I lost my sht tonight like most of you and we have good reason, but there’s a few points I feel we should have understood.
1. Mitch Barnhart, whether or not this hire turns out, has got to be removed from his job. He is simply not cut out to be the AD of a major SEC program any way you cut it. The coaches and programs he went after solidify that Mitch has way more on his mind than winning at the highest level, and you can’t compete in this conference with one arm tied behind your back. To be a competent SEC AD you have to play in gray areas and roll the dice sometimes. He’s not fit for this, he’s fit for a smaller private college. The revenue generated by this conference is the reason for most of his successes, and I don’t know how much more clear that could be, it’s nothing he’s doing.
2. We need to hold the line on Pope. Some of you are severely underestimating the power of programs themselves. Pope needs to land a big time 5 star and after that the perception changes complete. It’s the same as the Mashburn era, and it’s still rings true. ONE recruit can change everything.
3. This is also a learning lesson - Bobby Hurley. I don’t think it’s hit many yet, but Hurley was NEVER going to come here, never. “yOu gOtTa tRy” - no, you don’t. You don’t try and poach a guy like that and there are reasons for it. First he would never come. Today it’s a lateral move, or very close to it. It makes your program look like sht. I never wanted the guy anyway, but more than that, it gave Mitch the ability to say “I TRIED, oh well, on to the other guy (which was Pope who in all actuality was SECOND on his list. Barnhart played the fanbase by pretending to go after Hurley. He didn’t pursue Donovan because he knew he might accept it. Barnhart wants more than anything to control all of the athletics programs at UK. You can’t do that with Calipari ( it’s why he didn’t want him), or Donovan. This was set up from the beginning, Barnhart was going to hire a guy who he had control over. Never again attempt to push the idea we need to go after coaches that would be moving laterally. Donovan should have been call #2 from the very first day. Also, this is exactly why I wanted Drew because I saw this scenario a mile away. Drew was the absolute best candidate we could get while Mitch was also going to have control.
4. The reason the boosters weren’t able to get a grip over Barnhart like they had with Calipari is because Calipari’s antics were a lot worse than many realize. Since I’m obviously not allowed to talk about it here I won’t. But I can tell you that he was doing some things that are absolutely pitiful to this program and had to be pushed out. And this allowed Barnhart to have an upper hand because he never wanted him in the first place but was overruled. Our president is a huge problem.
5. Mark Pope - no, I would not have hired him and I do not believe the boosters wanted anyone but Donovan next. That’s my opinion of the situation. But the truth is, this is Kentucky, he’s a brilliant guy who’s been the captain on the greatest team in the history of college basketball. Rick Pitino wasn’t recruiting guys to Kentucky that didn’t fit a mold. He will recruit kids that want to be here, play an exciting style, and I believe will win once he lands his first big recruit. The reason Duke and UNC stay in the family is because programs like ours are machines. Yes, programs still matter they always have and always will. Pope is going to land his first major recruit and that will start the wheels turning.
I just wanted to throw this out there because after calming down I realized that this might be our chance, albeit however small, to land a modern home grown goat. Since the chance is here and there’s nothing we can do about it I’m going to wait it out and see over the next 24 months. Something tells me Pope is the type of brilliant, hardworking, program first alumni that could pay off in insane ways.
But none of that excuses Barnhart.
Let’s pull it together and find out what he’s got. He won’t have long to do it and Kentucky never dies; the next hire will be a big one if it doesn’t work.
1. Mitch Barnhart, whether or not this hire turns out, has got to be removed from his job. He is simply not cut out to be the AD of a major SEC program any way you cut it. The coaches and programs he went after solidify that Mitch has way more on his mind than winning at the highest level, and you can’t compete in this conference with one arm tied behind your back. To be a competent SEC AD you have to play in gray areas and roll the dice sometimes. He’s not fit for this, he’s fit for a smaller private college. The revenue generated by this conference is the reason for most of his successes, and I don’t know how much more clear that could be, it’s nothing he’s doing.
2. We need to hold the line on Pope. Some of you are severely underestimating the power of programs themselves. Pope needs to land a big time 5 star and after that the perception changes complete. It’s the same as the Mashburn era, and it’s still rings true. ONE recruit can change everything.
3. This is also a learning lesson - Bobby Hurley. I don’t think it’s hit many yet, but Hurley was NEVER going to come here, never. “yOu gOtTa tRy” - no, you don’t. You don’t try and poach a guy like that and there are reasons for it. First he would never come. Today it’s a lateral move, or very close to it. It makes your program look like sht. I never wanted the guy anyway, but more than that, it gave Mitch the ability to say “I TRIED, oh well, on to the other guy (which was Pope who in all actuality was SECOND on his list. Barnhart played the fanbase by pretending to go after Hurley. He didn’t pursue Donovan because he knew he might accept it. Barnhart wants more than anything to control all of the athletics programs at UK. You can’t do that with Calipari ( it’s why he didn’t want him), or Donovan. This was set up from the beginning, Barnhart was going to hire a guy who he had control over. Never again attempt to push the idea we need to go after coaches that would be moving laterally. Donovan should have been call #2 from the very first day. Also, this is exactly why I wanted Drew because I saw this scenario a mile away. Drew was the absolute best candidate we could get while Mitch was also going to have control.
4. The reason the boosters weren’t able to get a grip over Barnhart like they had with Calipari is because Calipari’s antics were a lot worse than many realize. Since I’m obviously not allowed to talk about it here I won’t. But I can tell you that he was doing some things that are absolutely pitiful to this program and had to be pushed out. And this allowed Barnhart to have an upper hand because he never wanted him in the first place but was overruled. Our president is a huge problem.
5. Mark Pope - no, I would not have hired him and I do not believe the boosters wanted anyone but Donovan next. That’s my opinion of the situation. But the truth is, this is Kentucky, he’s a brilliant guy who’s been the captain on the greatest team in the history of college basketball. Rick Pitino wasn’t recruiting guys to Kentucky that didn’t fit a mold. He will recruit kids that want to be here, play an exciting style, and I believe will win once he lands his first big recruit. The reason Duke and UNC stay in the family is because programs like ours are machines. Yes, programs still matter they always have and always will. Pope is going to land his first major recruit and that will start the wheels turning.
I just wanted to throw this out there because after calming down I realized that this might be our chance, albeit however small, to land a modern home grown goat. Since the chance is here and there’s nothing we can do about it I’m going to wait it out and see over the next 24 months. Something tells me Pope is the type of brilliant, hardworking, program first alumni that could pay off in insane ways.
But none of that excuses Barnhart.
Let’s pull it together and find out what he’s got. He won’t have long to do it and Kentucky never dies; the next hire will be a big one if it doesn’t work.
