KSR Today: College Football Coaching Carousel Chaos
Typically this space is reserved for college hoops discussion the night after a Kentucky basketball victory. The last 48 hours have been anything but typical in the world of college football thanks to unprecedented chaos on the coaching carousel.
The work week began with Mark Stoops posting the second-best odds to land the LSU head coaching gig. It ended with Brian Kelly departing Notre Dame to coach on the bayou. For a generation of college football fans, it’s unfathomable.
Why would the winningest coach in the history of Notre Dame football leave the school voluntarily? The short answer: to win a National Championship. Kelly did just about everything he could accomplish at the school, short of win a title. In the cutthroat world of college football recruiting, there’s a ceiling at Notre Dame and it’s just below LSU’s.
There are a few significant implications close to home.
- Mark Stoops ain’t going to Baton Rouge. Exhale, BBN.
- Ohio might be more friendly. Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell has been recruiting the Buckeye State diligently. Likely the primary target from South Bend, if he leaves the Bearcats and begins a more national recruiting approach, that could open the door for Vince Marrow.
- Aamil Wagner might be back on the board. Speaking of Ohio recruiting, the long-time UK target shocked Marrow when he spurned the Wildcats for the Fighting Irish on Nov. 11. Maybe he’ll reconsider his decision now and throw back on the blue and white jersey.
There’s one other recruit to consider. Kentucky was a finalist for four-star OT Drew Bobo before he ultimately decided to play for his Dad, Mike Bobo. Well, Mike was fired yesterday after one season at Auburn. The elder Bobo worked with UK offensive line coach Eric Wolford last year at South Carolina. If the Cats can’t get Wagner back in the fold, they might be able to attract the younger Bobo to Lexington.
Latest in Oklahoma
The latest buzz on Monday was surrounding to former Oklahoma assistants, Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables and South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer. To add flame to the fire surrounding the former, there was a picture of Tyler Venables throwing horns down floating around on Twitter Monday afternoon.
On the Road
Meanwhile, Mark Stoops was on the road recruiting for Kentucky in unusual areas. The road trip started in New Jersey where Stoops saw a target that recently entered the Wildcats radar. Davison Igbinosun is a 6-foot-2 cornerback ranked by On3 as the No. 127 player in America. The top-ranked player from the Garden State was once committed to Rutgers and is also being heavily pursued by Tennessee and Ole Miss. Kentucky is working to get him to Lexington for an official visit over the next two weeks.
White and Stoops also visited UK commit Tyreese Fearbry. A top 150 recruit that plays edge, Kentucky is fighting off Penn State and Pitt for the Penn State native down the stretch. The day ended in Detroit for an in-home visit with Deone Walker. Many believe Kentucky is the favorite, ahead of Michigan and Georgia, for the 6-foot-6, 260 pound defensive lineman.
Shorthanded Kentucky Wins Big
Davion Mintz missed his third straight game, but the Wildcats still had no problem with Tony Barbee’s team. The Wildcats defeated Central Michigan 85-57 thanks to 15 points from TyTy Washington, and a 20-point, 15-rebound double-double from Oscar Tshiebwe. I could show you highlights of Oscar’s performance, but this illustrates it much better.
Two New Coaches’ Shows
Coach Cal is following up last night’s win by talking with the BBN. The John Calipari Show returns to the UK Sports Network tonight at 7 pm ET. It will follow The Mark Stoops Show at 6 pm ET. Stoops’ appearance will most likely be brief. He’s busy making stops in living rooms across the country, so you will probably only hear from the Wildcats’ head coach during the opening segment of the show.
B.J. Boston went NUTS
Working on his game in the G League, the rookie made almost every shot he took. Boston netted nine three-pointers to score FORTY-SIX points in only 35 minutes of action. Incredible. Keep on balling, B.J.
Miss Kentucky Wins Miss USA
Elle Smith is making the Commonwealth proud. Monday night Miss Kentucky was crowned Miss USA, the first since Tara Conner in 2006. Smith is a 2020 graduate from the University of Kentucky where she received a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism and worked for the UK Student News Network. She currently works at WHAS-11 with another UKSNN and KSR alum, Hayley Minogue. Congrats Elle! Now go win Miss Universe.
Happy Birthday Joe B!
The former Kentucky head basketball coach and 1978 National Champion is celebrating his 93rd birthday today. On behalf of the entire BBN, Happy Birthday Coach! If you’d like to share a personal message with Coach, here’s how.
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