What are the expectations for UL football? I know they were at a high point with Brohm but the stud local guys are gone. Do you all feel they should be a BCS contender? Top 25 team? Or just a bowl team?

Three off the wall possibilities, but guys I think are ready for the BCS spotlight and might take it if they were offered:

 

Turner Gill- Head Coach at Buffalo

Kevin Sumlin- Head coach at Houston

and...the guy that I would hire in a heart beat if I were a Big East School...June Jones- Head Coach at SMU

Putting aside a myriad of other things, how would changing coaches at this point improve things to the degree that many UL fans are clamoring for, with the speed at which they think it can/should be done?

 

I understand where you're coming from but please don't group me in with the irrational fans. I realize Petrino spoiled us pretty bad but is it so much to ask for a winning season? To have a better recruiting class then somebody in the Big East besides Syracuse? To be blunt, UofL has a lot of upside with their talent right now and we still suck pretty bad. How would an up and coming coach such as Charlie Strong hurt us? It would develop better recruiting, bring in a better coaching staff, regain the trust and excitement of the players, excite the fans again and bring more national recognition to the program. Worst case scenario is we hire a dud and we're in the exact same boat that we are in now.

Putting aside a myriad of other things, how would changing coaches at this point improve things to the degree that many UL fans are clamoring for, with the speed at which they think it can/should be done?

 

If I saw any -- any at all -- signs of things turning around, I might agree. I've seen no improvement in the recruiting, and no signs of it improving, and that's where the biggest difference can be made in a short period of time. He can't even keep Louisville kids at home.

 

I think most rational fans are just looking for signs of improvement, and there are none evident. And I've got zero confidence in him as a play-caller.

I understand where you're coming from but please don't group me in with the irrational fans. I realize Petrino spoiled us pretty bad but is it so much to ask for a winning season? To have a better recruiting class then somebody in the Big East besides Syracuse? To be blunt, UofL has a lot of upside with their talent right now and we still suck pretty bad. How would an up and coming coach such as Charlie Strong hurt us? It would develop better recruiting, bring in a better coaching staff, regain the trust and excitement of the players, excite the fans again and bring more national recognition to the program. Worst case scenario is we hire a dud and we're in the exact same boat that we are in now.

 

 

 

I'm not trying to lump you into "them". I just keep hearing all this crap, and yet....no one seems to have any good answer to that question.

 

You use the word develop....that's key. I don't think Coach K has been given a fair opportunity to "develop" anything. I think he was sold a job that wasn't what was portrayed.

 

Let's just suppose for a minute that Petrino had stayed:

 

Could he have stopped that kid from deciding an armed robbery on the way home would be a good lark? A stud.

Could he have done anything about the two kids who had to quit for life-threatening reasons? Two kids who were absolute studs?

Could he have stopped a kid who decided he just didn't want to play football anymore? A kid who is still enrolled on campus, but simply doesn't want to play? Another stud.

 

Now, let's look at the obstacles Kragthorpe has faced:

 

The above, obviously.

Problems he most likely didn't anticipate in player discipline.

Not being allowed to create his own complete staff from day one.

 

 

Those touch on the issues I feel are key obstacles going into this season.

 

Now, he's faced with a fan base who refuses to acknowledge these are impediments to the success of a coach. And these things he had no control over.

 

Develop...key word. Let the man develop his program. Rome wasn't built in a day. And if Rome is to be built, I want it with a firm foundation...not like a house of cards (no pun intended).

Three off the wall possibilities, but guys I think are ready for the BCS spotlight and might take it if they were offered:

 

Turner Gill- Head Coach at Buffalo

Kevin Sumlin- Head coach at Houston

and...the guy that I would hire in a heart beat if I were a Big East School...June Jones- Head Coach at SMU

 

I wouldn't, you see how the run and shoot works at the BCS level. His teams in Hawaii were very good, statistically, but it never really showed when they played teams of a higher caliber-Georgia.

This thread reminds me so much of many of the UK/Billy G threads.

 

It's the same situation in the fact that both UL and UK hired guys that were in way over their heads...I'm all about giving a man his fair chance but if I were a UL fan I would want to go the UK route...cut your losses and throw a ton of money at a big name coach.

I think something fail to realize when they give all of this heat to Kragthorpe for not sustaining the success that Petrino had experienced is that Petrino is a darn good coach. He hid a lot of things for UofL, he has a great offensive system and had the players to run it. UofL was never a legit contender before Petrino, they moved up a little while he was there, but towards the end of his tenure the writing was on the wall that UofL wasn't going to be as good once Brohm, Douglas, Bush and Co. graduated. The thing is, they weren't that good before Petrino got there, they were relatively good with Petrino and they are back to not being very good anymore, the problem is Kragthorpe is a bad coach and compounds having a bad team with being a bad coach.

 

What did you expect?

I really don't put much in to the whole "cleaning up the program" thing. We still have plenty of talent on the field and it isn't being used to it's fullest potential. I honestly think we are more talented this year than we were last year, and yet it's looking like our record is going to be even worse with Krags calling the plays. I'm still hopeful that things turn around this year but I just don't see it. If we lose to Syracuse again I'm leaving town until the riots die down and the pitchfork mobsters go home.

I think something fail to realize when they give all of this heat to Kragthorpe for not sustaining the success that Petrino had experienced is that Petrino is a darn good coach. He hid a lot of things for UofL, he has a great offensive system and had the players to run it. UofL was never a legit contender before Petrino, they moved up a little while he was there, but towards the end of his tenure the writing was on the wall that UofL wasn't going to be as good once Brohm, Douglas, Bush and Co. graduated. The thing is, they weren't that good before Petrino got there, they were relatively good with Petrino and they are back to not being very good anymore, the problem is Kragthorpe is a bad coach and compounds having a bad team with being a bad coach.

 

What did you expect?

I didn't expect Krags to have near the success that Petrino did but it would be nice if he had at least a peanuts worth of success in 3 seasons with more then enough talent to compete in the Big East. I think Petrino is a top 5 college coach. I feel bad for Krags because I respect him as a person and really do like him but he honestly should have never been hired in the first place.

What are the expectations for UL football? I know they were at a high point with Brohm but the stud local guys are gone. Do you all feel they should be a BCS contender? Top 25 team? Or just a bowl team?

 

Expectations are too high. They should be a good team, not BCS every year though. I don't think with the schedule they play, asking for a bowl is too much though.

 

Three off the wall possibilities, but guys I think are ready for the BCS spotlight and might take it if they were offered:

 

Turner Gill- Head Coach at Buffalo

Kevin Sumlin- Head coach at Houston

and...the guy that I would hire in a heart beat if I were a Big East School...June Jones- Head Coach at SMU

 

All three you mentioned are great fits. :thumb:

 

I'd go with Sumlin out of these three.

My expectations have changed over the last 3 years:

 

Krags first year I expected to contend for conference title.

 

Krags 2nd year I expected 8-9 wins.

 

Krags 3rd year I expect 7 wins and a bowl birth.

 

There is no reason UL should ever miss a bowl game.

 

I agree that Krags should have been allowed to bring his own staff in and not have to keep hold overs. His style is just different. That took 2 years to clean out. I blame Jurich for wasting those 2 years.

 

What I don't agree with is Krags had to clean up Petrino's mess. Bobby kept those trouble makers in check. Some guys can coach what I like to call "Liquor Drinkers" (means outlaws, thugs, etc...) and others can't. Krags is a guy that can't deal with that type of kid. Not saying anything bad about the coach. Just stating what I believe. I am just saying there was to much meat left in the freezer for him to prepare.

 

Biggest probelm UL faces right now is RECRUTING, they are losing the recruiting war in their back yard. You have to be able to walk out in your back yard and recruit. Credit to Rich Brooks and staff for recruiting this area well. Next thing is UL has had success in Fla. recruiting for some reason Krags likes to recruit the west, because of his ties to Texas.

 

IMO the biggest game of Krags coaching career is this Saturday. If UL gets beat on Saturday they may not have 20k at any game the rest of this season.

What are the expectations for UL football? I know they were at a high point with Brohm but the stud local guys are gone. Do you all feel they should be a BCS contender? Top 25 team? Or just a bowl team?

 

I would say all of the above in their current conference with their current schedule.

I'm not trying to lump you into "them". I just keep hearing all this crap, and yet....no one seems to have any good answer to that question.

 

You use the word develop....that's key. I don't think Coach K has been given a fair opportunity to "develop" anything. I think he was sold a job that wasn't what was portrayed.

 

Let's just suppose for a minute that Petrino had stayed:

 

Could he have stopped that kid from deciding an armed robbery on the way home would be a good lark? A stud.

Could he have done anything about the two kids who had to quit for life-threatening reasons? Two kids who were absolute studs?

Could he have stopped a kid who decided he just didn't want to play football anymore? A kid who is still enrolled on campus, but simply doesn't want to play? Another stud.

 

Now, let's look at the obstacles Kragthorpe has faced:

 

The above, obviously.

Problems he most likely didn't anticipate in player discipline.

Not being allowed to create his own complete staff from day one.

 

 

Those touch on the issues I feel are key obstacles going into this season.

 

Now, he's faced with a fan base who refuses to acknowledge these are impediments to the success of a coach. And these things he had no control over.

 

Develop...key word. Let the man develop his program. Rome wasn't built in a day. And if Rome is to be built, I want it with a firm foundation...not like a house of cards (no pun intended).

 

 

Aside from these things, he does a rotten job at the little things. Game management, promptness on the field, calling the offense, etc. Not to mention recruiting and winning games. Seriously, all excuses aside it I have to disagree with you on this topic. I understand your stance, but from a pure x's and o's perspective he isn't getting it done in any aspect of the the game right now.

 

Barely beating ISU, and not winning a game against a D1 school in nearly a year lay on his shoulders alone. There is no way you can watch UofL with an open mind and say, "that guys a good coach, just doesn't have a lot of talent." This team still has enough talent to be competitive, and they don't do that very often. And he had more than enough to win his first year. How many NFL players were on that team? 5 or 6 at least.

 

You ask who could do better, I say just about any body they threw back there. I would love to be wrong, and I may be.... but I think he is a bad coach.

I wouldn't, you see how the run and shoot works at the BCS level. His teams in Hawaii were very good, statistically, but it never really showed when they played teams of a higher caliber-Georgia.

 

He wouldn't be playing Georgia every year or even that caliber of team every week in the Big East, IMO.

 

The Run and Shoot has worked very well for Texas Tech in a much tougher conference, so I think it can work if you get the athletes that run the system.