UK Football 2013

[WMR]

Originally Posted by Scrap Irony

Boosters don't hire anyone.

ADs and school presidents do.

Barnhart, for the most part, has been a dream hire. He's kept his athletes out of trouble with the NCAA and graduated a great many of them. He's made once irrelevant programs relevant. As he should-- it's an AD's job to do that, despite your opinion on what matters and what doesn't.

Dude deserves respect, not an "eff".

Mike Pratt, backed up by a a team of the big money donors, are what brought Cal to Lexington.

Mitch has been neutered when it comes to the basketball program. Cal won't have him anywhere near it.

Why do you think they created a "basketball AD" once Cal arrived? It ain't rocket surgery.

I wish we COULD send Meetchy to WKU, that would be about his speed.

[Scrap Irony]

Originally Posted by WMR

Mike Pratt, backed up by a a team of the big money donors, are what brought Cal to Lexington.

Mitch has been neutered when it comes to the basketball program. Cal won't have him anywhere near it.

Why do you think they created a "basketball AD" once Cal arrived? It ain't rocket surgery.

I wish we COULD send Meetchy to WKU, that would be about his speed.

Not to doubt you, but this is what Calipari said during his initial interview after being hired at Kentucky:

"I told Dr. (Lee) Todd, and Mitch (Barnhart), 'If you want something to happen in a year, do not hire me," Calipari said, tempering 'Cat fan expectations. "'But when we get it right, you notice we're No. 1 in the country, we're No. 1 seeds (in the NCAA tournament), we're playing in Final Fours, when we get it right.'"

Those are the guys that hired him. Those are the guys that interviewed him for the position. He was one of three public members of the search committee that went looking for a coach (with Pratt and Lee Todd). I realize that not all laundry gets aired in public, but, were Barnhart and Calipari truly at odds, Barnhart wouldn't be there now. No chance. He's got too much juice to be a lame duck at a place like Kentucky. Too, Cal's got too much power and is enough of a control freak to take down anyone who would get in his way.

Kentucky fans often seem to read tea leaves and get an entirely different read than anyone else. IMO, this is one of those times.

(This is not to say that they're thick as thieves. Cal has his own group, I'm sure. As does Barnhart. But they absolutely respect each other-- frankly, I'm shocked that anyone wouldn't respect Barnhart.)

An ADs two most important jobs are to improve all sports under his watch and to make the university as much money as possible. While graduating players and making sure their noses are clean. He's done all of that pretty much flawlessly.

Gillespie was a reach after Donavan turned them down at the last minute. But it was rectified very quickly. (Two years? No one is that quick on the trigger unless he's willing to own up to the mistake. Barnhart was.) With Cal, Barnhart was worried about the rumblings and grumblings of cheating. With good reason. There's a lot of smoke there. (Most of it from the ignorant, biased, or mean-spirited.)

But, make no mistake, it was his hire.

If he didn't want Calipari, he'd have quit first. His reputation was already fairly secure, especially on the Pacific Coast.

[WMR]

Cal knows how to play the game and what to say in public situations to create minimal uproar if that is what he so desires. He was just hired as head coach, of course he's not going to step on any toes.

Mitch Barnhardt? Juice?

He's not walking away from the absurd extension given to him by Lee Todd on his way out.

You're not going to change my thinking on how the Cal hire went down, because I've heard how it happened straight from the mouths of people who have given me great info before and have never been wrong when it comes to UK info.

Honestly, scrap, your attempted defenses of Mitch here are triggering my gag reflex, so let's just agree to disagree.

[Scrap Irony]

Originally Posted by WMR

You're not going to change my thinking on how the Cal hire went down, because I've heard how it happened straight from the mouths of people who have given me great info before and have never been wrong when it comes to UK info.

So have I.

And we're hearing two different things here.

My sources say Barnhart wasn't in favor of the hire until meeting with Calipari face-to-face. (Same with the UK President, fwiw.) Too much baggage. Too much smoke.

Barnhart questioned him. A lot. Grilled him, in fact. Got all the right answers. Still wanted another coach, but acquiesced to the majority. He didn't scream or pout or cry. He pulled no strings, but was honest. As Calipari came into Kentucky, Barnhart, according to my sources, became a fan. He recognized the advantages of having a Kentucky coach who knew the Kentucky Way.

Calipari has no problem with Barnhart, other than the fact that he's an AD and forced to do things many might not like. He's a fact-checker and an alliance guy. He asks questions, sometimes hard ones. Of Calipari and everyone else connected with the program.

Has there been friction? Sure. There always is in relationships where two people are in charge. Calipari wants to be the biggest, best, and most creative coach in America. (I'd argue he's been revolutinary as a college coach in the way he interacts with recruits, parents, AAU coaches, handlers, and fans. He would have made billions in advertising.) But no more than the friction between Pitino and his ADs (less, if there's truth to the rumor between Rick and former UK AD CM Newton) and much, much less than that between Barnhart and Gillespie (which, again, according to one guy, was legendarily rancorous).

Barnhart's improved all sports at Kentucky aside from football. They're now a respectable SEC member almost across the board. He's added to the Kentucky coffers. Which is his job. He's kept all UK sports pretty much crystal clean. (Or as much as big-time sports can be at the Division I level.)

I don't get the hate, honestly.

[WMR]

He did a great job checking those facts with BCG.

That decision alone should have gotten him s-canned.

There's no rancor between Mitch and Cal because Mitch has been instructed to keep his nose out of men's bb and focus on his welfare sport pet projects.

I only hope when Joker crashes and burns this year he gets the same edict for men's football.

You're not a UK fan. Large percentage of UK fans I know are absolutely sick of him.

[Scrap Irony]

Originally Posted by WMR

You're not a UK fan. Large percentage of UK fans I know are absolutely sick of him.

That doesn't make them right.

[5TimeWSChamps]

This isn't football related, but Scrap, here's Mitch's crown jewel of a basketball hire...



http://www.cbssports.com/collegebask...atment-surface

[5TimeWSChamps]

Also Scrap, what about Barnhart publicly going after the KU AD job, then Lee Todd giving him an Under the table raise/extension without consulting anyone?

I hate Mitch so much

[WMR]

Sort of unbelievable really that that scrub Barnhardt kept his job after screwing the pooch so badly with the BCG hire.

It will be a joyous day when he leaves UK.

[5TimeWSChamps]

Originally Posted by WMR

Sort of unbelievable really that that scrub Barnhardt kept his job after screwing the pooch so badly with the BCG hire.

It will be a joyous day when he leaves UK.

BUT, BUT, WE ARE A MICROWAVE SOCIETY!

Heaven forbid I expect more than whatever it was I watched on Sunday.

[George Foster]

This Kent St. game is a big game. Kent St. has almost everyone back from last year. They can win this game. If they do, Joker will need security...seriously.

On a positive note. The offense moved the ball against Louisville. They were not on the field enough. The 2 fumbles inside the 20 killed us. The Offensive line was much better than last year.

Defense can improve a lot quicker than offensive troubles. It won't be enough to save Jokers job, but I look for a much better defense against Kent St.

[Maker_84]

Kent State game is a must win, and i think they will win by 2-3 tds

[Scrap Irony]

Originally Posted by 5TimeWSChamps

Also Scrap, what about Barnhart publicly going after the KU AD job, then Lee Todd giving him an Under the table raise/extension without consulting anyone?

I hate Mitch so much

Got a link?

[Tuff Nut]

UK plays football?.............sorry but more of just a SEC football fan, only bleed blue, during the B-ball season + I did attend WKU(early'80s).Go Topps.............Anywhos, I did think Joker was decent as an OC, but right now, as a HC, not so much. I'm with the poster that said something about Petrino. He's a winner, and would make UK atleast relevant in the SEC....I just would like to see them competitive.

[WVRed]

I'm carrying this over from the Gillispie thread. Don't need two places to discuss the same topic.

Originally Posted by Scrap Irony

That AD has made Kentucky into a fairly respectable national power across the sports' continuum. He's hit home runs hiring (and/or keeping/ re-signing) coaches in CBB (Calipari), CFB (Brooks), WBB (Mitchell), baseball (twice), tennis, gymnastics, track, and women's softball.

The UK sports' program is stronger than it's ever been in its history. It's also making more money than it's ever had. (Though this year may be a different story, as football fans may stay far, far away and men's and women's basketball may not be able to pick up the slack as much, similar to last season.)

So the two things he's responsible for-- money and the overall sports program-- are as good as they've ever been under his care. And you want to fire him?!!

I think Calipari has been covered by everybody else. That decision was taken away from Mitch and he blew it BIG time with Billy Gillispie. A lot of the stories around Lexington were practically hush hush but now that its coming out in Lubbock, more stories are coming out.

The only two sports that matter are college football and men's basketball, with the latter being priority number one in Lexington. Barnhardt has failed with the basketball program to the point that the decision was taken away from him, and there is now a director of basketball operations position within the program for that reason.

Now with football, the fan support is eroding greatly, and Saturday's attendance at the Kent State game will verify that. You mentioned Rich Brooks and he was on the verge of being fired before the team turned it around. I knew last season was lost when I watched the Western Kentucky game and how the offense looked against a team from the Sun Belt Conference.

Kentucky fans expectations for football aren't much. Going 6-6 with an occasional bowl win here and there or an occasional upset will get any coach job security. I live in West Virginia and that can't be said about WVU or a lot of other programs. We're used to being the underdog in college football, but we don't want an embarrassment like last year or what this years team is starting to look like.