Vince Marrow with Paul Hornung Award winner Montavin Quisenberry and his parents in Louisville Tuesday. (Elliott Hess/UK Athletics Photo)
Not long after former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick surprised many by accepting the head coaching job at North Carolina, speculation started that Kentucky recruiting coordinator might join him with the Tar Heels.
Belichick and Marrow know each other and have the same agent. Kentucky is also coming off a 4-8 season that snapped its eight-year bowl run and North Carolina seems to have an abundance of NIL money to spend.
Marrow was in Louisville Tuesday for the Paul Hornung Award ceremony honoring Boyle County star Montavin Quisenberry, a recent Kentucky signee.
Before I asked Marrow about the North Carolina speculation, I asked Marrow how UK was balancing bringing in transfer portal players with limited eligibility but proven experience versus developing young players the Cats had signed who were waiting for a chance to play.
“I mean, you just see Bill Belichick coming back to college. And I always said, this is going to the National Football League, professional football, and if you treat it like high school is your class that you draft and you know who you may draft,” Marrow said.
“They draft seven guys (in the NFL). We drafted 18 to 20 guys (on signing day). Then strictly free agency, portal guys are ones that you plug in but you still are developing guys that you drafted last year and guys in this draft.
“You don’t want to just keep going in a portal and just overhauling your rosters. I don’t think that’s the way to do it. You gotta keep your culture strong, but I do think you have to bring in sometimes anywhere from seven to 10 guys as unrestricted free agents (transfers).”
So what about the Belichick speculation since you brought up his name?
“I just set that up,” Marrow laughed and said. “I think college football is going that way. Now you still have got to have student-athletes. But what I’m saying with that is I think they have it right in the fact that you got to manage. It’s kind of like a salary cap. You have to target the right people.
“You can’t control when your name gets thrown out. I just saw a brand name get thrown out for Wake Forest (and its coaching vacancy). I do know coach Belichick. Our agents represent both of us, and I’ll just leave it at that.
“I’m very happy here. With that taste in my mouth of us losing to this (Louisville) where we are in the city right now, that didn’t go well over with me. It’s a good rivalry because you got (Louisville coach) Jeff (Brohm) back now. Jeff has made it (the rivalry) very, very competitive again.”
Marrow also brought up advice his father gave him a long time ago.
“He told me, ‘It’s good to have options.’ Good to have people that want you, whether it’s somebody as a girl that wants you or whether it’s a job that wants you,” Marrow said. “For me, I’m here. I’m recruiting as hard as I can to get this thing back right. As I said I can’t control what others say, but for me, I’m here.”
5 Responses
Marrow is the most important man on our roster. No Marrow definitely no Stoops. Stoops knows this and that is why he lets him control the recruiting. If Stoops was showing up at these kids doors you can forget about it. Marrow knows how to connect with the kids and the parents and that’s very important. I think they should let the big dog call some plays too. It couldn’t get any worse right?!
I think Stoops showing up at front door would put many people to sleep. Anyone watching the missed UK targets on the trans portal? The ship has been sinking for couple yrs now and may not have touched bottom yet.
Is the coaching situation going to stay in limbo like this? How about naming Marrow the head coach and see how he can do?
I attended the Quarterback Club Hornung Award Tuesday and was very impressed with Montavin, his family and Boyle County coaches and school officials. Very impressive group. I can see how they have been so successful
I wish Stoops would find a "MARROW" to run our offense, and leave THAT GUY alone the same way he leaves Marrow alone! Oh wait, he had that with Liam Coen–TWICE–and let him get away!! "Easy there, Liam, u r getting outta control with your offense, u r getting too close to scoring 20 points in this game, if u do that, u r gonna screw up my game plan of holding GA to 13 points!!! If your offense gets to 20 or over, then GA will get the ball back and I’ll have to send my defense back out on the field to, God forbid, WIN THE GAME FOR US!!!! What r u thinking, Liam? Don’t u understand that in my system the "win" is holding GA to 13 and being able to say that we held GA to 13 and lost to them by ONE POINT??? if your offense scores 20 or even 24, then youre gonna put my defense back on the field and we might end up giving up 16 or 20 points to GA and winning the football game–u have to understand, Liam, that it’s different here at KY, we play for just THE DEFENSE to win, not the ENTIRE TEAM!! GET IT STRAIGHT, LIAM"!!!!
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