I feel a lot like UKErik at this point. I've supported him and will continue to support the program regardless.
You wouldn't recognize that evidence if it fell out of the sky and nailed you between the eyes.
Here's the dilema with Stoops - we are not the total laughing stock of college football with him. However, this past week when I wear my Kentucky shirts I still get laughed at and kidded about Kentucky football. People don't think winning 7 games is a very big deal - like people in Kentucky do. Just look how many coaches are being fired who win that many games year over year - they want more- UK really doesn't! But, we are getting laughed at by SEC schools with him - not because of him being a bad guy - I think he is one of the good guys. He's peaked in the SEC. You can give me crap all day long - but I doubt he ever wins more than he loses in the SEC and if he goes 4-4 again in the SEC, much less win a division - I will be surprised. The other SEC coaches love him - they know they have good odds against him when all things are equal - our problem - they will never be equal as long as he is on the sidelines as the head coach.
Interesting comparison. When Brooks took the UK job, he was 62 years old with prior experience as Oregon's head coach and as an NFL head coach. Brooks was an excellent tactical coach who couldn't recruit, or didn't have the necessary southeastern connections to get it done as a recruiter at the SEC level here. By contrast, Stoops has the connections and skills to recruit at a high level here, but does not yet have the experience and savvy to run a tight program in the same way Brooks did it. When Stoops took the UK head coaching job, he was 45 years old (17 years younger than Brooks was). Many of our fans don't seem to understand the significance of this difference in age and experience, or the likelihood that Stoops will learn like all young coaches and become more effective.
LOL! This year actually proved that Stoops could win 4 straight against South Carolina and take the program to back to back bowls, despite losing Boom, Badet, Mosier, Baker, Hayes and playing half the year with a wounded quarterback. I don't count myself in the pro-Stoops or the anti-Stoops camp. I am concerned about our team's poor play against MSU, Georgia, UL. I am concerned about our 2018 quarterbacks and receivers. But this isn't twiddly winks. Inheriting a 2-10 team and then building a roster in a small state like KY that can go to consecutive bowls is a lot harder than the amateurs here think. I remember very well when UK fans were determined to run off Rich Brooks. If Stoops leaves, you will get a rude awakening.
Indeed. It's what I'm hoping for. Stoops has brought improvement and stability. It's his stubbornness, dismissivness of valid criticism, and seeming unwillingness to learn from his past mistakes that have me concerned. There is a clear lack of discipline on the team and that needs to be rectified. I just don't believe that a coach that is going to succeed loses the way we lost this year in their 5th season. It's not the number of losses that have me up in arms. We only won 7 last year and I was ecstatic. It's how we lost that throws up red flags.
It’s same mistakes in year 5 that really kills me. But keep dreaming. The was sec was garbage this year and could only get 7 wins. Think about that.
Maybe you need to think about it. Have you ever coached or played college football?
To answer your question, it happens everywhere sooner or later, and it gives coaches headaches everywhere. I'm not defending it. But if our fans demand so much robotic perfection that they lose sight of the fact that players make mistakes everywhere, then they can't understand significance of back to back bowl seasons in a program that was 2-10 in 2012 and 2013. And if that is the case, then you will run off Stoops and then we will start all over again.
Then you should know that football is a game of attrition played and coached by imperfect people. Be careful what you wish for.
Totally agree with every word. I'm not out yet but I'm close. I'm no where near as impressed as the Stoops fan boys that keep shouting 7 wins. Any one that can look at the situation objectively can see how much that was smoke and mirrors and not something sustainable. Stoops' refusal to hire quality assistants may be his undoing. I agree with the point that he prefers to surround himself with people that he can dominate.
I’m not saying you have to be perfect but there comes a time that you can’t make the same excuse. Especially the money he makes.
you seem to like bringing up the '5 years remaining on contract' a lot. no one here had anything to do with that ridiculousness. so you're likely to hear a lot of bitching and see a lot of poor ticket sales for the next 5 yrs
truer narrative: the contract he has was lunacy and those responsible should be fired
Thank you. That contract is ridiculous.
Really, how would you know? Have you ever been a college coach or athletics director? The contract Stoops has is what it takes to keep him here under the circumstances.
Calling fans stupid is stupid itself. Fans were begging for Brooks to be fired but to be fare the first 4 year he should have been. To Brooks credit he eventually righted the ship by getting rid of Hudson and moving away from the run first philosophy and turning the offense over to Joker's pass first philosophy. That's by the way is what fans were calling for in year one.
