CJ Conrad promotion
- Thread starter Smashcat
- Start date
Love seeing these young coaches with UK ties start climbing the ladder.
An interesting note about the tweet is that Louis Matsakis is no longer with the team. He was the ST Quality Control coach for a long time under Stoops and the guy in the beard you always saw talking to Stoops during ST plays. Looks like Stoops was serious about changing ST’s.
Glad to see CJ Conrad's role with the team growing. Very high football IQ. Always admired his tenacity.
Good. Can't keep your job when you have two long snappers that can't snap, two place kickers who can't kick, and a blocking scheme that can't stop kicks from getting blocked.
Love seeing smart talented guys come back in the program on the coaching/analyst side after their playing days over. CJ & Drake Jackson will be great.
C j speaks to knowledge about personnel and blocking schemes - I believe he will be a young head coach.
But why use that Google thing when the answer to this question (and virtually every other football question) is right here on CATSIllustrated?
Peace
Was not impressed with Matsakis, neither was my Sister or Nephew during his recruitment. His job was to recruit ST and he was terrible at it. His communication was awful. My nephew was UK’s to lose if Matsakis would have been more accessible to recruits. Carter Schwartz would likely have still been on board too, but he decomitted and went to UofL.
As he should be, we were really bad on that side of the ball. You have to be great in all phases in the SEC and ST probably cost us 3 games this year.
I’ve never cringed more in my life than I did last year during anything kicking related.
Yeah, but aside from that were there any problems with special teams? LOL
Staff such as QC or GAs do extensive film study on our team, opposing teams, other successful offenses, etc. It’s a 90 hour a week job during the season. Every program needs several of these guys.
one part of our kicking game was excellent, Chance Poore's kickoffs. He never seems to get recognized on this board for doing an outstanding job for some reason. His kicks routinely carried deep into the end zone negating some great SEC returners from even getting a chance to hurt our team!
Here is Mike Preifer’s bio from UK Athletics (lest Wildcard be tempted to Google):
“Preifer’s name might be familiar to National Football League aficionados as his father Mike Priefer has almost two decades of pro coach experience, including the last four as the special teams coordinator for the Cleveland Browns. His grandfather, Chuck Priefer, was a longtime college and NFL coach, including a special teams coach with the San Diego Chargers and Detroit Lions.
‘Mike comes from a long history of NFL special teams coordinators,’ Stoops said. ‘He’s grown up around the game and he’s wanted to be a coach all his life. He’s a young, up-and-coming coach who brings passion to the table every single day. We are excited to have to him join our program.’
Priefer Jr. comes to the Bluegrass after one season as the special teams coordinator, tight ends and fullback coach at Western Illinois.
Prior to Western Illinois, he was the special teams coordinator for a season (2021) at Northwood University in Midland, Michigan. Under his tutelage, the Timberwolves led the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in kickoff return average and yards, field goal percentage and blocked kicks during the 2022 season. His special teams also ranked second in punt average.
Before coaching at Northwood, Priefer Jr. served as a defensive graduate assistant at the University of Pittsburgh for two seasons (2019-2020), with a primary focus on linebackers.
Priefer Jr. also was a defensive graduate assistant at the University of Minnesota from January 2018 to January of 2019.
The Mound, Minnesota, native attended college and played football at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he was a three-time letterwinner and a two-year starter in the defensive backfield. He also started in all six phases of special teams (kickoff return, kickoff coverage, punt coverage, punt return, field goal and field goal block).
Priefer Jr. earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology sports pedagogy from Wisconsin-Eau Clair in 2017.”
ukathletics.com
“Preifer’s name might be familiar to National Football League aficionados as his father Mike Priefer has almost two decades of pro coach experience, including the last four as the special teams coordinator for the Cleveland Browns. His grandfather, Chuck Priefer, was a longtime college and NFL coach, including a special teams coach with the San Diego Chargers and Detroit Lions.
‘Mike comes from a long history of NFL special teams coordinators,’ Stoops said. ‘He’s grown up around the game and he’s wanted to be a coach all his life. He’s a young, up-and-coming coach who brings passion to the table every single day. We are excited to have to him join our program.’
Priefer Jr. comes to the Bluegrass after one season as the special teams coordinator, tight ends and fullback coach at Western Illinois.
Prior to Western Illinois, he was the special teams coordinator for a season (2021) at Northwood University in Midland, Michigan. Under his tutelage, the Timberwolves led the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in kickoff return average and yards, field goal percentage and blocked kicks during the 2022 season. His special teams also ranked second in punt average.
Before coaching at Northwood, Priefer Jr. served as a defensive graduate assistant at the University of Pittsburgh for two seasons (2019-2020), with a primary focus on linebackers.
Priefer Jr. also was a defensive graduate assistant at the University of Minnesota from January 2018 to January of 2019.
The Mound, Minnesota, native attended college and played football at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he was a three-time letterwinner and a two-year starter in the defensive backfield. He also started in all six phases of special teams (kickoff return, kickoff coverage, punt coverage, punt return, field goal and field goal block).
Priefer Jr. earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology sports pedagogy from Wisconsin-Eau Clair in 2017.”
Stoops Announces Support Staff Changes
Wildcats welcome quality control coaches C.J. Conrad and Michael Priefer Jr.
ukathletics.com
No, he was a punter from Trinity. He was also the holder for my nephew and his good friend.
