You come here and to the basketball board to constantly claim our programs are finished. Could you make it any more obvious??
The fact that another SEC fanbase would REVOLT at hiring our coach tells you all you need to know about the state of our program.
- Thread starter UKMKG
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Did you like it better when we couldn’t sniff 6 wins? Were those 10-win seasons no fun for you either?
I get being upset at some disappointing years, but damn folks. Be somewhat rational about UK’s standing in the SEC. We have a lot of disadvantages that other teams don’t have, and just because we pay Stoops $9MM a year doesn’t mean other coaches are lining up to take a shot and getting us to the next level (they know the limitations too).
Also, I think some of the folks on here are just miserable in general.
I’d say it’s more about how unrealistic TAMU fans and boosters are. More dollars than sense.
The fans that think Kentucky football is doomed to mediocrity forever, and will never be able to hire a championship caliber coach; are just as delusional as the fans thinking we should be able to compete for sec championships every year!
South Carolina was able to hire Steve spurrier, dude won a natty at Florida and 6 sec championships! Mizzou has been to the SEC championship, and just completed a 10-2 season. Stoops has never won 10 games in a regular season. South Carolina and Mizzou are both schools we expect to beat every year. So why couldn’t we get that caliber coach under the right circumstances? Why can’t we compete for SEC titles from time to time?
The answer is we can. Our problem is we have an AD who doesn’t think we can, and more than half the fan base that’s of the same belief. Getting that coach may not be an option this year, but you never know.
I think we’ll find out how serious he is about staying here long term by his off-season moves. I hope he’s in high gear looking for staff replacements at the OL, WR, and DB positions. Not that my thoughts mean anything but I think he’d win back the fanbase if he has replacements for those guys and it happens immediately after the bowl game, shouldn’t effect our incoming class at all.
So getting better and actually BEATING top teams means nothing to you? Pathetic
And their Cats were one win from an SEC title game but had to go through Georgia. Also, USC hired Spurrier well past his prime. Cats could fire Stoops and go get an over-the-hill coach, but that doesn’t guarantee better success. Again, we have limitations on resources that most in the SEC don’t have. That’s a giant obstacle in today’s NIL world. You can bitch about it all you want, but it doesn’t make it less true.
And before you trot out a Washington or something, they don’t play in the SEC. We do.
I’m not talking about leaving the fan base. There is a group of fans that hadn’t been in that bought into the hype the staff put out this year. The season sucks and then you have this. Then they’ll expect people to bite on the lies for the cover up that he just couldn’t leave what he has at uK but people largely know better unless they just want to lie to themselves to feel better.
His ksr call was weird. He still doesn’t get the NIL comment backlash and focused on it being that he wasn’t taking shots at Georgia. UK fans didn’t care about that they cared that it’s a ‘don’t expect any more out of me’ comment.
Legit question. If we fired Stoops tomorrow and offered a Saban or Smart $11 or $12MM a year, do you think hey would jump for the little extra money at UK? Coaches know the limitations we have with in-state talent and NIL funds. That can’t be overcome by firing Stoops.
A&M should hire Mike Norvell. FSU can't afford to pay what it would take to keep him, and A&M would be getting a good fit from a scheme and coaching standpoint.
Stoops would be an absolutely embarrassing hire for A&M after letting Jimbo go.
Stoops would be an absolutely embarrassing hire for A&M after letting Jimbo go.
This. Winning 7 games, including a win over Florida and a top 10 win on the road; while on our way to yet another nice bowl would've been beyond my wildest dreams not that long ago. It now being a disappointment says two things:
1) stoops elevated this program where now this season is only average/good
2) fans disappointed in this season are almost definitely recent fans, which is fine, but I wish they'd better understand history and context
One final thought: op asks the wrong question and frames the thought in the wrong way. One should consider why a program with infinite financial resources wants to hire this staff. It's because they're a top 5-10 staff in the nation and that's just a fact.
This is the other issue unreasonable fans just don't consider. If stoops left, you literally lose everyone: coaches and players. So the next hire absolutely must be a homerun or you instantly slip into same ole KY territory.
For the money we have to offer, no known quantity is leaving their job to step into that position. That's just a fact. So the next hire would be a roll of the dice with everything on the line.
I'm fairly certain we could get summral, who I think is better hc than stoops, but with him you get a very unproven staff and infrastructure.
With stoops you have someone who produced a disappointing year that was still historically great in the context of UK football. With change you have at best a staff that produces another win or maybe two in a season like this vs at worst back to the days of winning 4 games and longing for the days of a bowl game
I doubt anyone will ever know the truth of the situation because no matter how you slice it, it looks bad for both parties.
Every team and program hypes themselves up in the off-season, it would be foolish not to. Unfortunately until Stoops shows he can develop and recruit a high school qb that hype will largely depend on the qb we get for that season.
Had Leary played the entire season like he did in the three perfect balls he threw this year would’ve been Stoops’ best, but most of the year was like the throw that almost cost them the game!
That is probably the biggest criticism I have of stoops, find a qb we can have for 3-4 years and then who knows where the program will go.
Until Stoops get someone in the program that knows how to develop a QB/offense, it’s going to remain stagnant.
I get so tired of hearing about in state talent. Do you think Utah has a lot of in state talent? they're 90% white and have half the people Kentucky does.
Does Utah play in the SEC? They also recruit Hawaii pretty hard, and a lot of solid players come from there. PAC isn’t the SEC.
Though in your line of thinking, James Madison had a great year so I don’t get why UK can’t.
The interesting thing is I like Stoops and I want him here. I think he’s a good coach and I was disappointed when I saw he was leaving for TAMU. I’ve enjoyed the consistency and continuity in the program and was not necessarily excited for that to start over.
BUT … I also thought oh boy, TAMU fans are not going to like this one. As much as I like Stoops here, I thought this was about as underwhelming as it could get. You bought out Jimbo Fisher for about a billion dollars so you could go hire Mark Stoops? It didnt even make sense. I wasn’t surprised their fans revolted.
BUT … I also thought oh boy, TAMU fans are not going to like this one. As much as I like Stoops here, I thought this was about as underwhelming as it could get. You bought out Jimbo Fisher for about a billion dollars so you could go hire Mark Stoops? It didnt even make sense. I wasn’t surprised their fans revolted.
I absolutely hope so! It just hasn’t worked out yet for a high school quarterback recruit under stoops is what I was saying. Once that changes then everything else could go to the next level. I don’t ever remember a team that has had a great offense and great defense in my lifetime. If you have a great qb for 2-4 years that helps the offense tremendously.
Or maybe their AD is lost because the only other football hire he’s ever made anywhere is Matt Luke at Ole Miss?
Terrible look because Texas A&M doesn’t know their place in the world? A&M has performed on the same level as Kentucky the last decade with about 1000 advantages UK doesn’t have.
Boom! Nailed it.
When you settle for mediocrity that's where your bar will be lowered to.
Tune in next October, Cats will be 5-0, then reality will hit in yet again.
Rinse Wash Repeat
Stoops has two 10 win seasons the last 5 years. Texas A&M has two 10 win seasons the last 28 years. They act like they have a Bama/Georgia trophy case when they have worse results than UK the last decade.
Yeah. I’d say it tells us more about a program that thinks it’s Alabama while it has historically performed like Arkansas. Well, maybe not quite as good as Arkansas but you know what I mean.
Probably a lateral move but somewhere like Michigan State would be the only destination possible IMO. He has done well here but his results haven’t been good enough to get one of the few sexy jobs.
These type comments are made by people outside Kentucky . We love mediocrity!
do I like it better when we couldn't sniff 6 wins? no of course not, but it isn't remarkable coaching to take an SEC school and get 3 guaranteed wins over MAC teams and then hope for wins against the weakest of the SEC.
There may not be alot of coaches lining up to come here that could take us to the next level, but I'm certain there would be many coaches who could come here, follow the existing formula and get us an average of 7-5, while not beating any good teams in the SEC
That’s fair and I don’t disagree. But I think we have a much better chance of getting to where we want to go by giving Mark Stoops and Liam Coen more time to do that than we do by blowing the whole thing up and rolling the dice on something unknown.
We were in the SEC when Stoops took the job and agreed to a big raise. And it's not about a " great year " because it's MORE than a year. Utah has been top 20 for years, not just one. You Stoops lovers always have an excuse for mediocrity. And using Hawaii as an excuse 😂 Hawaii has 1/4 th the people Kentucky does and now they are a high school powerhouse?
Having a great QB that you developed definitely helps. But it won't matter if we're still only running 55 plays a game. Until Stoops changes his ultra conservative philosophy on offense, we're stuck in the mud.
LMAO, 11 years and still sitting at 7 wins against cupcakes. What a loser!
Absolutely agree. I think anyone who thinks stoops should be gone is wild or delusional.
I disagree completely. A poster a few days ago said that Liam would be focusing on playing faster next year so let’s hope that is true.
However if you have a top offense and only run 55 plays a game but are scoring most every time you have the ball you will win way more games than you lose.
The problem is when you run 55 plays a game and the other team runs 75 because you go three and out half the game.
Heck yesterday in the 3rd quarter Kentucky ran 3 plays and had 14 points with like 2 minutes left in that quarter!
Most of these UK "insiders" have no interest in being real all the way. They want access and some info here and there.
They want say anything to jeopardize that. Stoops has made improvements at UK. Not even a debate. The issue is going further. It's not happening. He's not jumped up spots in the pecking order. He sure is paid like a coach that should be doing that though.
So either UK is serious about truly competing in the SEC, or they are fine with 7 to 8 wins a year. Pretty clear how they feel.
QB situation at UK has been a mess under Stoops. Transfer portal has rescued it from being even worse. Stoops is comfortable because he has no real pressure to win at a high rate.
They want say anything to jeopardize that. Stoops has made improvements at UK. Not even a debate. The issue is going further. It's not happening. He's not jumped up spots in the pecking order. He sure is paid like a coach that should be doing that though.
So either UK is serious about truly competing in the SEC, or they are fine with 7 to 8 wins a year. Pretty clear how they feel.
QB situation at UK has been a mess under Stoops. Transfer portal has rescued it from being even worse. Stoops is comfortable because he has no real pressure to win at a high rate.
Well if Emmett Jordan on twitter with 18 followers thinks this.
He would be a disaster at any big time program. Think about how he gets his feathers ruffled when UK fans get after him after underperforming or blatantly mismanaging a game. He’d be Billy Gillespie in front of the camera. If he told Mitch he was leaving.. and I assume he did, Mitch should have taken his resignation and shown him the door. This is like someone going back to their wife after their side piece tells them to hit the bricks.
You call it “unrealistic” I call it a fan base that wants to win. We have got to find a fix for this loser culture that has taken over the University of Kentucky.
