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Kentucky has lost 14 of its last 16 Southeastern Conference games and has a 7-20 SEC record since 2022.
That’s more than a “blip” that Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart said to dismiss last year’s 4-8 finish that snapped UK’s bowl streak.
Barnhart fired former UK football coach Joker Phillips after he went 13-24 in his last 37 games with a 4-20 SEC mark and 4-8 SEC home record. In Stoops’ last 37 games, UK is 16-21 overall, 6-18 in SEC play and 2-11 in SEC home games.
Phillips made less than $2 million per year while Stoops makes almost $9 million per year.
Those numbers only add to the frustration many Kentucky football fans have. One faithful vaughtsviews.com reader, Richard Cheeks, has been a Stoops supporter since he took over from Phillips. Stoops has produced two 10-win seasons and made UK an annual bowl participant.
However, Kentucky is 6-10 in the last two seasons and getting ready to face the toughest part of its season.
Cheeks posted on vaughtsviews.com that he has now abandoned his support of Stoops.
“I see nothing Stoops can do at this point that will get me back on that wagon,” Cheeks posted. “All those years, I ignored the consistent absence of preparation, readiness to engage, offensive vision, bone-headed mistakes on the field that any player who has been coached to play this game would not make like the time UK players stood around a ball placed on the ground by a UK player, assuming it was an incomplete pass rather than a fumble while the Georgia player waltzed up to the ball, picked it up, and ran to length of the field for a TD.
“I heard about these issues repeatedly but I had a list of reasons why I could ignore those things. No more of this for me. Stoops must go. If he had any integrity, he would resign now. He does not want to be here. He knows the fans don’t want him here. The only reason not to resign is the big payout.
“Barnhart must also go. This is not the first time he has done UK in with his stupid contracts. He locked UK into a mess with Tubby Smith’s contract. That cost the UK basketball program dearly for several years. He did it again with Calipari, and as has been pointed out, Calipari did not want to still be here, and he knew the fan base wanted him gone. He resigned despite his ability to take UK for many millions more by just hanging on.”
(Calipari voided his contract when he talked to Arkansas officials without permission from UK official but it became a moot point when he left any way.)
“I hope Coach Stoops resigns and finds peace knowing that he really did special things with the program. But it is time for UK to regroup.”
It could cost $40 million to buy out Stoops’ contract but some fans like Cheeks believe the cost of not making a coaching change like Arkansas, Oklahoma State and Virginia Tech have already shown they are willing to do could be even greater to the UK program.
11 Responses
I believe that Richard's position is generally correct, although I would take issue with a few obversions that are more opinion than fact. I think Coach Stoops is lost. Lost in the sense that the vast majority of improvements and success he generated was prior to NIL when he had "control" of the program. Look at Nick Saban. Tell me he wanted to retire. No, but he did. Why? He lost control of the players. When you have your hands on a player's future, you have a certain amount of control. Now, if a coach exhibits that control, a player can make just as much money or more at another team. When you lose control, you lose player development – period.
No, I think Coach Stoops is lost in uncharted coaching territory and he is having difficulty figuring it out because it goes against everything he has been taught about college football coaching. New (younger) coaches have a better understanding of the new pay for play environment but if you were to ask them what is their greatest challenge is, they would say player control and motivation; ie teaching.
Coach Stoops just has not figured it out.
I agree 100% coaches are either better or worse after the players started receiving money and every year you can transfer to a different school. 95% of college football players will not play in the NFL. So honestly most of them are looking for a vacation for the next 8-9 months plus they are getting a payday. Stoops even practices like it's 2015. Physical tough practices is why we always have twice and most of the time three more time than the injuries of every other team in the SEC. Are the starters scared from being overhyped? Hairston Walker and Chip Traynam which was supposed to be our 3 all stars on the team played a combined 11 games between the 3 and walker played in 7 games. Why? Waller the most hyped defensive back on the team (,because he's from Youngstown Ohio) hasn't played in one game and he definitely wont be back against Georgia or the following week. Hell the season will be 7 games in. Stoops will play him the last 5 games and burn a whole year for the kid. The same way with Gilmore last year . Why even play him? He played in the last 5 games. Sit him one of them the season was over. Keep his redshirt. Stoops makes bad decision after bad decision.
I offer another perspective on the change. There is little doubt in my mind that something changed after 2020. I have also learned that Mark Stoops' personal life fell apart resulting in divorce in 2021. His personal life, according to reports has been disastrous, and improper.
He needs to leave now. The business about NIL makes no sense unless you believe that Vandy is better positioned to accommodate that new regime than UK will ever be.
I call BS on that excuse.
It my be BS to you but the fact remains that Vandy "bought" themselves a winning program from New Mexico State>
(Calipari voided his contract when he talked to Arkansas officials without permission from UK official but it became a moot point when he left any way.)
Larry, I heard a variation of this story. I heard that Calipari flirted with Ohio State without Barnhart's knowledge, but that fell through while Barnhart found out. That voided the contract, and I heard that Barnhart insisted that either Calipari resign or be fired for violating the agreement.
That is when Arkansas entered the picture.
If true, and I believe it is, then at least in this instance Barnhart had the stones to do what is right for the program.
I have not heard that Professor
Unfortunately the team in not very good and will be overmatched in all of the remaining games except possibly Tenn Tech. If they keep fighting and playing hard and don’t quit lie they did last year, I will support them the remainder of the year. Coach Stoops is responsible for the decline in the program just as he was responsible for the rise that occurred earlier in his tenure. I don’t see any way they can attract any significant coaching or player talent on the offensive side of the ball as long as Stoops is still the coach. The offensive performance record is clear. Enough said. Hopefully he will bow out gracefully a the end of the season and not completely destroy his legacy by holding out for a buyout. Something else that really stands out to me is the poor performance and lack of self awareness in the program as a whole. The lack of marketing, the problems with the sound system, parking problems, etc. I have had season tickets and an orange parking pass for several years. I drive 5+ hours to get to Lexington. The lack of a coaching change at the end of this year is the only reason I need to not renew my tickets, but other reasons keep popping up and they are self inflicted by the UK football program.
Point blank period Kentucky is about in the same shape it was when Stoops found it. You can disagree and say oh but recruiting is better. Maybe 5-6 years ago but now now. We still can't land 5* recruits even when you can basically pay someone. We are still getting 3* recruits going up against 5* recruits from Georgia and even Tennessee. The 4* recruits we get are usually low 4* who don't get the attention the higher recruits get and we treat them like they are #1 guy so we get them. They might not even be as good as some of the 3* guys we are getting but automatically walk to the front of the line. When it comes to receivers you dont need insane speed. Just good cuts and body control and being able to catch the football. It seems like we don't even know how to catch the football.
Stone Saunders will transfer at the end of the year (Coens recruit) why not get him so snaps see how he does? Coen said he's 100% a NFL QB and has the highest ceiling on the team at the position. If he was 6'5" he would have been a 5* recruit. His game mirrors Diego Pavia from Vanderbilt. He a winner.
TheProfessor is a gold mine of knowledge and insights to football, with a fervent UK following that few can compare with his perseverance! He has restored, secured, and encouraged me to hang on through a lot of down times while Stoops’ lead over UK FB was sliding game after game, now being the 4th year of serious decline.
The long drawn-out eventual departure of Stoops only makes the scenario bad for UK and is now showcased nationwide as UK settles into another stint in the SEC cellar!
Thanks to Larry V for giving TheProfessor the opportunity to post observations, analysis and multiple graphs & charts for a number of years, which articles enhanced following UK BB & UK FB to the nth degree!
And thanks to my very good friend, TheProfessor, for sharing your wealth of knowledge and insight and multiple models for ranking teams, evaluating efficiencies of team with sound statistical structuring.
For years, I had reduced my sports news to awesome VV articles by Larry V & treasured articles & correspondence with TheProfessor.
And thanks to MANY whose comments are greatly appreciated and your views respected, even if not aligned with mine.
May you ALL, including anyone who dislikes me, be blessed with the Hope, Glory & Peace that only the Lord Jesus can provide at 100%
All coaches aren't created equal. Shelf life varies for all for different reasons. Stoops has hit a wall and it definitely shows. Its stale and flat . Things change and the landscape of college sports has really changed since he was hired. UK needs a fresh start . It happens.
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