Kentucky's Love/Hate Relationship with Coaches...

[BlueBomb]

It's interesting to look back on the coaches that have come and gone, when you realize EVERY coach (and let's leave Rupp out of this conversation) has endured varying degrees of love and hate from the fans.

Hall takes over for Rupp. He was revered, then shown the door after fan frustration became untenable, then became one of the most beloved figures in the school's history.
Sutton was a huge hit with the fans in the beginning. And then, of course, there was the drinking and the "Kentucky Shame" SI cover. Now, he'll forever be associated with Kentucky's darkest period.
Pitino then arrives. No coach was loved more. And no coach was hated more when he misread Kentucky fans' loyalty and took the UofL job.
Tubby followed and received plenty of love and hate while he was here. But in the end, most of us agreed: Good man, bad coach. Glad he's gone.
BCG arrives. He had a short honeymoon and then became a laughingstock. No love there. Never was.
Cal arrives and quickly earns loyalty and adoration. No way this one ends bad, right? Wrong. Now, we not only want him gone, we can't stand the dude.

The bottom line is that as a fanbase, we have a universal distaste for almost all of our past coaches. And the funny thing is that most deserve it:

Hall, not so much.
Sutton, well of course.
Pitino, damn right.
Tubby, well that's complicated.
BCG, duh.
Cal, sorry, but yes. He dislikes us so...

 

[LXWildcat]

It's interesting to look back on the coaches that have come and gone, when you realize EVERY coach (and let's leave Rupp out of this conversation) has endured varying degrees of love and hate from the fans.

Hall takes over for Rupp. He was revered, then shown the door after fan frustration became untenable, then became one of the most beloved figures in the school's history.
Sutton was a huge hit with the fans in the beginning. And then, of course, there was the drinking and the "Kentucky Shame" SI cover. Now, he'll forever be associated with Kentucky's darkest period.
Pitino then arrives. No coach was loved more. And no coach was hated more when he misread Kentucky fans' loyalty and took the UofL job.
Tubby followed and received plenty of love and hate while he was here. But in the end, most of us agreed: Good man, bad coach. Glad he's gone.
BCG arrives. He had a short honeymoon and then became a laughingstock. No love there. Never was.
Cal arrives and quickly earns loyalty and adoration. No way this one ends bad, right? Wrong. Now, we not only want him gone, we can't stand the dude.

The bottom line is that as a fanbase, we have a universal distaste for almost all of our past coaches. And the funny thing is that most deserve it:

Hall, not so much.
Sutton, well of course.
Pitino, damn right.
Tubby, well that's complicated.
BCG, duh.
Cal, sorry, but yes. He dislikes us so...

I disagree with the Pitno statement, I think the majority of fans would welcome him back in a heart beat. Yes he made mistakes but who hasn’t?

 

[BlueBomb]

I disagree with the Pitno statement, I think the majority of fans would welcome him back in a heart beat. Yes he made mistakes but who hasn’t?

Understood. But that was one HUGE mistake. Unforgiveable in my book.

 

[DraftCat]

The cycle of life as a coach... only Pitino really did it right when he left. Except he came back to college to Louisville.

 

[blubo]

joe b left us in decent shape

 

[BigBlue1992]

Like Batman says “you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain”. That statement is true in a lot phases of life.

 

[BlueManToo]

I think the OP's original analysis is generally correct in the big picture, but if we're only talking about their time and Kentucky and then the circumstances that led to each coach leaving or getting fired, Pitino is probably the only one who left before a majority of the fans were ready for him to leave. Pitino was in his prime and we can only speculate on how many more FF's and titles UK might have had he stayed another 10 years.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

I disagree with the Pitno statement, I think the majority of fans would welcome him back in a heart beat. Yes he made mistakes but who hasn’t?

Some UK fans are dumb enough to think what worked 30 years ago will work in the NIL and transfer era. I guess that portion would welcome him back.

 

[Jont0805]

My time starts with Pitino. Looking at the coaches since him he was the only coach to leave the program in great shape and took the program over at a time it could have completely fell apart. He made some dumb and crazy choices after UK, but as the coach at UK he has to be looked at as great.

-Cal took over in a terrible spot but will leave it in an equally bad spot when he leaves due to the turnover rate of players

-tubby took the program from number 1 to not being a contender at all in the last few years

-Billy Clyde just a complete disaster obviously

It matters a lot where you leave the program. Seems like we have a history of coaches leaving the program in a pretty bad spot but are lucky enough to have the prestige and fanbase that can bring it back if the right coach comes along. History tells us as long as they are not a drunk they at least leave with a title.

 

[DraftCat]

Some UK fans are dumb enough to think what worked 30 years ago will work in the NIL and transfer era. I guess that portion would welcome him back.

Right... does Pitino have any titles if his star players bounced after their freshman year? Or got poached by another team for a couple hundred K more?

 

[UKWildcats1987]

Right... does Pitino have any titles if his star players bounced after their freshman year? Or got poached by another team for a couple hundred K more?

We don't win if we don't have walker n 96 IMO.

Pitino benefitted greatly from the era he coached in here.

 

[MegaBlue05]

I disagree with the Pitno statement, I think the majority of fans would welcome him back in a heart beat. Yes he made mistakes but who hasn’t?

I wouldn’t. Because I don’t live in the past.

Pitino at 71 isn’t going to do the same things he did at 40. I think some fans envision 1992-97 would automatically happen again.

I don’t think it would. Second stints usually don’t go as well the first one.

I would accept Pitino if that was the choice, but he’s not high on my list. Would rather have a up and comer motivated to be great that a legend on the back 9 of his career.

 

[CatCall]

Like Batman says “you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain”. That statement is true in a lot phases of life.

It was Harvey Dent, but I get it.

 

[cathouse]

Understood. But that was one HUGE mistake. Unforgiveable in my book.

Pitino did not leave UK for the UL job.

He also didn't want the UL job when he failed at Boston. He wanted to come back to UK.

Our AD blocked his return knowing that Tubby's time here was going to end sooner than later.

I am no fan of his time at UL but will forever be grateful for how he saved our program, coached his @$$ of FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY, and returned us to Blue Blood status by building a great PROGRAM. AND, he left the program at the pinnacle of the basketball universe.

Now compare that to what the current carpet bagger has done to our program.

 

[DraftCat]

We don't win if we don't have walker n 96 IMO.

Pitino benefitted greatly from the era he coached in here.

Lots of players on that 96 team don't make it to being a Senior or Junior in 2024

 

[ThroughBlue]

Understood. But that was one HUGE mistake. Unforgiveable in my book.

Yes. funding an abortion no coming back from that.

 

[DraftCat]

Pitino should of went to Michigan if he wanted to come back to UK one day.

Dumbest decision ever to think UK fans would follow him to UL.

 

[cathouse]

I wouldn’t. Because I don’t live in the past.

Pitino at 71 isn’t going to do the same things he did at 40. I think some fans envision 1992-97 would automatically happen again.

I don’t think it would. Second stints usually don’t go as well the first one.

I would accept Pitino if that was the choice, but he’s not high on my list. Would rather have a up and comer motivated to be great that a legend on the back 9 of his career.

The program is going to be on rock bottom WHENEVER Cal decides he wants to leave.

An old a-hole disciplinarian like Pitino is much more likely to rebuild from scratch than a little known novice coach who will be drinking from a fire hose for a while.

 

[MegaBlue05]

Lots of players on that 96 team don't make it to being a Senior or Junior in 2024

Most of them. Mercer probably goes either straight to the league or leaves after 96. Anderson probably goes pro instead of transferring in from OSU. McCarty, Delk probably see their junior years at best in 2024. Actually, Delk probably transfers after his freshman year in 2024.

 

[BlueBomb]

Pitino did not leave UK for the UL job.

He also didn't want the UL job when he failed at Boston. He wanted to come back to UK.

Our AD blocked his return knowing that Tubby's time here was going to end sooner than later.

I am no fan of his time at UL but will forever be grateful for how he saved our program, coached his @$$ of FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY, and returned us to Blue Blood status by building a great PROGRAM. AND, he left the program at the pinnacle of the basketball universe.

Now compare that to what the current carpet bagger has done to our program.

Word.

 

[KFuqua]

As I mentioned in another thread. There is one coach that I want here less than Calipari and that's Pitino. If those were the only two options, I would say keep Cal. I absolutely despise Cal and want him gone today.

 

[Myotis]

My time starts with Pitino. Looking at the coaches since him he was the only coach to leave the program in great shape and took the program over at a time it could have completely fell apart. He made some dumb and crazy choices after UK, but as the coach at UK he has to be looked at as great.

-Cal took over in a terrible spot but will leave it in an equally bad spot when he leaves due to the turnover rate of players

-tubby took the program from number 1 to not being a contender at all in the last few years

-Billy Clyde just a complete disaster obviously

It matters a lot where you leave the program. Seems like we have a history of coaches leaving the program in a pretty bad spot but are lucky enough to have the prestige and fanbase that can bring it back if the right coach comes along. History tells us as long as they are not a drunk they at least leave with a title.

This is what just galls me about Smith's detractors "...to not being a contender at all in the last few years" Two years, I'll give you, but in the three years just prior to that, UK was ranked #1, #2 and #7 in the final AP polls, seeded #1, #1, and #2 in the NCAA Tournaments, and garnered two Elite Eight finishes, two SEC Championships, and two SEC Tournament Championships. That is NOT "not being a contender at all".

 

[WeWant9]

The truest thing Cal has said is that UK is a 10 year job. If he had left around 2019, he would’ve left with a solid legacy. Now he has a legacy of 9-16, and 1 SECT and 1 NCAAT win in 4 years.

 

[Jont0805]

This is what just galls me about Smith's detractors "...to not being a contender at all in the last few years" Two years, I'll give you, but in the three years just prior to that, UK was ranked #1, #2 and #7 in the final AP polls, seeded #1, #1, and #2 in the NCAA Tournaments, and garnered two Elite Eight finishes, two SEC Championships, and two SEC Tournament Championships. That is NOT "not being a contender at all".

Umm how did the roster do that he left? His last two years exactly is correct the university of Kentucky was not a contender and he didn’t leave Kentucky as a contender and left them worse off than before. I loved those years and the fact that he brought a title, but facts are facts. I am not a tubby hater or detractor at all, he was a great man and Great coach, until he wasn’t a great coach so much towards the end of his career for whatever reason.


2 of the last 3 years UK Has been seeded #2 and #3. Will fans look back and say the same thing about Cal if he leaves this year?