Coaching Honeymoon Over

[C1180]

When a new coach is hired there is what is called the honeymoon effect. It seems that honeymoon has ended for coach Stoops and his staff. Multiple decommitments and now this Bar Fight thing involving it seems 3 of his prized recruits from last year.

I had thought the Honeymoon would last through next year but it seems that 6 game losing streak to end the season has cut short the honeymoon.

This is what makes rebuilding a football program like UK so difficult. The honeymoons are never long enough for the coach to do what is necessary to rebuild the program.

I posted earlier in the year that I thought that six wins and a bowl was necessary to continue this program on track and give the coaching staff a longer honeymoon effect. I hope I was wrong but the signs say that I wasn't.

If the bleeding isn't stopped soon this could be a disaster for UK football. The loss of any of those last years recruits coupled with what is happening with this years recruiting class would put UK football in full disaster mode.
This post was edited on 1/28 8:21 AM by C1180

 

[fballcats76]

Re: Coaching Honeymoom Over


We are cursed for sure.

 

[Ryan Lemonds Diary]

Originally posted by C1180:
When a new coach is hired there is what is called the honeymoon effect. It seems that honeymoon has ended for coach Stoops and his staff. Multiple decommitments and now this Bar Fight thing involving it seems 3 of his prized recruits from last year.

I had thought the Honeymoon would last through next year but it seems that 6 game losing streak to end the season has cut short the honeymoon.

This is what makes rebuilding a football program like UK so difficult. The honeymoons are never long enough for the coach to do what is necessary to rebuild the program.

I posted earlier in the year that I thought that six wins and a bowl was necessary to continue this program on track and give the coaching staff a longer honeymoon effect. I hope I was wrong but the signs say that I wasn't.

If the bleeding isn't stopped soon this could be a disaster for UK football. The loss of any of those last years recruits coupled with what is happening with this years recruiting class would put UK football in full disaster mode.

This post was edited on 1/28 8:21 AM by C1180

 

[ZZBlueComet]

I remember pointing out how this team could not weather going 0-6 down the stretch, how they had to get some momentum - of course the always faithful crowd would eat you alive for even breathing such a thing.

Bama, Ohio State and others can withstand these type of seasons, we can't, it sets us back years when it happens.

 

[C1180]

Originally posted by meeksfor3:

Originally posted by C1180:
When a new coach is hired there is what is called the honeymoon effect. It seems that honeymoon has ended for coach Stoops and his staff. Multiple decommitments and now this Bar Fight thing involving it seems 3 of his prized recruits from last year.

I had thought the Honeymoon would last through next year but it seems that 6 game losing streak to end the season has cut short the honeymoon.

This is what makes rebuilding a football program like UK so difficult. The honeymoons are never long enough for the coach to do what is necessary to rebuild the program.

I posted earlier in the year that I thought that six wins and a bowl was necessary to continue this program on track and give the coaching staff a longer honeymoon effect. I hope I was wrong but the signs say that I wasn't.

If the bleeding isn't stopped soon this could be a disaster for UK football. The loss of any of those last years recruits coupled with what is happening with this years recruiting class would put UK football in full disaster mode.


This post was edited on 1/28 8:21 AM by C1180

Relax and let the UK football program meander along as bottom feeders like it has for just too many years. Stoops gave me hope but recent events have somewhat dashed that hope.

Recruiting, coaching up, and keeping those recruits is the life blood of any football program.

I am not liking recent developments along those lines.

 

[dorkmeister]

There are a few posters on here who I actually read and know they are neither drinking the cool aid nor bashing for no reason and C1180 is one of them.

I hate when posters like you are down but I understand the reasoning. Throw in ZZBlue to this conversation and I start to listen. Sadly, 3 seasons into it and if we do not go to a bowl game, Stoops will be on the hot seat and we all know what that does to recruiting and team moral. Thanks for posting and we will all hope it comes around these next couple days but we all understand the angst. It appears the honeymoon is over

 

[CHAMPCAT11]

Three million dollars a year GUARANTEED for multiple years tends to change the urgency of a person's work ethic. I'm the first person to say it's only fair to let this play out awhile but initial vibes don't spin this in a positive light. Coaches are competitive but Stoops will get richer and richer over the next few years and money (huge money) can make a person complacent. Hope that's not the case but UK football isn't maintaining the momentum and positivity it had in years one and two.

 

[USMC Cat]

While this week has been bad, this is way overblown.

Yeah our class is #48 now in line with Duke, Baylor, and OK St, but it's one season. The last two classes have been solid and the vast majority of our team will be those guys.

Florida is at #99. That's a disaster. Right along side Boise St and Michigan.

 

[C1180]

Originally posted by USMC Cat:
While this week has been bad, this is way overblown.

Yeah our class is #48 now in line with Duke, Baylor, and OK St, but it's one season. The last two classes have been solid and the vast majority of our team will be those guys.

Florida is at #99. That's a disaster. Right along side Boise St and Michigan.

Do you seriously think that those three football programs will not be much higher in the recruiting rankings when the smoke clears on signing day. I just hope they don't pirate some more of UKs recruits.

 

[Chump Change X]

Don't get caught up in class ranking. The real place to look at is how the class addresses specific needs. RB? No.....much to be determined.

 

[gobigblue812]

The sky is falling. The sky is falling. The sky is falling.





Typical loser posters. Why don't you go look for a desk to hide under. Oh, wait, you probably already are. Always looking for the negative no matter what the situation is.

 

[UK Cats Rock]

From my perspective, he's still in honeymoon mode for me.

It's hard for me to get too worked up right now because of what the situation was when he got here. If he took over right after Brooks, then it would be over for me. But from what he took over, it's going to take more than two seasons and three recruiting classes.

I hate what's going on right now, but I'll reserve my judgment after I see how Stoops handles it. Things happen, but it's how he responds to it that I'm interested in seeing.

He's got his work cut out for him for sure.

 

[mrschwump]

There's a pecking order in college football and right now UK has a small pecker. Stoops has a huge mountain to climb, unfortunately he has to get the program out of a Grand Canyon sized hole before he can start the climb. As others have said, winning cures all.

The classic Catch-22 UK's been mired in still exists....you have to have good players to win but you have to win to get good players.

 

[gojvc]

Originally posted by C1180:
When a new coach is hired there is what is called the honeymoon effect. It seems that honeymoon has ended for coach Stoops and his staff. Multiple decommitments and now this Bar Fight thing involving it seems 3 of his prized recruits from last year.

I had thought the Honeymoon would last through next year but it seems that 6 game losing streak to end the season has cut short the honeymoon.

This is what makes rebuilding a football program like UK so difficult. The honeymoons are never long enough for the coach to do what is necessary to rebuild the program.

I posted earlier in the year that I thought that six wins and a bowl was necessary to continue this program on track and give the coaching staff a longer honeymoon effect. I hope I was wrong but the signs say that I wasn't.

If the bleeding isn't stopped soon this could be a disaster for UK football. The loss of any of those last years recruits coupled with what is happening with this years recruiting class would put UK football in full disaster mode.
This post was edited on 1/28 8:21 AM by C1180

You say "The honeymoons are never long enough for the coach to do what is necessary to rebuild the program" [/I]and then you proceed to essentially do the thing you're complaining about, that being ending the honeymoon.

 

[K_TIME]

For those posters who argued fans were of the "microwave society" and always banting "we don't have talent", etc.. when the team crapped its pants down the stretch...here is your turn to raise your hands and be counted again.

Stoops really needs to buckle down with the coaches and develop some kids and get the on field product rolling. The QB development and being stifled so often in games was a big deterrent, defensive unit that finished in the 80's with so many upper classmen (and 2 NFL draft picks on the DL) was head scratching, special team fiascos that took any chance away in a few games, etc..

In the end...90% (the other 10% is the USCjr win) of Stoops momentum was all based on recruiting...which as we are seeing is such a fickle aspect of the progam at UK right now. It comes and goes so easily. But having kids (by way of good coaching) that execute the plays, QB development(by way of coaching), LBers that read their keys and make plays, etc...

I like our coach and I think we can withstand this recruiting blip...but he has to win the UL game, has to win 3 or more SEC games and start to get past the likes of Miss St, Mizzou, UL, USCjr, UF is way down, etc...Can't keep just punting those games as losses every year.

 

[gojvc]

Originally posted by K_TIME:

...Can't keep just punting those games as losses every year.

Who would have thought that he could? Of course we need to start winning those types of games. But there was no reason to expect that it should have happened in his first two years given the dumpster fire he inherited. Under the circumstances an increase from 2 wins to 5 seems like a pretty good progression for a coach building a program literally from the ground up.

 

[ukalumni00]

No matter how you slice this thing, year 3 is the do-or-die year for this staff. They have to make it to a bowl game and they cannot afford a bunch of blowout losses. The "we are still young" or there are still some "Joker players still on the field" is not going to fly with many in the fan base and more importantly the 16-17 recruits this program needs in a big way.

Win the 3 easier OOC games, end the FL streak, beat UofL, and get 1-3 more SEC wins and everything changes for the better. Building program will always have its peaks and valleys but it is very safe to say its time for this staff to prove their worth on the field and not in hype marketing videos, renovations, or prior recruiting class rankings.

 

[JHB4UK]

Originally posted by ukalumni00:
No matter how you slice this thing, year 3 is the do-or-die year for this staff. They have to make it to a bowl game and they cannot afford a bunch of blowout losses. The "we are still young" or there are still some "Joker players still on the field" is not going to fly with many in the fan base and more importantly the 16-17 recruits this program needs in a big way.

or what?
UK should fire him?
Swallow what is now a $22M/6 year guaranteed contract, if we go 5-7 or worst?

 

[DACats86]

Y'all hyperbole much?

 

[ukalumni00]

Originally posted by JHB4UK:

Originally posted by ukalumni00:
No matter how you slice this thing, year 3 is the do-or-die year for this staff. They have to make it to a bowl game and they cannot afford a bunch of blowout losses. The "we are still young" or there are still some "Joker players still on the field" is not going to fly with many in the fan base and more importantly the 16-17 recruits this program needs in a big way.

or what?
UK should fire him?
Swallow what is now a $22M/6 year guaranteed contract, if we go 5-7 or worst?

UK is going to have to pay him if he wins or not. That is not the issue. I continue to feel this is a 5-6 year project for him, but there are some cracks starting to appear in the foundation. Hopefully this is a small blimp on the radar and we all forget about it if or when the team shows real success on the field next season. Winning cures about everything.

Look, I am still 100% on board with Stoops, but I stated the obvious. He has to start winning now. Not because I as a fan says he does. The lifeblood of this program is recruiting and another losing season is going to cast a ton of doubt to the already committed 16 recruits and the ones they are still going after. Boosters or donors who have given more money to the program are not going to continue to do so for a losing coach. The UK football fanbase (for better or worse) have been stabbed many times by this football program.