years, they've won almost 2/3rds of their games.

That whole time UK was generating considerably more revenue from the SEC and their football program in general and doing nothing with it. Yes Louisville was facing weaker competition but that entire time UK was a much more "legit" and attractive program playing in the mighty SEC and generating tons of money. So aside from an easier schedule Kentucky has had every advantage possible over Louisville over the last 30 years and really the only aspect UL has had going for it is playing weaker competition. So while the "weaker competition" argument is valid it should also be pointed out that Kentucky simply hasn't ever invested in football and Louisville came from mid-major status and surpassed them even though Kentucky had every other advantage imaginable over them.

 

[Darkcide]

AND... Lexington... the most beautiful city in the South. Bear Bryant didn't want to leave here and especially his wife, Mary Harmon, didn't want to leave the country club and the high society associated with the jewel in the crown of the Bluegrass. If you are sports minded and what player or coach isn't, you've got professional sports right up the road as well as Kentucky basketball and Keeneland. What other city has so much to offer while living in the midst of the most beautiful surroundings on the entire planet. Kentucky has SO much to offer. But, I believe changing the name of CWS field would go along way toward attracting a top notch coach. Just sayin'

 

[Myotis]

That whole time UK was generating considerably more revenue from the SEC and their football program in general and doing nothing with it. Yes Louisville was facing weaker competition but that entire time UK was a much more "legit" and attractive program playing in the mighty SEC and generating tons of money.

More "legit" in who's eyes? In those of UK fans, certainly. But in the eyes of potential recruits, I question whether constantly losing in the SEC is more attractive than winning and competing for conference titles in a lesser conference. I don't know, never having been a potential recruit for collegiate sports. But I suspect the prestige of playing in the SEC does not necessarly make losing more attractive than winning regularly in, say, CUSA.

 

[willievic]

I've read scads of posts about looking for coaches and screaming about coaches that weren't hired.

Why would a proven coach come to a school that has proved itself to truly be a basketball school? Where you are underfunded by every other team in your conference? Where you HAVE to relive on out of state prospects from the jump? Where there IS no heritage of winning? Where you know your team will play about six top twenty teams each year....sometimes back to back to back.

Why would these names that get thrown around consider the UK job?

Number 1 is MONEY! Number 2 is PRIDE, in believing I can get the job done, and in case of Neal Brown, he believes in his system, went to UK, and truly believes he can do it. I also believe in his ability to get the job done.
I am the only Airline pilot from Wolfe County, and only the second Air Force Pilot from there.
When I set down at the table with 4 other guys who were starting pilot training, the Instructor said, "Look around Gentlemen, two of you won't be here for graduation." He was right, 41% flunked out, but I knew I was going to make it. I could not think about going back to Wolfe Co. and telling my friends I couldn't make it. To me, Losing was not an option, and it shouldn't be with a coach. If you must change to win, then do it, but don't cheat.

OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!

 

[law1127]

Amen

 

[BigBlueManSouthCentralKY]

One coach that is a great recruiter and good coach could make this place into a powerful program.

 

[BlueRunner11]

Great facilities.
Great university
Great conference.
Great pay (3-4 million/year)

Low expectations to win right away or at any level higher other than consistently being bowl eligible.

It's an attractive job, don't believe the propaganda.

 

[Blueaz]

Lets see they just dumped millions and millions into program.

Shhhhh.
OP is on his soapbox.
Listen him.
Listen to him

 

[billoliver40]

Pretty good responses. With all the heat I wondered what what some of the ideas would be.

Hiring a proven winner of would be great....but this upcoming year we could be looking at some monster names out there....Texas, Auburn, LSU, Penn State to just name four.
Places where recruiting would come easier and money even bigger. The big name winners would be the targets of those schools first.
Then you look at coaching names like Brisles, successful but with a load.
You have names like Strong and Miles...unable to win high enough with all the tools Texas or LSU come with. Throw in Franklin...back to earth at Penn State after soaring at Vandy.
Put in Kiffen...good OC after two so so stints in the bIg chair.

Should the wheels come off the rest of this year, it would seem the two prime targets for UK would be Brohm or Brown....two offensive minds that have had success at smaller venue and done time in power five schools. Question then would be who runs the defense.Either of these two coaches would offer experience, proven winners, and probably inexpensive enough at the start to allow the administration to get over the first year jolt of a large buyout.....and stay a couple of years to get their payday.

 

[buckkiller]

Shhhhh.
OP is on his soapbox.
Listen him.
Listen to him

I hear but the message comes across meek and weak.

 

[millayc]

Look at what Brooks did. He got us to pathetic 6 and 6 bowls and we look at those years with fond memories. If a coach could get us 8 wins most years we would put a statue of him in front of the stadium. Probably would name a building after him at some point. It wouldn't take much for a football coach to be treated like a God at UK.

 

[know1]

#WhyNot?

 

[tuck66]

I've read scads of posts about looking for coaches and screaming about coaches that weren't hired.

Why would a proven coach come to a school that has proved itself to truly be a basketball school? Where you are underfunded by every other team in your conference? Where you HAVE to relive on out of state prospects from the jump? Where there IS no heritage of winning? Where you know your team will play about six top twenty teams each year....sometimes back to back to back.

Why would these names that get thrown around consider the UK job

#WhyNot?

lol !

 

[CoachZ77]

If playing in the SEC is what has kept UK from winning all these years, why are any of us bothering to care? Last I checked, we're still in the SEC. Guess UK is doomed to always lose

 

[Myotis]

If playing in the SEC is what has kept UK from winning all these years, why are any of us bothering to care? Last I checked, we're still in the SEC. Guess UK is doomed to always lose

It isn't *ALL* that's keeping UK from winning, but it greatly amplifies the consequences of the other issues: geography and relative dearth of in-state talent. Combined, they - and a lack of support for football in the past - have resulted in a decades long tradition of losing. This has put UK at the bottom of the deepest well in the country. I know you're being sarcastic, but unfortunately, I believe UK *is* doomed to always lose, at least as long as they stay in the SEC. Which of cour$e they will never choo$e to leave. That thought makes a lot of people mad, but it is what it is, and there's 30 years of history to back it up. (going back to the emergence of UF as an SEC power - prior to that, I thought UK could possibly have been built up, but now the history and further increase in the overall strength of the SEC is too much). It's just very very difficult to recruit the kind of talent Alabama, Auburn, LSU, UGA, Florida, and Tennessee get every year. Those kinds of players do not want to play for a perennial loser. Even the major uptick in recruiting Stoops has brought is still at or near the bottom of the SEC. How can you expect to compete in a conference where you are always out-recruited?

 

[51stFan]

It isn't *ALL* that's keeping UK from winning, but it greatly amplifies the consequences of the other issues: geography and relative dearth of in-state talent. Combined, they - and a lack of support for football in the past - have resulted in a decades long tradition of losing. This has put UK at the bottom of the deepest well in the country. I know you're being sarcastic, but unfortunately, I believe UK *is* doomed to always lose, at least as long as they stay in the SEC. Which of cour$e they will never choo$e to leave. That thought makes a lot of people mad, but it is what it is, and there's 30 years of history to back it up. (going back to the emergence of UF as an SEC power - prior to that, I thought UK could possibly have been built up, but now the history and further increase in the overall strength of the SEC is too much). It's just very very difficult to recruit the kind of talent Alabama, Auburn, LSU, UGA, Florida, and Tennessee get every year. Those kinds of players do not want to play for a perennial loser. Even the major uptick in recruiting Stoops has brought is still at or near the bottom of the SEC. How can you expect to compete in a conference where you are always out-recruited?

That's why you have to make the right hire. There are coaches out there that can scheme their way to win with less talent. Might not beat the top two or three in the SEC but should win in the middle of the pack at least some of the time. One of those coaches that was capable of doing that wanted to talk to us but our AD wouldn't take the call.