Scott Drew divide

[Rideordiewildcat]

Instead of one liners back and forth I just wanted to say my piece. I don't hate any UK fan and only want the best for us. If Drew is our coach I will fall in line and cheer my ass off and hope for the best. Just like did for BCG. At that time I thought Cal would be the hire and was caught off guard by BCG.

I hate seeing us divided as a fanbase and know it's been hard through these last Cal years. It was time for him to go I just thought as the university of Kentucky we would reach for the stars and this to me is a safe play from the same guy who hired BCG. Who he already had a friendship with. It just feels like Mitch has tunnel vision and I think it's a bad fit.

However, I hope I'm wrong. Sometimes on fourms ir feels like some care mire about being right than what's right for the greater good. Right now Drew us the coach of Baylor so I'm going to voice my opinion. Some have said I doubt you're even a Kentucky fan. If they only knew. In the end I just want the right guy and to get back to being Kentucky.

We can argue just like family and everyone should voice their opinion but In the end we are BBN. So nothing personal here. I just feel like we are I'm scary territory and the wrong hire could push us even further back. Again maybe I'm wrong and like I said if he's hired I will be all in. I know we all just want back to the promise land.

BBN forever

 

[crxohio]

Instead of one liners back and forth I just wanted to say my piece. I don't hate any UK fan and only want the best for us. If Drew is our coach I will fall in line and cheer my ass off and hope for the best. Just like did for BCG. At that time I thought Cal would be the hire and was caught off guard by BCG.

I hate seeing us divided as a fanbase and know it's been hard through these last Cal years. It was time for him to go I just thought as the university of Kentucky we would reach for the stars and this to me is a safe play from the same guy who hired BCG. Who he already had a friendship with. It just feels like Mitch has tunnel vision and I think it's a bad fit.

However, I hope I'm wrong. Sometimes on fourms ir feels like some care mire about being right than what's right for the greater good. Right now Drew us the coach of Baylor so I'm going to voice my opinion. Some have said I doubt you're even a Kentucky fan. If they only knew. In the end I just want the right guy and to get back to being Kentucky.

We can argue just like family and everyone should voice their opinion but In the end we are BBN. So nothing personal here. I just feel like we are I'm scary territory and the wrong hire could push us even further back. Again maybe I'm wrong and like I said if he's hired I will be all in. I know we all just want back to the promise land.

BBN forever

Well said. One other thing is for sure with Drew. $ isn't a factor in this. Refreshing imho

 

[Tubbyfan78]

I just cannot believe even 3 people said no.

 

[Warf2012]

If “success” is winning title/s, and it SHOULD be, then I’m afraid the answer is no.

If success is a final four here and there then maybe.

 

[crawfords corner]

I have no idea. Tbh, I change my mind once an hour on Scott Drew.

 

[UKcats1988]

I think he will do fine here. It’s a solid hire imo.

 

[Blueaz]

Lol. Sacramentocat voted no.
That is reverse of the “vote of confidence”
UK will have a title soon, book it

 

[SacramentoKat]

Lol. Sacramentocat voted no.
That is reverse of the “vote of confidence”
UK will have a title soon, book it

His style isn’t going to cut it. He’s a conservative coach that will have 8-12 losses a year on average. Possibly an occasional ellite 8 /final four season. Fans will immediately pillage as he’s only starting out at maybe 60-70% approval.

He’s just doesn’t have the marbles to coach here. My bet is he knows this and says no.

 

[KyCatFan]

It depends on what you think success is. For me it's winning or in contention for SEC Conference and Tournament titles most years. It's all games matter. It's getting to the Sweet Sixteen in an average year. It's being a serious championship contender every 3 or 4 years. It's not losing 10 games most years. I don't see Drew being successful under those conditions.

 

[ukpence]

As I've said before, Drew wasn't my first choice. The fact we didn't make a bigger push for Hurley is just saddening. The settle is what bothers a lot of people, myself included. It's one of many reasons why I'm out on Mitch Barnhart. However, I'm a UK fan and I acknowledge Scott Drew is a great coach. Can he be elevated by the product that is Kentucky? I wanna say yes, but only time will tell. The only two coaches to not win titles here were basically alcoholics whose resume was less than Drew's. I feel that says a lot. Regardless, I hope the fanbase at least gives him a chance. To give Gillespie two years and give up on Drew before he starts is just laughable in my opinion.

 

[crxohio]

 

[Rideordiewildcat]

I just cannot believe even 3 people said no.

10 have now out of 36. I'm surprised it's not more split honestly just from talking to friends and family.

 

[Rideordiewildcat]

Did his wife bring Drew's balls at least. Couldn't help myself. Just never heard of a family going to a potential landing spot without the coach.

 

[Bluegrassking]

I'm a 'No' but will fervently hope to be wrong if he comes.

 

[mike93813]

I think he will do fine. If he can win a title and recruit big name players to Baylor then I wouldn't be surprised if he gets UK back to the top of college basketball with a quickness. It's just not the exciting big name hire that I was hoping for. However I was at the point that I didn't care who they hired. I just wanted Cal gone. I definitely won't be upset or concerned with Drew as the coach. One of the biggest complaints about Cal was he was not a good X's and O's guy and he didn't make in game adjustments. Those problems will be gone with Drew on the sidelines.
If Hurley and Donovan arent options, I think Scott Drew is the man for the job.

 

[kywildcat41086]

Did his wife bring Drew's balls at least. Couldn't help myself. Just never heard of a family going to a potential landing spot without the coach.

Not trying to sound crazy when I say this but the old saying goes. Happy Wife Happy Life. If the wife isn’t happy no one is. I’ve been married for almost 20 years so I know that this saying is 💯 FACT!

 

[cats#1again]

Baylor has the 2nd best record of any team the last 5 years. Houston is #1.
All of our fans have been preaching want a coach that keeps players and build a team... Drew is that guy and a lot of the fans are complaining. Shows that really isn't what you wanted all along. You just want to complain and think your team should never lose

 

[BigE_44]

Couldnt have said it any better. We all just want the Cats to win big and we're all tired of how toxic everything has been. It's concerning that we would choose to chase a safety hire first and foremost. I think about 1/3 of the fan base simply isn't on board, though more probably would be if they felt like Mitch had done due diligence and wasn't just hiring his boy. Let the season start poorly and were gonna be 50/50 again very soon.

 

[BlueRunner11]

His style isn’t going to cut it. He’s a conservative coach that will have 8-12 losses a year on average. Possibly an occasional ellite 8 /final four season. Fans will immediately pillage as he’s only starting out at maybe 60-70% approval.

He’s just doesn’t have the marbles to coach here. My bet is he knows this and says no.

Yeah i think itll look very similar to the Tubby era minus what Tubs inherited in 98. So if you’re ok with those years, you’ll prob be ok with Drew. He will likely recruit much better, but I’d argue the SEC is going to turn into murderers row over the next 2-3 years which will negate a lot of that advantage.

The problem I foresee is just the pressure of the job on this family. Baylor message boards have expressed the same concerns. Drew has never really had to deal with scrutiny. Everything will be scrutinized at UK. Now, I think he’s a grown man and can handle it and all, but can the family handle it? I just don’t understand why they’d want to rock that happy boat they’ve got tbh.

If he wins, the fans will unite behind him. If he doesn’t, we’ll…we know how itll play out.

 

[chevyman 50]

If Drew becomes the coach he needs to be welcomed and given a chance.

 

[BlueRunner11]

If Drew becomes the coach he needs to be welcomed and given a chance.

Absolutely. I think he will be given a chance by most reasonable fans. But this isn’t the football program, there will be no training wheels or letting him grow into the job. UK fans know basketball and it wont take long to know what we’re getting with this guy.

 

[Rideordiewildcat]

Absolutely. I think he will be given a chance by most reasonable fans. But this isn’t the football program, there will be no training wheels or letting him grow into the job. UK fans know basketball and it wont take long to know what we’re getting with this guy.

Exactly. If it's him get Z back. Love that guy and would love to see him get a real chance.😁

 

[CatsFanIL]

His style isn’t going to cut it. He’s a conservative coach that will have 8-12 losses a year on average. Possibly an occasional ellite 8 /final four season. Fans will immediately pillage as he’s only starting out at maybe 60-70% approval.

He’s just doesn’t have the marbles to coach here. My bet is he knows this and says no.

Ok, so who should UK hire? I'm curious which coach out there has a better chance of avoiding "8-12 losses a year on average"? Which is a bit of a dumb point anyhow since UCONN won the national title last year with 8 losses.

 

[CatsFanIL]

As I've said before, Drew wasn't my first choice. The fact we didn't make a bigger push for Hurley is just saddening. The settle is what bothers a lot of people, myself included. It's one of many reasons why I'm out on Mitch Barnhart. However, I'm a UK fan and I acknowledge Scott Drew is a great coach. Can he be elevated by the product that is Kentucky? I wanna say yes, but only time will tell. The only two coaches to not win titles here were basically alcoholics whose resume was less than Drew's. I feel that says a lot. Regardless, I hope the fanbase at least gives him a chance. To give Gillespie two years and give up on Drew before he starts is just laughable in my opinion.

It's rumored, and pretty widely circulated, that UK offered to make Hurley the highest paid coach in all of college athletics. So I'm curious: how could we have made a "bigger push" for Hurley?

It's a bit bizzare to me that so many of our UK fans just assumed Hurley would leave UCONN for UK. He's won back to back titles there. He's treated like a god. His son plays there. He and his wife are New England people. He has a fanbase that widely loves him and supports him.

Some posters have said it, and some refuse to believe it. But UK isn't the hot commodity that it used to be. For those of us under the age of 40, it's really not the sexy, high profile brand that it used to be. It's been 12 years since a title, almost a decade since a Final 4. Outside of the Bluegrass state, the UK brand doesn't hold the value it used to. That's just the truth

 

[ukpence]

It's rumored, and pretty widely circulated, that UK offered to make Hurley the highest paid coach in all of college athletics. So I'm curious: how could we have made a "bigger push" for Hurley?

It's a bit bizzare to me that so many of our UK fans just assumed Hurley would leave UCONN for UK. He's won back to back titles there. He's treated like a god. His son plays there. He and his wife are New England people. He has a fanbase that widely loves him and supports him.

Some posters have said it, and some refuse to believe it. But UK isn't the hot commodity that it used to be. For those of us under the age of 40, it's really not the sexy, high profile brand that it used to be. It's been 12 years since a title, almost a decade since a Final 4. Outside of the Bluegrass state, the UK brand doesn't hold the value it used to. That's just the truth

The key word in the initial paragraph is "rumored." Does anyone seem to know for sure that Hurley was offered? The answer to that is simply, "no." If you ask insiders on HOB they will say it happened, but others have clearly stated otherwise. If it infact did happen, then I'm happy and appreciative that Mitch tried. It doesn't hurt to try in m opinion. I'd rather try, then settle and not have tried at all.

I don't believe that many UK fans just believe Hurley would leave if offered. I truly don't believe that statement. Like you mentioned, his family ties there are massive. I also don't know if they'd denote him as a god, but perhaps that's true. Here for sure, but there, not sure. Can't confirm or deny that either way. However, it doesn't hurt to try. From what I've read, the man is obsessive when it comes to winning. We have a history of doing that here. That alone is reason enough to reach out. If he wants to keep building at UConn, then that's fine. We at least gave the effort.

Again, have to disagree with you there. I'm under the age of 40 and so are all my friends. Everyone of us is a huge UK fan. If you said 20 and under I may buy that, but not 21-40. I personally feel the brand is strong. Look at the national coverage it's getting. Can you sit there and tell me why (at the National Title game) they'd be spending 15+ minutes talking about the UK job if it wasn't? If you wanna argue the NIL support is better other places and that other schools have elevated their quality,
then sure. I can buy into that. But to say UK is just a shell of it's former self and delusional as a top five job, then I politely just disagree.

 

[know1]

Think of this re: Hurley (who I would love to have here) - it's been argued that UConn is now a blue blood given the number of titles in the last 25 years. Blue Blood coaches rarely go from one blue blood to another. It's why we don't and haven't pursued guys like Self and Coach K.

 

[CatsFanIL]

The key word in the initial paragraph is "rumored." Does anyone seem to know for sure that Hurley was offered? The answer to that is simply, "no." If you ask insiders on HOB they will say it happened, but others have clearly stated otherwise. If it infact did happen, then I'm happy and appreciative that Mitch tried. It doesn't hurt to try in m opinion. I'd rather try, then settle and not have tried at all.

I don't believe that many UK fans just believe Hurley would leave if offered. I truly don't believe that statement. Like you mentioned, his family ties there are massive. I also don't know if they'd denote him as a god, but perhaps that's true. Here for sure, but there, not sure. Can't confirm or deny that either way. However, it doesn't hurt to try. From what I've read, the man is obsessive when it comes to winning. We have a history of doing that here. That alone is reason enough to reach out. If he wants to keep building at UConn, then that's fine. We at least gave the effort.

Again, have to disagree with you there. I'm under the age of 40 and so are all my friends. Everyone of us is a huge UK fan. If you said 20 and under I may buy that, but not 21-40. I personally feel the brand is strong. Look at the national coverage it's getting. Can you sit there and tell me why (at the National Title game) they'd be spending 15+ minutes talking about the UK job if it wasn't? If you wanna argue the NIL support is better other places and that other schools have elevated their quality,
then sure. I can buy into that. But to say UK is just a shell of it's former self and delusional as a top five job, then I politely just disagree.

Wait, so if you're discounting my "rumored" part, then how do YOU know that UK should've taken a bigger swing at him? I guess you're just speculating, right? So really, you have no idea about what UK offered Hurley, right?

I'm not talking about UK fans. And I specifically said outside of the Bluegrass state. Of course in the state of Kentucky the program is still huge, no doubt about it. But if you're talking national appeal, and if you're talking "hot brands" in college basketball, it's NOT what it used to be. That doesn't mean it's non-existant, but I find it hard to believe you can try and argue that UK is the hot/sexy brand it used to be. That's more along the lines of....burying your head in the sand?

I'm actually not positive that talking about the "UK job" wasn't more talking about Calipari, right? To me, it sure seemed like Calipari's name was mentioned more than the UK job vacancy. Now, of course they talked about Hurley since, you know, he was actually coaching in the national title game.

Are you able to quote me where I said it's not a top 5 job? I don't recall saying that

Even the most loyal UK fans - at least those of us that aren't delusional - can easily admit that UK is not the brand it used to be. Remind me, how many SEC-T wins in last 5 years? NCAA-T wins? Think of the crazy lack of TV exposure that involves. Now we have, as it appears, multiple coaches potentially turning down the job.

 

[tf4fun]

Wait, so if you're discounting my "rumored" part, then how do YOU know that UK should've taken a bigger swing at him? I guess you're just speculating, right? So really, you have no idea about what UK offered Hurley, right?

I'm not talking about UK fans. And I specifically said outside of the Bluegrass state. Of course in the state of Kentucky the program is still huge, no doubt about it. But if you're talking national appeal, and if you're talking "hot brands" in college basketball, it's NOT what it used to be. That doesn't mean it's non-existant, but I find it hard to believe you can try and argue that UK is the hot/sexy brand it used to be. That's more along the lines of....burying your head in the sand?

I'm actually not positive that talking about the "UK job" wasn't more talking about Calipari, right? To me, it sure seemed like Calipari's name was mentioned more than the UK job vacancy. Now, of course they talked about Hurley since, you know, he was actually coaching in the national title game.

Are you able to quote me where I said it's not a top 5 job? I don't recall saying that

Even the most loyal UK fans - at least those of us that aren't delusional - can easily admit that UK is not the brand it used to be. Remind me, how many SEC-T wins in last 5 years? NCAA-T wins? Think of the crazy lack of TV exposure that involves. Now we have, as it appears, multiple coaches potentially turning down the job.

I see it as well. And I think the right coach would change that perspective. But I can't say that x coach is or isn't that guy.
I do think pearl would inject a lot of passion and energy. But then you have all the other clutter with him. But I'm not convinced long term he would move that needle.
Hurley would more then likely be a game changer. But it'll also be more about him then KY. And in 3 years he might be gone.
Donavon I would like, but would he survive his first year. I expect that Donavon could possibly miss the tournament next year if he can't get his roster started in the next 2 weeks!

So all in all Scott drew will build a solid team minimum, and could put together a title contender in the next 3 years!

 

[CatsFanIL]

I see it as well. And I think the right coach would change that perspective. But I can't say that x coach is or isn't that guy.
I do think pearl would inject a lot of passion and energy. But then you have all the other clutter with him. But I'm not convinced long term he would move that needle.
Hurley would more then likely be a game changer. But it'll also be more about him then KY. And in 3 years he might be gone.
Donavon I would like, but would he survive his first year. I expect that Donavon could possibly miss the tournament next year if he can't get his roster started in the next 2 weeks!

So all in all Scott drew will build a solid team minimum, and could put together a title contender in the next 3 years!

Winning fixes the brand. What's our Champions Classic record recently? Those nationally televised games matter when you're claiming your spot in the college basketball realm.

Winning matters. Hurley wasn't some hot commodity his first 4 years at UCONN - then boom - he wins 2 titles. I don't think he even won an NCAA-T game at UCONN until his first championship run, but I could be wrong

Winning matters: Look at what's happened to Indiana, UCLA, Michigan St

 

[ukpence]

Wait, so if you're discounting my "rumored" part, then how do YOU know that UK should've taken a bigger swing at him? I guess you're just speculating, right? So really, you have no idea about what UK offered Hurley, right?

I'm not talking about UK fans. And I specifically said outside of the Bluegrass state. Of course in the state of Kentucky the program is still huge, no doubt about it. But if you're talking national appeal, and if you're talking "hot brands" in college basketball, it's NOT what it used to be. That doesn't mean it's non-existant, but I find it hard to believe you can try and argue that UK is the hot/sexy brand it used to be. That's more along the lines of....burying your head in the sand?

I'm actually not positive that talking about the "UK job" wasn't more talking about Calipari, right? To me, it sure seemed like Calipari's name was mentioned more than the UK job vacancy. Now, of course they talked about Hurley since, you know, he was actually coaching in the national title game.

Are you able to quote me where I said it's not a top 5 job? I don't recall saying that

Even the most loyal UK fans - at least those of us that aren't delusional - can easily admit that UK is not the brand it used to be. Remind me, how many SEC-T wins in last 5 years? NCAA-T wins? Think of the crazy lack of TV exposure that involves. Now we have, as it appears, multiple coaches potentially turning down the job.

That is exactly correct. Neither of us can confirm what was offered or what wasn't. However, only Drummond reported the 11 million offer. No one else reported that. Could it be true? Sure. Could it not be? Sure. Neither of us know for certain. That goes for most Kentucky fasn. When the dust settles, I hope we get clarity on that. Like I stated, I definitely hope Mitch at least tried with Hurley.

To clarify, you didn't specify outside of the state until after you mentioned age. Were you referring to 40 years of age and younger outside of Kentucky? As for the brand, I do think the brand itself is still reasonably strong. Has the product we've put out reflected what our brand promotes? Not even close. That's why I'm glad a changed was ultimately made. With a better product on the court, it can only elevate an already well known brand. The fan support, viewership and national coverage is still there. When we ultimately lose that, then we will know are brand has officially died in my opinion.

The segment I'm referring to was solely them talking about the next UK head coach and how it was quote, "one of the best jobs out there, if not the best." The panel got so carried away that they didn't even hear Ernie when he tried mentioning the title game. That is just one example of the brand however. There are many more. Losing didn't help the brand, but it doesn't destroy it. Like I said, we just need a better product to reflect our brand's history.

You definitely did not say that UK wasn't a top five job. Do you believe we are or are not? Would love to hear your answer to that. With a crippling brand, I'd be shocked if you thought we were a top five job.

Let me be clear when I say this, the results the last four years is unacceptable here. Fifth year was the NCAA tournament was cancelled so I'll rule that out to be fair. My standard for Kentucky basketball is high as it should be given our history and resources. To act like are brand is something awful though is too far for me to go personally. Have we been confirmed to have been turned down twice by multiple sources? I believe that to be conjecture on your end good sir, but I will happily be proven wrong.

 

[CatsFanIL]

That is exactly correct. Neither of us can confirm what was offered or what wasn't. However, only Drummond reported the 11 million offer. No one else reported that. Could it be true? Sure. Could it not be? Sure. Neither of us know for certain. That goes for most Kentucky fasn. When the dust settles, I hope we get clarity on that. Like I stated, I definitely hope Mitch at least tried with Hurley.

To clarify, you didn't specify outside of the state until after you mentioned age. Were you referring to 40 years of age and younger outside of Kentucky? As for the brand, I do think the brand itself is still reasonably strong. Has the product we've put out reflected what our brand promotes? Not even close. That's why I'm glad a changed was ultimately made. With a better product on the court, it can only elevate an already well known brand. The fan support, viewership and national coverage is still there. When we ultimately lose that, then we will know are brand has officially died in my opinion.

The segment I'm referring to was solely them talking about the next UK head coach and how it was quote, "one of the best jobs out there, if not the best." The panel got so carried away that they didn't even hear Ernie when he tried mentioning the title game. That is just one example of the brand however. There are many more. Losing didn't help the brand, but it doesn't destroy it. Like I said, we just need a better product to reflect our brand's history.

You definitely did not say that UK wasn't a top five job. Do you believe we are or are not? Would love to hear your answer to that. With a crippling brand, I'd be shocked if you thought we were a top five job.

Let me be clear when I say this, the results the last four years is unacceptable here. Fifth year was the NCAA tournament was cancelled so I'll rule that out to be fair. My standard for Kentucky basketball is high as it should be given our history and resources. To act like are brand is something awful though is too far for me to go personally. Have we been confirmed to have been turned down twice by multiple sources? I believe that to be conjecture on your end good sir, but I will happily be proven wrong.

First off, let's try not to argue over semantics, reasonable?

Next: What did you mean by "The fact we didn't make a bigger push for Hurley is just saddening". I guess I'm confused, because you just said above that you don't know what was offered. So I'm confused how you can said "fact" when talking about what UK did or did not offer? Can you understand my confusion? Seems weird to infer factually we should've made a bigger push for Hurley, but then say you have no idea what was offered?

Next: Me saying that the UK brand is NOT the hottest brand in college hoops, that the UK brand is NOT what it used to be, does not mean I'm implying the UK brand has been "destroyed". I expect that you actually know a brand can be lessened without being destroyed. For example, the Alabama football brand can go from the top brand in all of NCAA-F to the 4th best or 7th best brand - right?

Do I believe the UK coaching job is a top-5 job? I absolutely do. UK will pay it's coach competitively, if not better, than anyone else in the Top 5. But 5th best doesn't mean the hottest/best brand in college hoops, right? If coaches want to coach at UCONN instead of UK, what does that say? If players want to play at UCONN insted of UK, if UCONN's NIL is higher than UK's, etc.

So again, without arguing semantics, when did I say the brand was "destroyed" and when did I say the brand was "awful"? You're making stuff up because you really don't have an argument. The UK brand is NOT what it once was. The John Wall team, the Platoon team, maybe even the Fox/Monk team - the brand was elite. But it's not anymore.

Like you said, when the dust settles we'll know more. But as of right now, plenty of widely circulated info that Oats turned down the job, that Hurley MIGHT turn down the job, and it could even get to the point where Drew turns down the job. Obviously I'm hoping both Hurley and Drew don't turn it down - but there's reports out there that it's possible.

 

[KYFOSSIL]

His style isn’t going to cut it. He’s a conservative coach that will have 8-12 losses a year on average. Possibly an occasional ellite 8 /final four season. Fans will immediately pillage as he’s only starting out at maybe 60-70% approval.

He’s just doesn’t have the marbles to coach here. My bet is he knows this and says no.

It is good to know that you are an expert on his marbles. My questions is do you go large on his marbles or not?.