ANDY STAPLES

[wildcatglenn]

He was on 104.5 in Nashville this morning. He was very complimentary on UK's fan base calling us one of the best. Citing the good attendence for some aweful football. Before that he said if Soops wins 8 games he should leave for a bigger job. He doesn't think UK can win big in football. I have to say I disagree with that.

 

[fabcat]

A lot of people contend that UK can't win in football. If a coach can do what Stoops has turned around why can't he continue to win? Never understood that logic. With the money and facilty upgrades UK has put into the football program I see no reason they cannot be successful. I think some of it is people don't want them to be succeful. It has happened at TCU and Baylor, so why not at UK?

 

[Smashcat]

He was on 104.5 in Nashville this morning. He was very complimentary on UK's fan base calling us one of the best. Citing the good attendence for some aweful football. Before that he said if Soops wins 8 games he should leave for a bigger job. He doesn't think UK can win big in football. I have to say I disagree with that.

Glad he likes our fan base so much that he wants our coach to move on.

 

[FusterCluck]

He was on 104.5 in Nashville this morning. He was very complimentary on UK's fan base calling us one of the best. Citing the good attendence for some aweful football. Before that he said if Soops wins 8 games he should leave for a bigger job. He doesn't think UK can win big in football. I have to say I disagree with that.

Before the UF game, Lance Taylor of (W)JOX Roundtable was asked about the chances of Stoops taking another job if successful at UK this year. Lance replied, "6 Wins = 100%."

I don't agree. I don't think a lot of folks on the outside understand the situation or how much UK has given Stoops in the form of support and program improvements and especially considering a raise after a losing season. I think Stoops will show more loyalty than that. With that said, if an elite, blue blood program comes knocking, all bets are off, and I wouldn't blame him for listening.

As stated before, if the later ends up being the case, UKFB will be in a much better place than when he got here, which would make it an easier sell to a new coach. But, I'd rather not think about that.

 

[DoyleHargrave1]

He was on 104.5 in Nashville this morning. He was very complimentary on UK's fan base calling us one of the best. Citing the good attendence for some aweful football. Before that he said if Soops wins 8 games he should leave for a bigger job. He doesn't think UK can win big in football. I have to say I disagree with that.

IMO Stoops and Butch Jones have done about the same thing…….Better recruiting and questionable staffing and in game decisions……. Yet everyone wants Jones fired and Stoops promoted or upgraded to a "better" school. ????

 

[TheFolker]

Even if Stoops did want to jump at the end of the season I just don't anticipate a big job being open that would interest him. Miami is currently undefeated but they haven't played anyone. His alma mater, Iowa, is 4-0. There's no way Texas fires Strong this soon.

 

[BlueRaider22]

I think it depends on what you call "winning big."

-If you think winning big is riding highs of 9-10+ win seasons and lows of 7-8 win seasons. Then, yes, I think absolutely UK can achieve this. Look at Missou. They've had several 10+ win seasons since being in the SEC, but can't quite recruit well enough to do it every single yr. They'll have a down yr occasionally before peaking back up.

However, let me also cite that I think that they will expand the playoffs to 8 games in the next few yrs. Certainly if we can get the occasional 10+ win season, we could be in playoff discussion. And anything can happen in the playoffs.


-If you think winning big is like Bama. Basically winning 12+ wins every single yr....and in the NC talk every single yr.......then, we may not achieve this. You have to recruit top classes almost every single yr to achieve this. I think we'd have to win a NC in order start landing big time recruiting classes every single yr.





Also, Coaches leave. The history of coaches tells us that they jump from job to job. So, the odds are favor of Stoops leaving. Of course, if he is successful, none of us will want him to......but that's the nature of the beast. We can only hope that Mitch et al capitalize on the momentum that we have to hire the next guy......if Stoops leaves.

 

[Hayes4prez]

Most outside the BBN don't realize how much Kentucky Fans WANT to be good in Football and just naturally assume that since UK Football has been down for 50+ years, fans weren't showing up. I would argue BBN's commitment was fueling its own downfall. Fans were showing up and paying for bad football.

It wasn't until Joker was coaching that the fans united (through twitter and Facebook) and stopped showing up to make a statement. It lead to some easy TV cutaways during football games but the message was heard. Rival fans would say "You didn't even sell out against Missouri" and that's is more of a black mark on the fan base than not showing up for Joker's tenure. But while our true fan base is football savvy, all the bandwagon fans that surround us in basketball season don't understand football. They fill the corners of the upper-deck. Once UK starts winning, they'll hop on the bandwagon.

As for keeping Stoops, it depends on the job. If a top tier program comes calling... yeah, he's going to leave. If a team like Oklahoma State comes offering... he's staying. He would already be winning in the best conference. Why leave that?

 

[Mojocat]

The preception is life is so difficult in the SEC, and UK simply doesn't have the resources (which mostly means tradition and the uncompromising fan base that comes with it) of the powers, so any success at UK will be fleeting, followed soon thereafter by a return to mediocrity. Or worse. It's understandable why people might assume that based on our history. And so, if you're a coach at UK who does find success, the conventional wisdom will be leave while the leaving is good, before it's too late.

At the risk of sounding naive, I think - although all of that is plausible and most coaches might in fact parlay success at UK into another job - Stoops may be different. If only because he's from Ohio, and based on what we heard about him wanting the job for some time when he was hired. The fact that he grew up close by, viewed UK as, not a sleeping giant, but at least a school which had underperformed historically relative to what it arguably could be doing, northernmost SEC school meaning it can recruit in the B10, all of that....I don't know, I think he might be here a while, even if he's as successful as we hope. Could be wrong, maybe he's seen things in his time here that give him a better handle on our limited historical success, why it's been that way and is likely to continue that way, maybe he'll jump at the first chance. But I don't see it right now anyway......

 

[JasonS.]

I could see a scenario play out this year that leads to Stoops taking the Miami job (that fanbase wants Golden gone, they're just praying for a few loses ...), but I don't think it's likely.

Miami fans want Butch Davis back. Not sure anything short of that will move the needle.

 

[DaBossIsBack]

It really depends on what stoops wants. Does he want to build a program or does he want that blue blood job and chances at national championships? If he wins 7, 8, 9 games consistently here then he will never get fired. Sprinkle in a few magical seasons and he could retire as the Bear Bryant of Kentucky football and have the stadium named after him. Just depends on his goals. Money won't be a factor in his decision to stay or leave.

 

[Comebakatz3]

IMO Stoops and Butch Jones have done about the same thing…….Better recruiting and questionable staffing and in game decisions……. Yet everyone wants Jones fired and Stoops promoted or upgraded to a "better" school. ????

Comparing these two is asinine in my opinion. Butch Jones is not recruiting at a level unheard of at Tennessee. They are almost always consistently a top 15 team in recruiting. Even under Dooley they had top 20 recruiting classes. It was pretty much to be expected considering their facilities.

On the other hand, UK had never before had a recruiting class that ranked inside the top 35, and they have only had two since 2002 that finished inside the top 45. Stoops comes to UK and has 3 classes inside the top 35, with one that ranked 17th. He's currently got his recruiting class for 2016 ranked 15th and has 5 commitments already in the 2017 and 2018 classes, including the number 2 wide receiver in the class of 2018. All this with comparatively lesser facilities than most SEC schools.

 

[AndyPopCat]

Already had my "run in" with Staples over his thoughts/comments. He offers no actually insight...just regurgitates the same worn out cliches.

http://kentucky.forums.rivals.com/t...-twitter-not-sure-if-hilarious-or-sad.102873/

 

[KWilt43atbuzz]

The talking heads already know UK will always compete at a very high level in basketball. Its a "heaven forbid that they start doing the same in football" mentality.

To put it in laymen's terminology:

"Hater's gonna Hate"...

 

[Soupbean]

I've always said winning big at UK is like starting a fire from scratch in the forest. A lot of guys can create the initial spark and throw a bunch of paper on there to even get a good flame going, but at places like UK you not only have to have a guy that can create the spark ( a sizzle that draws recruits) but he and his staff also have to be a difference maker as a coach in both player development and in games to create some sustained winning to keep the recruits coming because if not the sizzle will eventual die out.

Stoops and company have definitely created the spark and turned in into a flame and they are in the kindling stage right now and have the fire started where it seems to be going on it's own some now. We'll see if they can stack some logs on there now to really get it going and that will take some 7 and 8 win seasons to build on.

 

[STUCKNBIG10]

I'm not naive enough to think that Stoops wouldn't leave under any circumstances, but i think it takes a special job or opportunity for him to leave (** unless he feels that the admin or the fanbase is not properly supporting the program). He would likely leave for a gold-standard program like Michigan or Notre Dame or Alabama, but we have a long way to go before we worry about that.

The new normal in college athletics is that all schools in the biggest of big-time leagues (i.e. the Big 10 and the SEC) have money. Schools like Miss St. would have lost Mullin a long time ago in the old days. Now, you see guys like he and Hugh Freeze setting up camp at Ole Miss and Miss st. The money there is huge just like it is at Auburn or LSU, so they don't see the need to leave. There are always exceptions and there are always egos involved, so Stoops may not be immune to a bigger stage, but I think he will show that he can win at UK just like you can win at Ole Miss or South Carolina.

 

[mrschwump]

I'm not naive enough to think that Stoops wouldn't leave under any circumstances, but i think it takes a special job or opportunity for him to leave (** unless he feels that the admin or the fanbase is not properly supporting the program). He would likely leave for a gold-standard program like Michigan or Notre Dame or Alabama, but we have a long way to go before we worry about that.

The new normal in college athletics is that all schools in the biggest of big-time leagues (i.e. the Big 10 and the SEC) have money. Schools like Miss St. would have lost Mullin a long time ago in the old days. Now, you see guys like he and Hugh Freeze setting up camp at Ole Miss and Miss st. The money there is huge just like it is at Auburn or LSU, so they don't see the need to leave. There are always exceptions and there are always egos involved, so Stoops may not be immune to a bigger stage, but I think he will show that he can win at UK just like you can win at Ole Miss or South Carolina.

Agree with this. People need to understand things are different now than 20, or even 10, years ago. I remember when Baylor or TCU or Miss St, etc were beyond sorry programs. But they did 2 things...hired good football coaches and put money in their program and have built good teams. No reason to think UK can't do the same.

 

[mrschwump]

I'm not naive enough to think that Stoops wouldn't leave under any circumstances, but i think it takes a special job or opportunity for him to leave (** unless he feels that the admin or the fanbase is not properly supporting the program). He would likely leave for a gold-standard program like Michigan or Notre Dame or Alabama, but we have a long way to go before we worry about that.

The new normal in college athletics is that all schools in the biggest of big-time leagues (i.e. the Big 10 and the SEC) have money. Schools like Miss St. would have lost Mullin a long time ago in the old days. Now, you see guys like he and Hugh Freeze setting up camp at Ole Miss and Miss st. The money there is huge just like it is at Auburn or LSU, so they don't see the need to leave. There are always exceptions and there are always egos involved, so Stoops may not be immune to a bigger stage, but I think he will show that he can win at UK just like you can win at Ole Miss or South Carolina.

Agree with this. People need to understand things are different now than 20, or even 10, years ago. I remember when Baylor or TCU or Miss St, etc were beyond sorry programs. But they did 2 things...hired good football coaches and put money in their program and have built good teams. No reason to think UK can't do the same.

 

[DACats86]

It requires a paradigm shift in a lot of peoples' thinking for them to accept that UK can have a consistently good football team... This season is already causing many of them a lot of consternation.

 

[pickled cat]

Let's hang on to Stoops by treating him like we should have treated the Bear!! Don't tell me we cant win big at Ky, The Bear disproved that long ago!!!

 

[Hayes4prez]

Let's hang on to Stoops by treating him like we should have treated the Bear!! Don't tell me we cant win big at Ky, The Bear disproved that long ago!!!

While I agree, in theory Kentucky could win big in football... someday. But using one of the greatest coaches (if not the greatest coach) to coach the game as a reason someone else can win at Kentucky is a poor example (logically). Kentucky won under Bear Bryant BECAUSE of Bear Bryant. Not the other way around.

 

[sluggercatfan]

A lot of people contend that UK can't win in football. If a coach can do what Stoops has turned around why can't he continue to win? Never understood that logic. With the money and facilty upgrades UK has put into the football program I see no reason they cannot be successful. I think some of it is people don't want them to be succeful. It has happened at TCU and Baylor, so why not at UK?

A lot in the so called "UK fanbase" dosen't the fb program to be successful...right Oscar?

 

[TotesMcGotes]

Not sure if this has been mentioned... but hasn't bob stoops been at Oklahoma forever? He has been mentioned numerous times over the years for other jobs including NFL jobs and has shown his loyalty to Oklahoma. They are brothers... I know Oklahoma is not kentucky but worth mentioning

 

[CatDaddy4daWin]

I don't believe Stoops is going anywhere for awhile, so long as the admin and fans support the program.

And he can absolutely win big here. If Baylor can do it, just about anyone can. Yes, they are in Texas but Baylor was probably the worst program in Div 1 for years. Just absolutely terrible. I'm still in shock that they are winning now. Just like I'm sure a bunch of folks will be shocked when UK starts doing it.

First, need to get to a bowl
Then, we need to move up the pecking order of the SEC East
Then, we need to win the SEC East
Then, we need to starting winning the SEC every 4-5 years.
If we do that, we will eventually break through and win the SEC championship.
Win the SEC championship and you are guaranteed a spot in the playoff. Then anything could happen.

How long will all this take? Who knows. But if Stoops stays here, he could do all of those things once we get going. I have no doubt in my mind. South Carolina did it. Miss St has done it in the West.

 

[jnewc2]

IMO Stoops and Butch Jones have done about the same thing…….Better recruiting and questionable staffing and in game decisions……. Yet everyone wants Jones fired and Stoops promoted or upgraded to a "better" school. ????

No, no they clearly haven't done the "same" thing. What Stoops has done is overachieve with significantly less talent and resources (and less head coaching experience). To compare the two coaches is just silly when you look at the tradition, recruits, etc that UT brings in. Stoops has overachieved thus far. Butch Jones has significantly underachieved.

 

[NCukcat62]

No way stoops leaves this soon. Only a big dog later on might get him, and even then he might stick around.

 

[KWilt43atbuzz]

Not sure if this has been mentioned... but hasn't bob stoops been at Oklahoma forever? He has been mentioned numerous times over the years for other jobs including NFL jobs and has shown his loyalty to Oklahoma. They are brothers... I know Oklahoma is not kentucky but worth mentioning

Oklahoma is right up there with Bama and Notre Dame and USC in regards to winning traditions in college football.

Its like comparing Megan Fox to Rosie O'Donnell.

 

[Zakk Wyldcat]

Stoops to Miami? He'd have to win 10+ games this season to even get consideration.

 

[Anjiejo]

Even if Stoops did want to jump at the end of the season I just don't anticipate a big job being open that would interest him. Miami is currently undefeated but they haven't played anyone. His alma mater, Iowa, is 4-0. There's no way Texas fires Strong this soon.

Even if they did I don't see them coming after stoops...the next hire will probably be a Michigan type hire...big name hire...jmo..
P.s. talking about Texas....

 

[TheFolker]

Stoops to Miami? He'd have to win 10+ games this season to even get consideration.

Al Golden disagrees.

 

[bluescat92]

Not sure if this has been mentioned... but hasn't bob stoops been at Oklahoma forever? He has been mentioned numerous times over the years for other jobs including NFL jobs and has shown his loyalty to Oklahoma. They are brothers... I know Oklahoma is not kentucky but worth mentioning

Loyalty is a trait that exists in the Stoops family which no doubt was passed down thru their father. Coach Stoops is all about building a program into the vision he has had during his career, making kids into successful men and players and earning the respect of his peers. You can not be successful at any of those goals without loyalty and longevity.

If he succeeds in bringing UK to elite status as a program why would he leave. No doubt him and his staff would be compensated at the level elite coaches would be paid for getting there and maintaining it.

I don't see it happening regardless of who is calling. All this bs about him leaving after going 6-6 is nuts. Coach Stoops has higher aspirations for his program then that. You can hear it every time he talks.

Haters keep on hating but the last laugh will be on you when you don't have any thing to complain about.