Ok Stoops defenders. Explain.

[Mike-McD]

What’s the status quo in your mind? He’s done more here than any other coach has in modern history. The status quo for Kentucky football the first 20 years of my life and the 20-30 years before was always hope and pray we make a bowl. He’s obviously elevated the status quo to expect a bowl every single year.

The point of my post wasn’t to praise stoops really. More so that I think Kentucky football as a program has a ceiling that’s a little lower than most fans are willing to accept unfortunately. There’s maybe 3-4 coaches at any given time that could single handedly elevate Kentucky’s program to a contender and they’re likely never going to want to come here.

He hasn't elevated our level. The level of bowl eligibility has simply dropped to where we can achieve it. And the only reason Stoops is our winningest coach is because he has a 100-year contract.

The status quo is Stoops' average, which is 7-5 per season. Don't expect our program to rise above that as long as he's here. In fact, with NIL becoming more intense, expect our results to decline going forward.

 

[ConRay9]

He hasn't elevated our level. The level of bowl eligibility has simply dropped to where we can achieve it. And the only reason Stoops is our winningest coach is because he has a 100-year contract.

The status quo is Stoops' average, which is 7-5 per season. Don't expect our program to rise above that as long as he's here. In fact, with NIL becoming more intense, expect our results to decline going forward.

Since 1960 up until Stoops got here UK finished with a better than .500 record 12 times. A period of over 50 years. One more win this year and Stoops will have a better than .500 record for the 7th time. A period of 11 years.

Modern schedule gets the benefit of 1 extra game, but not sure how you can look at that statistic and not see that Stoops has outperformed the historical expectancy for UK football.

Stoops has undoubtedly been disappointing at times. Not disputing that. But I don’t see why people need to downplay what he has achieved here given the program’s awful history.

 

[sluggercatfan]

I have heard recently that Mizzou has a pretty large and active NIL operation up and running.
As I said after the Georgia drubbing, I don't think UK fans would be as upset by losses to the SEC elite if we were just competitive. It's pretty obvious that UK had no business being on the same field with either Georgia or Alabama this season. Why is that? Is it coaching, talent, scheme or a combination of all three?

Ala, GA, UT, Mizzou. Outscored 182-83...that's roughly 45-20.

 

[Seth_C]

Stoops has made us better. We are consistent to 50. However, getting top 10 money for too 50 results isn’t okay. I am realistic. We are Kentucky. All things being equal a coach would rather be at a lot of schools for the money we pay. Surely though, surely, we could get top 20 results for top 10 money. If you pay top 10 money you should at least be ranked.

 

[Tf2217]

The UGA and now this game seemed like the team knew they was beat before the game started. Played scared right off the jump. Our coaches also was scared to death. You have to get up to go play football, and you have to believe in yourself no matter the odds. If you concede defeat before being defeated, you're not defeated you're a coward.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

Great recruiter, players love him but he's not a good motivator and his organization leaves a lot to be desired. As far as x's and o's, you rarely feel like he's outcoached the opponent so he looks average, at best. Personally, I think his defense if gimmicky in the fact that he plays stall ball to slow the game down and hope to steal the win.

In short, the guy fell a$S backwards into a good spot, for his approach, and recruited his way from a horrible program to an average, physical program. He's been fortunate, with some key opponents being down a good part of his tenure, and has had more support than all other UK FB coaches combined.

Bottom line - he is what he is and this is what you will get. If you are happy with the style of play (I am definitely not) and overall record (I go back and forth) then you'll be happy. You want more wins and/or more excitement, you won't be.

CMS is a competent recruiter, he is not great. He is much better talent developer than recruiter.

 

[BBBLazing]

UK has an offense that is so predictable that good teams can just show up and beat Stoops. All the other SEC teams really thinks Stoops is a great guy because they beat him. Some on here need to get their head out of the sand and admit Stoops is one thing and one thing only, in the ADs eyes he is a safe beat, win a few games, go to some no nothing bowl and the school reaps the benefits of being in the SEC. Now I suggest to the winners go the spoils.

Does anyone on this site think that if we hired Nick Saban we'd compete for National Championships?

Remember that we hired Alabama's coach away from Alabama the year he won the National Coach of the Year and then ran Bill Curry out of town.

 

[KYCAT78]

Cal hasn't evolved with the times (more three pointers), but in all fairness college basketball titles are the hardest in all of sports to win. The best team usually doesn't win it. Only having to play five at a time and a one and done elimination makes it an extremely difficult title to get. Takes some luck .

I do not disagree. I just think Cal has made some bone head moves that probably cost us a couple of NC. Using a zone against UCONN to get back in game and then abandoning it for man to man was totally stupid. And 2015 we will not even mention all the bone head coaching decisions at the end of that game.

 

[ace on the river]

Actually, yes I have. However there is a world of difference between not criticizing and praising. By your logic, why would they praise him?

Because coaches have their own fraternity. All these guys are friends

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

Do you know how much we spend on our football coaches? Get your head out of the 50’s.

He’s a basketball first fan.

 

[Blueworld_3.0]

Uhhh, the same reason(s) we were highly ranked in 2018 and 2021.

It is a good team, but as you are now witnessing, capable of a thorough beat down by one as good as UGA.

And don’t question Ole Miss’s history: they have eight double-digit winning seasons in their history, and 40 Bowl appearances.

And because of SEC money, facilities across the South are impressive and have a “new car” smell!

This is NOT a good UK team.
UK's share of SEC TV money is the same as Ole Miss. Either they have made better coaching hires or they have a bigger commitment to NIL. Maybe both.

 

[YaketySax]

 

[PensacolaBlue]

View embedded media

If Justin Rowland said it, it must be right.

 

[mrschwump]

View embedded media

This doesn't give me a very warm and fuzzy feeling.

 

[YaketySax]

If Justin Rowland said it, it must be right.

Platform equates to knowledge, obviously.

 

[TankedCat]

its doesn't make me uncomfortable, it was a badly timed comment that you can't walk back

from now until the rest of his coaching career Stoops will be measured by how much he does with NIL money and specifically how little UK gets in return compared to other programs - especially when he was clearly implying that by doing so UK would compete with Georgia

A multi millionaire coach asking people making considerably less to contribute money to student athletes so they can be paid considerably more than the people donating - so he ( the coach) may continue being a multi-millionaire coach is never a good move, even if the current landscape of athletics requires it.

<rant over>

 

[catben]

View embedded media

Then Mitch needs to get fully on board and help pull in the corporate biggies in Kentucky. UPS, Toyota, the Bourbon industry, the horses racing industry, the Corman family just to name the obvious ones.

Then you have the K-Fund where Mitch could reduce the contribution from season ticket holders by taking off half of the fee with a receipt showing you gave that amount to the UK Collective.

 

[JHB4UK]

This doesn't give me a very warm and fuzzy feeling.

Get what you pay for, UK fans. Fact of life.

from now until the rest of his coaching career Stoops will be measured by how much he does with NIL money and specifically how little UK gets in return compared to other programs - especially when he was clearly implying that by doing so UK would compete with Georgia

And this is different than the last 11 years....how? In fact Stoops is lauded by national CFB experts for the results he gets despite being supported by fans financially among the very very worst in the SEC. UK gets little in return from little given. Facts. Truth. Reality.

UK fans fund NIL 15th out of 16 SEC schools, and he's supposed to be silent about it? Just like regular fan donations to UKAA are annually next to last in the SEC.

Sorry honest talk hurt your feelings so bad and you are still stinging. A hit dog will hollar loud, my MeeMaw always said.

 

[The-Hack]

This doesn't give me a very warm and fuzzy feeling.

It sure don’t sound like positive news is coming on NSD.

Sh!t!!!!!!

There’s a two-percent chance he means we have a big sponsor to create a positive surprise . . . well, maybe a one-percent chance.

 

[The-Hack]

UK fans fund NIL 15th out of 16 SEC schools,

I thought I saw we were 11th of the current 14?!?!

Either way, that’s a steep hill to
Climb.

 

[TankedCat]

Get what you pay for, UK fans. Fact of life.

And this is different than the last 11 years....how? In fact Stoops is lauded by national CFB experts for the results he gets despite being supported by fans financially among the very very worst in the SEC. UK gets little in return from little given. Facts. Truth. Reality.

UK fans fund NIL 15th out of 16 SEC schools, and he's supposed to be silent about it? Just like regular fan donations to UKAA are annually next to last in the SEC.

Sorry honest talk hurt your feelings so bad and you are still stinging. A hit dog will hollar loud, my MeeMaw always said.

I'd love to know how your math arrives at the 8th highest paid coach in the nation translates to UK gets little in return for little given.

the last line of your post just says "hey everyone if you didn't know, I'm an ass"

 

[mrschwump]

I thought I saw we were 11th of the current 14?!?!

Either way, that’s a steep hill to
Climb.

Who's keeping track of NIL money for the conference? I'd like to see the listings. TIA.

 

[The-Hack]

If Justin Rowland said it, it must be right.

He has a pretty good batting average . . . .

I’ll be glad when the early period has come
and gone.

 

[The-Hack]

Who's keeping track of NIL money for the conference? I'd like to see the listings. TIA.

I don’t know.

And have never seen a source linked showing exact numbers.

Frankly, I’m a bit surprised that there are exact numbers available, if, in fact, there are.

 

[sefus12]

View embedded media

The message may have been poorly timed, but it’s not an incorrect message. We all know going to games has gotten incredibly expensive, but unfortunately NIL/Collectives will drive where a good chunk of top-end talent goes. There are only so many 4/5 star talents that are willing to take a pay cut to play football at UK. The exposure the SEC gives us is an advantage we have, but unfortunately NIL deals will be of major importance going forward.

Again, Stoops message could have been worded better, but the message is correct. Blame the NCAA for this mess, not Stoops.

 

[The-Hack]

Who's keeping track of NIL money for the conference? I'd like to see the listings. TIA.

Here’s a listing, showing us 25th nationally, and 13th out of next year’s 16 in the SEC. Right about where our recruiting is ranked.

I can’t tell if it is football or all sports.

P5 NIL Team Rankings + G5 notables

P5 NIL Team Rankings (from on3): 1 - Texas $19.9 mil 2 - Alabama $16 mil 3 - tOSU 13.6 mil 4 - USC 13.5 mil 5 - Georgia 13.4 mil 6 - Colorado 12.3 mil 7 - Michigan 11.6 mil 8 - Oregon 11.6 mil 9 - Tennessee 11.6 mil 10 - Florida State 10.2 mil 11 - LSU 10.1 mil 12 - Penn State 9.9 mil 13 -...

gopherhole.com

 

[mrschwump]

Here’s a listing, showing us 25th nationally, and 13th out of next year’s 16 in the SEC. Right about where our recruiting is ranked.

I can’t tell if it is football or all sports.

P5 NIL Team Rankings + G5 notables

P5 NIL Team Rankings (from on3): 1 - Texas $19.9 mil 2 - Alabama $16 mil 3 - tOSU 13.6 mil 4 - USC 13.5 mil 5 - Georgia 13.4 mil 6 - Colorado 12.3 mil 7 - Michigan 11.6 mil 8 - Oregon 11.6 mil 9 - Tennessee 11.6 mil 10 - Florida State 10.2 mil 11 - LSU 10.1 mil 12 - Penn State 9.9 mil 13 -...

gopherhole.com

Thanks. Still wonder about the accuracy of these rankings. Kiffin's spending like a drunken GI on furlough, $7M probably isn't close to the defense he's buying.

 

[3632]

Who's keeping track of NIL money for the conference? I'd like to see the listings. TIA.

There isn’t anybody. It’s a bunch of lists created by suppositions and guesses. Reality is if we want to raise the NIL wherever we are at we can. An AD can unofficially advise a contributor or contributing business to give to a collective to make it available for that instead of directly to the department. But we know that isn’t going to happen. So they keep giving coaches raises, hiring their buddies, then coming back and asking regular fans for more.

 

[The-Hack]

$7M probably isn't close to the defense he's buying.

Yeah. According to these numbers, we are pretty competitive with three or four in front of us, and are ahead of 3.

 

[Jont0805]

its doesn't make me uncomfortable, it was a badly timed comment that you can't walk back

from now until the rest of his coaching career Stoops will be measured by how much he does with NIL money and specifically how little UK gets in return compared to other programs - especially when he was clearly implying that by doing so UK would compete with Georgia

A multi millionaire coach asking people making considerably less to contribute money to student athletes so they can be paid considerably more than the people donating - so he ( the coach) may continue being a multi-millionaire coach is never a good move, even if the current landscape of athletics requires it.

<rant over>

I believe if UK had number one NIL and facilities and great history like Georgia stoops would put up similar results which is why I think Texas an and m people are crazy!

It may be a bad move to complain about NIL as a coach, I like stoops’ honesty and bluntness with some of his comments and I don’t think he is wrong in this.

This comment may seem directed at the average fan but the average fan also is crazy these days, just look at this board! I don’t think stoops was necessarily asking people who make significantly less than him to contribute and pay up for him to be better but I think it was a combination of being criticized by people who contribute nothing to the program when other programs are passing us by in NIL.

Unfortunately most of us really can’t contribute or want to contribute much other than buying our tickets, screaming like crazy and wearing blue. All that does is make the program rich though, does nothing for the players in today’s NIL. We need extremely wealthy people to “pony up” or a much more organized collective I suppose. This whole thing will eventually come crumbling down.

 

[R.O.T.Muckinfush]

If Justin Rowland said it, it must be right.

It's not Mark Stoops fault the team and recruiting is mediocre. It's the fan's fault for not donating enough money. (Essentially what coach is saying)

 

[bigbluedon]

its doesn't make me uncomfortable, it was a badly timed comment that you can't walk back

from now until the rest of his coaching career Stoops will be measured by how much he does with NIL money and specifically how little UK gets in return compared to other programs - especially when he was clearly implying that by doing so UK would compete with Georgia

A multi millionaire coach asking people making considerably less to contribute money to student athletes so they can be paid considerably more than the people donating - so he ( the coach) may continue being a multi-millionaire coach is never a good move, even if the current landscape of athletics requires it.

<rant over>

Excellent reply. Stoops can eat a big one.

 

[Boyd94]

You want to solve nil problems, give the players a cut of gate money, bowl money and tv revenue. Why should the fans have to pony up?

 

[Rembrandt90]

You want to solve nil problems, give the players a cut of gate money, bowl money and tv revenue. Why should the fans have to pony up?

This is not NIL. Different subject. NIL stands for "name, image, likeness". Under the current NIL rule, a player can be paid by a corporate entity in return for his endorsement.

Under the rules, schools cannot pay players. Schools have never been allowed to pay players. Conferences are not going to revenue-share with players either.

As to your final question. No fan has to "pony up". But many are. They are different from you, and think differently from you. And let's not get into the rich-poor thing or the class envy. Many middle class fans are giving what they can to the 15 Club, because they want to. If you don't want to, then don't. But why campaign on the internet against what others freely choose to do?

BTW the OP is consistently anti-UK coaching staff in virtually every post. In essence, he is publicly campaigning on this website against our coaching staff.

 

[BluegrassSportsNet]

This is not NIL. Different subject. NIL stands for "name, image, likeness". Under the current NIL rule, a player can be paid by a corporate entity in return for his endorsement.

Under the rules, schools cannot pay players. Schools have never been allowed to pay players. Conferences are not going to revenue-share with players either.

As to your final question. No fan has to "pony up". But many are. They are different from you, and think differently from you. And let's not get into the rich-poor thing or the class envy. Many middle class fans are giving what they can to the 15 Club, because they want to. If you don't want to, then don't. But why campaign on the internet against what others freely choose to do?

BTW the OP is consistently anti-UK coaching staff in virtually every post. In essence, he is publicly campaigning on this website against our coaching staff.

There is zero incentive to follow rules in this landscape. Nothing is going to happen if you don’t. Ask Tennessee, Michigan, Kansas, etc. We are litterally handicapping ourselves here.

 

[TankedCat]

how does a collective with a pool of money to be distributed have anything to do with NIL?

seems like to me the horse has done left the barn on that a long time ago

 

[Rembrandt90]

There is zero incentive to follow rules in this landscape. Nothing is going to happen if you don’t. Ask Tennessee, Michigan, Kansas, etc. We are litterally handicapping ourselves here.

"Nothing is going to happen if you don't" what? Exactly how "are we literally handicapping ourselves"? By complying with rules? Is that your contention? Wow. You are being misinformed brother.

Let's see your evidence that "there is zero incentive to follow the rules". That is a remarkable statement and I suspect it simply reflects an underlying bias.

NIL is a "name, image, likeness" rule. By rule, the school is not involved with NIL. NIL money is contracted to a player by a corporate entity in return for the player's endorsement. Pay particular attention to this part. The school cannot give the money to the player.

So if you want to break a rule or give a player money, then go ahead and do it.

 

[Boyd94]

If schools can't give nil, than how can regular Joe's? Wouldn't it work the same?