Calico Jack

I swear I hope he's the ONE, and that goes two fold. 1- For UK football. 2- Most importantly, for HIM. He's obviously got something about him. His time as the OC at UTEP and what THEY did while he was there resonates more with me than his two years at Oregon (see original post and how they have lit it up, all while winning, regardless of who the HC's/OC's have been). I know most don't see it through that set of lenses either ? (what UTEP was doing his two years there vs his time at Oregon).

I'm glad I'm not the only one being skeptical, and he very well just may be the next "boy wonder"...in a few years, UK is just hoping to keep him. I HOPE LIKE NO OTHER HE IS THAT. So, this is in NOWAY directed towards Stein...none....this is something I've wondered for years? Is UK basketball hiring (head type) assistants from other schools, and by no means do I think that Kentucky Football is a 'blue blood' like it is in Basketball. But why aren't current head coaches that have PROVEN they can win (any at all) at programs that either have been, or on the surface, are uphill climbs ever in the conversation? It only comes down to one of two theories for me (or both). 1- UK Admins care for football when compared to basketball? Couldn't be further apart. 2- UK Football, amongst current head coaches, is considered career suicide (these type of guys below are contacted, but with NO interest) PJ Fleck- Minnesota 6-11 win seasons except for two ('17 first year and '20 Covid shortened) of his 9 seasons. If you can RECRUIT any talent at all to a place where it's WINTER 9 months out of the year, WIN with that talent and in the Big 10 at that? You can coach. Not to mention his success before Gopher Land at Western Michigan. Plus the personality, energy, etc. to boot? Tim Polesek- North Dakota State I don't care if FCS or not, there are PLENTY of FBS and even bottom half P4 school's across the country that don't want any part of that smoke. Whatever is in the coaching water to make MINOT, NORTH DAKOTA the perineal power they are? Is legit. See Fleck being able to recruit and win in the Big 10 at Minnesota? Even moreso there, where it's winter 10 months out of the year. Gary Annesse- Ferris State (D2) Want to go out on a limb, in terms of D2 HFC making the jump straight to P4? That guy. See Fleck & Polesk? See Annesse. Ferris State is where Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambless was. Annesse has won 3 of the last four D2 National titles. Offensively? They score so much, the lights have to be replaced mid year. One week they might throw for 400+, the next? Rush for 400+. Then go 250 and 250 the next week...well on their way to dropping 50+ spots like it's 2nd nature. Oregon has been winning and lighting the scoreboard up the last 25 years, no matter who is in charge and/or calling plays & that didn't happen until Uncle Phil decided to make the Ducks his own personal project and assuring that they'd have 9, 578 uniform combinations + each player's closet essentially being their own, personal Nike Outlet Store. Ohio State? Obviously has won even more, and for longer, despite who the HC/Coordinators are. Being a HC/Coordinator at college football bluebloods, and expecting that to translate to one that...well, isn't...Is no different than would be in KYHSFB, whereas, it SHOULD be the other way around. I'm looking for the guy(s) that have won ANY AT ALL in the places that shouldn't.

EVERY. SINGLE. LEVEL

No doubt. If I'm Hartline? I'm sitting right where I am & wait for next year or the year after jobs. Truthfully, if Hartline was looking to be a HC in a MUCH BETTER situation? I think we'd in the VERY LEAST heard his name in the mix for the VA TECH job. Stein? See Hartline. Granted, being from here + family ties...can't put a price tag on the things he'd have here in those capacities compared to out in Eugene. Although, I'd say 'Uncle Phil' helps make it as close to feeling home as it could be despite being on the other end of the country. Mullen? Same thoughts. I think he could be the biggest "name" hire if UK is trying to bring in a current HFC for only the 4th time in history. Here is something people aren't thinking about....but, with Memphis, South Florida and Tulane being open? In terms of success? Having that chance to WIN and make a run at the CFP? ALL three are better jobs.

Oh I love it...love it. Crazy thing is, him playing out as the next hire is MUCH more likely than the majority of names I've seen...IMO.

I'll GLADLY eat crow on this, but I have NO IDEA where the thought that they are going to get one of those comes from as is? (Not saying you!) UK has ONLY hired THREE HFC's in it's history that were current D1 HC's. Bear Bryant (Maryland) Fran Curci (Miami-FL) Jerry Claiborne (Maryland) ...so, I guess another moral of the story/history? If want to target a current HC? Look at the ACC?!?

If that wouldn't be the most "about right" move ever. Kentucky, firing the winningest coach in program history, cemented from an embarrassing loss to its instate rival...Louisville. ....only to HIRE the guy that, wait for it......Louisville "fired".

Playing + coaching here, he wasn't coming. Florida seemingly being the "Toxic Ten" that they are, is/was the better job. I don't know who will take, either. I'm with you. Like others, I keep seeing Stein and Hartline. But are those guys really going to leave being a coordinator at the Top 10 programs both of them are at just for a bigger payday & the chance to run their own, while always in the bottom half of the conference, P4 program.....who just fired the school's all time winningest coach (who still finished with a losing record- that is ZERO shade being thrown from me by the way- and, up until the 2024 season was ready to build a statue of the man)? Then there is Dan Mullen. He's seen the SEC life-hindsight 20/20- he probably wishes he'd never left Stark-Vegas. So, does he want to get back to the SEC, take another job almost identical to it, knowing that 6-8 wins, with the occasional 9, maybe 10 win season(s) in the current landscape of the SEC (even tougher than his MS St/FLA days + a 9 game conference schedule) is likely the 'pinnacle' for the program? Or stay at UNLV, make my $4 Million a year and KNOW that, despite being in a G5 conference, the likelihood of making a, or even multiple CFP's is FAR GREATER than at UK? Rhett Lashlee? ZERO chance. Gus Malzahn? A name I haven't seen thrown out, but I think would be a person of interest. On both sides.

Kendal Briles- OC at TCU …must at least be contacted. @barrel

I say this wanting to see their program , school, community & Coach Estes/his staff finally make it to the finals as much as anybody.… ….but, that has MORE to do with KCD & how much more physical they are playing in these frigid conditions mixed with their style of play (flexbone) as it does anything.

Genuinely curious here, but because of his climb up the ladder to get to where he is now?

You can't say that!!! You dream killer, you. ?

New Smyrna Beach. Circa June/July 1998. Marty J's 'paper towel' seasoning blend in aisle 4 for the catch(es) of the day. ?

...and, that's all relative. Every class out there has their 'Big Green Monster's' + a few more, give or take year depending, that have things on lockdown.

They are actually both part of the Christian County School System, as odd as that is to hear. It's the same in Floyd County with Prestonsburg. Off name alone, you'd think Hopkinsville (and 50-60+ years ago they were) was Independent, same with P-Burg, but they are part of each county system. The main reason they did this (and, I'm not faulting, nor fan- all TBD) was financially. Both Christian County High School and Hopkinsville High School were (and, past due) for new high schools. Fiscally more responsible to build one....than two. As for who the coach should be? I'm echoing what was already said. Give it....no, correction...Dustin Lopez has EARNED it. On top of that? Being from there and that entire community meaning what it does to him? He will help bridge and of the disgruntled. The kids will be fine. I'm not saying it will be perfect, but when comparing it to the adults? The kids won't be the problem...like most things, the bulk problems will come from adults that don't want it to happen, yet will want to see it fail (and, that's not singling out Hoptown/County- that's any and everywhere this has happened).

Can't help but to think that consolidation years ago hurt football more than it helped. Took Mt. Sterling, who ironically, was at their peak the 6-8 years prior and then combined with two other non football playing school's/communities within the county. I'd say what's going on there, is like what's going on at many other's like them. In this case, it's Mt. Sterling Football at Montgomery County High School.

Maybe so, and for the new coach + program, I hope so...but, the previous (almost) three decades say otherwise (and, they've been in this current district alignment since '23). I definitely agree with the bolded. Every coach since '98 has had MULTIPLE 0-3 win seasons during their respected tenures, including the one who finished 11 games below .500 yet went onto play in 8 straight region finals + winning it all at his next job (Letton)...as well as Egli, who, despite his last three years their, took them to heights they've not seen since '95 (and, he was let go).

Paul Rains was the last coach to win a region title there, back in '95. Since then? They've played in just one (Egli's '17 team). Total playoff wins since '98? Five (Gooch-2, Egli- 3) Overall program record since '98? 115-179 (39% wins) Coaches since '98: Bill Letton- '98-'02- went 18-29 (38%) - Letton later takes over for Bob Sphire at LexCath, and then proceeds to go 80-25, play in 8 Straight Region Titles, 4 State Semis and WIN 1 State Title Dean Cvitkovic- '03 & '04- 2-18 (10%) Dan Gooch- '05-'15- 54-66 (45%) - Two Playoff wins - Five winning seasons Jamie Egli- '16-'21 27-36 (42%) - Three Playoff wins (most of any coach there since '98) - Only Region Title appearance since '98 - Only 10 win season since '98 - Only 9 win season since '98 - He was ALSO let go after going 6-21 from '19-'21, which also saw Montogmery Co. placed in a district with Scott County, Frederick Douglass and Great Crossing. Of which 11 of 27 games those 3 years were against those three teams, alone. Michael Caba '22-'25 14-30 (31%) - '24 best season 5-6 ...another one of these places where any flashes of success(es) for coaches says so much more than their "failures".

? Can't make this up, but as a player and coach, two separate instances...the issues came from Charter's (and, they were Cadillac's, too). Yellow birds? None (even on long trips like below). 1- Playing at Lawrence County. Eating some post game Lee's in their middle school cafeteria? Bus pulls up and the hydraulics on the front right when lowering it down to load all on? Get stuck. Four hours later at 3am they get it fixed. Three hours + later? We're pulling back into the FH as the sun comes up. 2- Playoff game at Bell County? Between Somerset and London on on 80? Engine starts smoking on the hill going east past Shopville. They originally thought a new one had to come from Knoxville, but luckily the company had an empty one coming South on 75. Switched over right on the side of the road.

Never know! For good programs/teams like both of those are? Things have funny way of working out that 2nd time around in the season, especially in the playoffs!! ??

In this one it's still classes, but those going to the playoffs would be determined off power rankings via hsratings.com. However, in one of the other scenarios (and, I just threw it out there initially for fun ?)? Correct. Six, "open" divisions. Teams ranked 1-96 following the end of the regular season (perfect world, 11 game- no districts- play who you want, conferences or not. Conferences would be totally subjective. Essentially, play who you want). Top 16 Division 1, bottom 16 Division 6. In the "2x3=6" model? Class A would be current classes A-3A, Class 2A classes 4-6, but still 6 Divisions for playoffs. Using their power rating. Ex: Top 16 in (current class A-3A)? Class A D1. Middle 16? Class A D2. Bottom 16? Class A D3.

Did you see anywhere in there that I disagreed with that? Or even said anything about media members? No. And I’m pretty sure I said I wasn’t coming on here to throw stones NOR defend them. Did you see what I was responding to? The original question? It was about “recruiting” “potential scholarships”. To which I THEN tied in the extra about players and parents not exactly wanting to hear that, because, well…they’re kinda tied to that whole recruiting deal & many times “don’t know what they don’t know.” Somebody needs to get out of their feelings.

What I’m about to say is in noway throwing stones nor defending it being week 12 and a half a year of stats not being recorded/missed. However, in 20+ years of coaching, half of that as a head coach + having kids get RECRUITED and SIGNED by literally EVERY level(s) of college football? Not ONCE & I mean NOT ONCE did a single college coach, from any level, ever ask “What are their game/season stats?” Not once. And they never will, not to me, nor any other coach. That’s not exactly something that parents and kids want to hear, but nor are most hard truths. The “stats” they care about aren’t on that list.

It could be! But this ‘snake quadrant’ / cross group type approach also ensures that the “best” don’t meet before they should, all while earlier rounds being better games. Two birds, one stone.