[cougarpride08]

I just had to get this off my chest. Joker Phillips job may be in danger, but UK problems are far worse than a coach. Funding for facility upgrades, money donated "Joe Craft" kind of donate and I believe we are the only school in the SEC without a recruiting room or house I think they call it. Untill we get these upgrades, you are not going to get a decent coach to come in here, and without a decent coach you lack something. 1) Great players 2) Great Players 3) Great players. "John Calapari" statement. Also let us not forget that Joker now with 12 wins possibly 13 will have more in 3 years than Rich Brooks did in his 4th season. Brooks 4th season was the year we won 8 games. Just something to think about.

[Stardust]

Without be sarcastic, I can't honestly give a scenario that would ever work. It's going to take a $5M coaching salary in order to draw a premier coach! Then it would take serious upgrades to the facilities in order to draw top recruits. Finally, its going to take the UK Fans to DEMAND that the school commit to football in order to attain both 1 & 2.

I have heard all the arguments about other programs that don't have a top tier coach, nor a Blue Chip athletes, yet they win! Well, those teams to NOT play in the SEC! I'm not sure that Urban Meyer and the best recruits in the nation could still compete against Bama, Florida, LSU on an annual basis!

Simple answer, if you want UK to be a top tier football program, then have the school pull our of the SEC and move to the Big East where the only team that would be better than them would be Lousiville!!!!!

[Strikeout King]

UK just approved $9+ Million in Soccer/Softball upgrades. 7 Mil for the Soccer facilites and 2.2 mil for Softball. If they can do that they can spend the money for football

[BellCoFaithful]

Hmm..let's see here..A new head coach, new recruiters, new facilities, better players, a new D-coordinator, more support for the team. Joker ruined Morgan Newton, he should have been starting hes fresh/soph year while the SEC was down compared to other years to build confidence..everyone knew Hartline wasn't going to take us anywhere. He ran Mossakowski off because he didn't even have the chance to compete, he didn't even recruit Channing Fugate, whose been solid at UT, wouldn't promise that guy at USC..you know..middle linebacker, #55, likely going to be playing for a national championship, started as a freshman, a starting spot in UK's linebacking corp. I fear he's going to run Towles out of town as well. Rich brooks left the program in good shape, and Joker has ran it straight back into Cleveland Browns territory.

[Spud6]

New coaching staff

[Big Five-0-]

Without be sarcastic, I can't honestly give a scenario that would ever work. It's going to take a $5M coaching salary in order to draw a premier coach! Then it would take serious upgrades to the facilities in order to draw top recruits. Finally, its going to take the UK Fans to DEMAND that the school commit to football in order to attain both 1 & 2.

I have heard all the arguments about other programs that don't have a top tier coach, nor a Blue Chip athletes, yet they win! Well, those teams to NOT play in the SEC! I'm not sure that Urban Meyer and the best recruits in the nation could still compete against Bama, Florida, LSU on an annual basis!

Simple answer, if you want UK to be a top tier football program, then have the school pull our of the SEC and move to the Big East where the only team that would be better than them would be Lousiville!!!!!

Hate to disagree Stardust. Kentucky belongs in the sec. Cougarpride08 makes a very valid point as to why. U.K. fans across this state that cares, need to demand this, imho.

[cougarpride08]

I said in my post decent. We need to upgrade commonwealth. Inside and out.

[RunItUpTheGut]

We must get Petrino!

[FBALL]

We must get Petrino!

Oh hell no!

[Strikeout King]

^ Well who do you want? Joker can't get it done against the Sun Belt Conference.....

[Harry Rex Vonner]

There is no way a top coach would ever come to Kentucky. Kentucky football has not had any real sustained success since Paul Bryant and Vito Parilli. Those toilet bowls they played in for several years were ridiculous.

[Bloody Harlan]

A)New Conference or
B)Move the school south

[honestjchsfan]

Hmm..let's see here..A new head coach, new recruiters, new facilities, better players, a new D-coordinator, more support for the team. Joker ruined Morgan Newton, he should have been starting hes fresh/soph year while the SEC was down compared to other years to build confidence..everyone knew Hartline wasn't going to take us anywhere. He ran Mossakowski off because he didn't even have the chance to compete, he didn't even recruit Channing Fugate, whose been solid at UT, wouldn't promise that guy at USC..you know..middle linebacker, #55, likely going to be playing for a national championship, started as a freshman, a starting spot in UK's linebacking corp. I fear he's going to run Towles out of town as well. Rich brooks left the program in good shape, and Joker has ran it straight back into Cleveland Browns territory.

I have tried to support Joker but I can't now. Deep down I have known all along that UK has no chance with him as coach. In 2009 a beat up UK team starting a freshmen at QB went down to Auburn and beat them, it was the Jimmy Heggins Coached offensive line that played a penalty free game and dominated Auburn's defensive line that won the game. It is the same Jimmy Heggins who served as offensive line Coach under Bobby Bowden. UK was lucky to have man like that coaching for them. One of the first moves that Joker made was to fire this man as Offensive line Coach and hire Joe B Hall's son-in-law Mike Summers. I saw this as a warning sign that Joker was going to destroy what Rich Brooks had built up. The second warning sign was what you stated above concerning Morgan Newton. Joker has a chance to play Newton over Mike Hartline, that year UK have some vets at WR (Cobb) and a play making RB (Lock) but Joker refused and ended up ruining Newton who was a 4 star recruit. Joker also refused to play Aaron Boyd last season who was also a 4 star recruit and we all know how bad UK WRs were last year. His next Bone head move was to bring in this has been Rick Minter and his 3-4 system to imporove the defense and now a SUN Belt team in running over us! I want to make my donation to the FIRE JOKER FUND!

[NothingTrivial]

^ Well who do you want? Joker can't get it done against the Sun Belt Conference.....

Id like to see Uk go after Dick Bumpas the D-Coordinator at TCU. He doesn't have any ties to UK, but does have ties to the sec.

[honestjchsfan]

What it will take to make UK great? UK had the right idea and the program was really moving forward under Rich Brooks. Seeing all of his players last weekend in the NFL, making plays for thier repective team is proof of this. Under Brooks UK had beat every team in the SEC West with the exception of Bama. In 2008 he may have beat Bama
if not for Joker's play calling they lost 14-17. As a matter of fact if it was not for the Joker being such a wild play caller he would have probably beat SC, and UT. We all remember the play call vs SC on the 2 point play after Cobb had carried UK on his back to score. YES the Old ball coach said " I don't think we could have stopped #18". My point is UK needs a real Football coach who can evaluate talent, who puts a well coached team on the field. I think many UK fans have already forgot how well coached UK was under Brooks, how they were a 4th quarter team. Brooks was never lucky at UK he earned everything he got.

[BlackcatAlum]

A lot more $$$ invested into the program & facilities.

[OffTheHook]

AAAAAA #%^%&%^#$%&^%&^ !!!!!!!!!!!

FIRE Jokers ASS !!!!!!!!

[Spud6]

Dish out the money for a good coach.

[15thRegionSlamaBamma]

Skip Holtz enough said.

[StrikeoutKing]

I'll just give my take on Kentucky football (for whatever it's worth)

Kentucky will NEVER be an annual contender in the SEC. Football is different from every other sport in the sense that you recruit more in-state players than you do for basketball, baseball, etc. The state of Kentucky just doesn't produce the talent on a yearly basis like Florida, Texas, California, Georgia, Ohio, and those places. Every few years, KY will have a solid class, but not every year like the other states. Now...I believe Kentucky is a program that should be expected to win 6-7 games every year, and earn a spot in a bowl game. I think that would be a realistic expectation. And I think every few years, you'll see a team like 2007, where they push 8-10 wins and pull some upsets along the way. But I think to expect this program to be a SEC contender is wishful thinking. JMO.

[StrikeoutKing]

Skip Holtz enough said.

I'm not a Lou fan, so any relative of his I'm gonna have to say "No" to. :Shaking:

[15thRegionSlamaBamma]

I'm not a Lou fan, so any relative of his I'm gonna have to say "No" to. :Shaking:

I'm a big Lou fan so I give the :rockon:.

Only other coach who I could see really have some sort of success and energizing this fan base is Mike Leach and IMO that will never happen because of the baggage he brings from the Mumme days. No doubt in my mind he would take the job just dont foresee Mitch going after him.

[Stardust]

Hate to disagree Stardust. Kentucky belongs in the sec. Cougarpride08 makes a very valid point as to why. U.K. fans across this state that cares, need to demand this, imho.

That comment was a facetious comment, as in there is no way that UK will ever be a top level program as long as they are in the SEC. I know they will never leave the SEC, nor do I want them too. Thus, expect them to lose to WKU more often!

[Stardust]

Dish out the money for a good coach.

Bear Bryant himself would still never make UK GREAT as the thread title suggests. They could never compete at the top level of the SEC - EVER!

[toussaints]

UK needs to do what Vanderbilt did:

- recruit good players that want to be at the school, instead of getting guys that settled to be at UK.

- get the university administrators to show some excitement and support for the program. putting up billboards and posters are not nearly enough. the players need to feel like the school takes pride in them.

- update the football facilities and make it look like they take care of the place. It's bad when Cincinnati and Louisville have better football facilities than an SEC school.

finally, get coaches that are hungry and want to be there. UK has coaches on staff like that. Sanders, Smith, and even Phillips fits that, but coaches like Minter, Turner and Washington will leave once a job similar to their responsibilities opens up.

[Big Five-0-]

What it will take to make UK great? UK had the right idea and the program was really moving forward under Rich Brooks. Seeing all of his players last weekend in the NFL, making plays for thier repective team is proof of this. Under Brooks UK had beat every team in the SEC West with the exception of Bama. In 2008 he may have beat Bama
if not for Joker's play calling they lost 14-17. As a matter of fact if it was not for the Joker being such a wild play caller he would have probably beat SC, and UT. We all remember the play call vs SC on the 2 point play after Cobb had carried UK on his back to score. YES the Old ball coach said " I don't think we could have stopped #18". My point is UK needs a real Football coach who can evaluate talent, who puts a well coached team on the field. I think many UK fans have already forgot how well coached UK was under Brooks, how they were a 4th quarter team. Brooks was never lucky at UK he earned everything he got.

Agree with all of this. However, a total facilities upgrade inside and out , along with the adm. being totally committed to a winning program in the sec. Those resposible at this school have been by far too concerned with the round ball sport, that the football program has been the step child, and only recieving crumbs. If the true football fans across the Commonwealth demand better, then just maybe we will get better. And no, we don't need to be out of the sec, imo. Out of all the sec schools, and being among them, we can do better IF the adm. and fans want it to be. Those of us that support U.K. football deserve better. Get rid of the joker, pay the $$$ for a top coach,and do the upgrades.

[honestjchsfan]

Agree with all of this. However, a total facilities upgrade inside and out , along with the adm. being totally committed to a winning program in the sec. Those resposible at this school have been by far too concerned with the round ball sport, that the football program has been the step child, and only recieving crumbs. If the true football fans across the Commonwealth demand better, then just maybe we will get better. And no, we don't need to be out of the sec, imo. Out of all the sec schools, and being among them, we can do better IF the adm. and fans want it to be. Those of us that support U.K. football deserve better. Get rid of the joker, pay the $$$ for a top coach,and do the upgrades.

I agree UK football fans deserve better. Yes UK needs to do the upgrades. But I also think that the "Hal Mumme Finesse Style" of football that the "high-ups" at UK seem to love will never work in the SEC! The most sucessful teams in the SEC and in College football are POWER TEAMS. Last night a Sunbelt team WKU lined up and beat a SEC team using a power football style. Anyone who has watched SEC football knows that the best Cornerbacks, Outside Linebacker and Defensive Ends play in the SEC. Why run a system that plays to the strenght of the SEC? Yes UK needs to throw the ball down the field but about every UK football fans knows that WR's that can beat SEC cornorbacks one-on-one are few and far between. I am so tired of seeing these under sized RBs, WRs how about trying the Bill Belichick approach and forcing SEC teams to match-up with gitfted TEs. When Joe Gibbs had trouble blocking LT he came up with the 3 sometimes 4 TE system that he won 3 Super Bowls with. On the defensive side of the Ball I am tired of seeing a 210lb kid play LB and get ran over in the hole like UK did last night. Its time to put some LB's on the field that have the size to stop the run. This 3-4 system that Minter has brought in calls for Stud LBS that teams like Bama can get and teams Like UK can only dream about. Anyway my point is before UK can compete in the SEC in football they have to have sound plan for the program that is based on the type of kids that UK can sign, a system that gives these kids a chance to be successful. Running a Offensie system that calls for a 1st RD pick at QB,RB and WR and Left tackle has no chance.

[Jumper Dad]

Hal Mumme style didn't work when he was here...20-26 with one winning season and one 6-6 season...plus two bowl losses. But it was fun to watch!!!

I noticed several people on this site and others mention UK wouldn't consider Leach because he was in the Mumme mess at UK that led to probation. He was only here the first two years...wasn't mentioned in any of the NCAA issues. BTW Leach makes $2M a year at...where ever he's at.

UK needs a coach that has a drive to build a program but a system and ability to be competitive right away, while recruiting kids to fit his system.

[RunItUpTheGut]

I dont understand how some can say we will NEVER be at the top.
I believe most would agree Vandy was in the hole even further than us, and IMO, will contend for an SEC East title this year if they can get a bounce or two there way.
There on a different level then UK now...

[honestjchsfan]

[quote=Jumper Dad]Hal Mumme style didn't work when he was here...20-26 with one winning season and one 6-6 season...plus two bowl losses. But it was fun to watch!!!

I noticed several people on this site and others mention UK wouldn't consider Leach because he was in the Mumme mess at UK that led to probation. He was only here the first two years...wasn't mentioned in any of the NCAA issues. BTW Leach makes $2M a year at...where ever he's at.

UK needs a coach that has a drive to build a program but a system and ability to be competitive right away, while recruiting kids to fit his system.[/QU What makes you think Mike Leach's system would work in the SEC? When I say work I mean produce a winning record in the SEC EAST. Mike Leach's system is not that much different to what UK is doing now under Joker. It's a passing system that is based on the short underneath passing game which calls for the WR's to gian a bunch of yards after the catch. Sec football of today is a long way from what it was when Hal Mumme was on the sidelines at UK. There is reason why Steve Spurrier dumped the "FUN & GUN" throw it 50 times a game system he used a UF. I disagreee with the statement about "recruiting kids to fit his system" because if the system has no chance the best recruits in the USA can't make it a winner. IMO UK needs a coach that that runs a system that has a Chance to win in the SEC. That system is one that is committed to throwing the ball down the field, a system that is committed to running the football and stopping the run!