futurecoach

Absolutely amazing work getting all this together!! A few minor changes that would change the numbers by one in some years. Mike Borchers became the new Ludlow coach in 2000, not 2001. Then also in 2002 got a new head coach and it was Bob Parrish. Tom Staley also was a Ludlow head coach in the late 90's as I know he was the head coach in 97,98,99 I just don't know which year he first became Ludlow's head coach.

To be fair a lot of those receivers also had QB issues or got hurt. Chase and Higgins missed the playoffs cause Burrow got hurt. Jefferson had multiple different QBs last year. Hill had Tua and Hill also suffered a season ending injury. Garrett Wilson had literally no QB with the Jets. Terry McLaurin had his QB get hurt last year. Brandon Aiyuk didn’t play a single snap last year. DK Metcalf had old man Rodgers throwing him the ball. Which now a receiver off the Super Bowl winning team last year, is now the highest paid receiver in the NFL.

This right here. The lack of money and time required has always been an issue, but I think most coaches still felt it was worth it and were willing to deal with that aspect of it. I think the reason why we see so many coaches leave now, is cause of the lack of support from admin/parents. As the parent issue is a huge problem these days, and makes the first two issues not even worth dealing with anymore. It literally has become a no win situation for coaches, because of parents. Parents complaining has led to good coaches no reason being let go, when the soul reason was because their little jimmy wasn’t play or wasn’t the star. Yet the schools give in to those parents and let the coach go and don’t support their coach. Or on the flip side schools back their coaches, and parents then go crazy on social media acting like the school is toxic and aren’t doing anything about the parents complaints. When most of the time the parents complaints is still mainly cause little Jimmy isn’t the star or playing as much as they think. It is a no win situation for coaches these days, and no surprise why their is so many openings.

The name factor has gotten Pope in the door to get the recruits to come visit. He simply can't close the deal.

No doubt, and I truly hope he goes out and does great and shows he is the guy for this job.

If Pope was taking over a roster at UK that had a losing record the year before, and still had many of those same players like those guys. Then I do think he would have been given a little more grace, as he would have been taking over a bad roster like those guys did. Much like Pitino was going to be given some grace, since he was taking over a team that had a losing record the year before and on probation. So his 14 and 14 record his first year, was going to be given grace, because people knew he was taking over a bad team in a bad situation and would take some time. In today's world though, that is not how things are. So those examples just really don't fit with this Pope situation and his struggles and trying to give him a chance to get through it.

Which in today's world that's not a bad thing or even that hard of a thing. Unlike those examples you listed. Where Pearl, Donovan, and Hurley were taking over rosters that had a losing record the year before, so simply taking over a bad team. Pope with the transfer portal, with the UK name, and even the money. Has had every opportunity to make this roster and team win at a high level, but just like he has done at every place, he simply has never got it done. Ben McCollum with Iowa was a winner everywhere he has been, and in his first year at Iowa they make the elite 8 and only had 2 players on the roster from the year before. Mark Pope is a great guy, and he loves UK. He is the type of coach you definitely want to see do well, as it would be amazing to see him be the guy leading this team to a title or titles. There simply just nothing to to suggest in his coaching career, that shows or even gives you hope that he will get it done here. As he has never won anything anywhere.

Also to add on to your examples. Florida, Auburn, and UConn all had losing records the year before Donovan, Pearl, and Hurley took over. Which was also before the transfer portal, so wasn't easy to just completely flip the roster over like it is now. A coach can literally come in from day one and completely flip the roster and win now. While obviously all UK fan were upset with the lack of tournament wins the last few years with Cal. let's also not act like Pope was taking over as bad of teams as those coaches did and having to stick with those rosters. While UK may have had some early round exits. They were good teams, they simply got upset. So Pope was not taking over a bad program like those coaches were. Plus Pope is in a time where he could flip a roster over and make it very good right now. So even with those examples, not much is comparable.

No doubt people would be frustrated, and possibly even talking about moving on from them too with bad starts. My point is even with those coaches, you at least knew they have shown they can win and could maybe hold on to a little hope. Pope literally has never shown he can win anywhere, so really no much hope even reason to think that he may get it going. At the end of the day there really is nothing to suggest that this was a good hire. Especially when you get a big time job, usually that coach has had some success somewhere. The only time when a big school doesn't hire someone who has had success somewhere, is when they maybe promote within like Duke did. Dusty May before Michigan, took FAU on a final four run. Bill Self before Kansas took Tulsa and Illinois to elite 8's. Calipari before UK had taken two different schools to final fours. Ben Howland before taking the UCLA job had won conference regular season titles and made sweet 16's. You are completely correct, even if a proven coach got this job. If he had gotten off to a bad start, people would be unhappy here no doubt. At least there still would be some hope, some evidence that they could get it right before moving on. There is no such evidence with Pope to suggest he will get it right. Simply a very bad hire in every aspect. I truly hope Pope proves me wrong, and I am the one who looks like an idiot for not believing he can get it done.

While I don’t believe they have any inside info and is probably their opinion. Here is a good little listen as these guys talked about UK and Pope and his struggles to land players. A lot of good points here imo. The biggest one is players just don’t seem to connect with Pope. https://x.com/OutKickHotMic/status/2049941862559965267/video/1?s=46

You are correct, it does take time and may not win immediately. Here is the difference though, and we will use your examples. Those guys had proven they can win at least something, even before they got those jobs. Especially Pearl and Hurley. Pearl had won everywhere he had been. Won a D2 title. Won the conference at smaller schools. Went on a tournament run at a small school that landed him the Tennessee job. Was winning at Tennessee before he got in trouble. Dan Hurley won a conference title at Rhode Island and then won first round tournament games in back to back years before getting Uconn job. Donovan in two years at Marshall did win the conference one year, but Florida definitely took a chance there. Which credit to Florida, as they seem to be an outlier. As they took a chance on Golden too, as he hadn’t done much either but worked out. So we have to hope Pope is an outlier like Golden was. Issue is he seems to struggle even connecting with players. Mark Pope though unlike those coaches has zero history of producing any real kind of success. Never won a conference or tournament title. Never won a tournament game until he got to UK. So you are correct that it can take time. However, in those cases you mentioned. Those guys had at least shown that they are capable of winning at something. Pope has literally done nothing anywhere as a coach, so hard to trust that he suddenly will here. Which in today’s NIL transfer portal world. It is actually much easier to completely flip a roster in one year and win right away.

Wrong reply.

Agreed for the most part. The name on the front will almost always get them in the door, but that name definitely isn’t going to close the deal. That takes the coach in order to be able to seal it, once they are in the door.

To revisit this some more. A lot of times when a coach gets hired to a top job like this. They have had at least some success as a head coach at a smaller school. A deep tournament run, winning the conference something. Mark Pope had none of that. Had never won a NCAA tournament game. Had never won a conference regular season title, or conference tournament title. In his last 5 years as a head coach, his teams has finished 5th or worse in conference play. So before he was ever hired, and also now including his time here. He still has not shown anything for why he should have this job. The only reason he got this job was because he played for Pitino's title team in 96.

Not good at all. Worst part is, with the AD change about to happen. UK really can’t even really make a change right now, even if they know this is not working. Literally stuck having to let this play out, and hope Pope somehow proves everyone wrong. If not, then the new AD next year can hire his own guy. Unfortunately UK is stuck and probably a wasted year coming.

There are some good players left. Only issue those players also are testing out the NA draft waters. They have until the end of May to drop out. So if you want them, you are playing the waiting game and having to hope they drop out of the draft and also choose you. So definitely not a good spot to be in. As someone else said, most like Pope will need to go for a few more international type players.

Ugh another miss. The money saved hopefully can get a few of the remaining talent left. The issue with Pope is just don’t know if he can win at the level needed here. He has really never won anywhere he has been. He should be able to make the occasional sweet 16, since he will get better talent here than he did at other places. Who knows maybe could one day pull off an elite 8 run. I just don’t think he can put together the talent needed to win it all. Once again I hope I am wrong.

In regards to WR's. When looking who was available at the time, the only WR that maybe could have been looked at as better was UC's receiver that Kansas City drafted a few picks later. However, he is a lot WR and I believe they really want to use Chase in the slot more often.

To be fair, I did see a few of those that you mentioned too. So those mixed opinions probably also is a reason why he fell some. In regards to speed, in comparison to smaller receivers who run 4.3 you are correct. In regards to receivers who is his size, that is considered fast. Which for comparison sake, AJ Brown who has been a deep threat in his career ran the same 40 yard. Young's 40 yard is actually faster than both AJ Green and Tee Higgins times were, and both shown they were deep threats. Chris Henry ran a slower time and ran a 4.5 back when he was coming out of college. As for the other Bengal receivers you are correct they are slightly faster than Young's 4.45. Charlie Jones ran a 4.43 and Yoshi also ran a 4.43. So not much much difference there, but Young is also bigger to go with it. Obviously there is no guarantee that he will be much of anything, if there was a guarantee he would have been a 1st round pick with his size. That is why I think and hope he has a Chris Henry type of impact. Maybe not a number one, but someone who adds another dimension to the offense.

Yes, based off the film I seen on him, and what analysis of said about him after the draft. Many of said his favorite and or possible best route is the go route and is a deep threat. Big tall, strong receiver who runs a 4.49 forty with good hands. I know I mentioned Chris Henry, but the body type a little more similar to AJ Brown. Which is why I believe the Bengals took him, instead of the UC receiver who would have been a good slot receiver. They want another outside receiver who can be a deep threat, and allow Chase in the slot more. That’s why I see a Chris Henry type impact. Chris Henry fell in the draft, not because of ability but for other reasons. Here is also a short paragraph from the athletic talking about it too.

Good analysis of their picks. I’m probably a little higher on Davis. He is someone people projected to go higher if it wasn’t for injuries limiting him to 7 games last year. He is tall and athletic, and also had a breakout at an early age. To me he reminds me a little of a Richard Sherman with his build and his play. The Young pick is interesting. He wasn’t someone I knew much about. Reading about him, and seeing his highlights and measurables. I do think he is someone that could add another element to this team, and possibly a Chris Henry type impact when he joined Chad Johnson and TJ. Young with his size and speed, could be used as another deep threat on the outside, and allow Chase to be used even more in the slot. I do agree overall those two are probably the biggest question mark picks. Not because of the player themselves, but possibly could have gotten them a round later.

Bengals drafted rated as having the 4th best value.

I think that is more the Bengals social media team just listing the position he played in college. As he played tackle basically every snap in college. When the picked was announced though, it was announced as him as a center. Which is many projected him to be an interior lineman even though he never played it in college. My guess is he will be the starting RG in a year or two, and the other center will be the next starting center for Karras in a year or two.

Howell was projected by a decent amount of mocks to be a first round pick. While Sonny Styles was projected to be the only first round linebacker. At least for me the majority of people had Howell higher than the LBs available. Just most assumed including me that the Bengals would go LB, since they had a history of drafting needs over BPA.

I honestly am very happy with their draft so far. Linebacker is still a question. Which they don’t seem to even be considering any. So I think maybe they have a deal in place with a vet linebacker already, but had to wait until after the draft so it doesn’t mess with the comp formula. This way they still get a third rounder for Trey next year.