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It's a tough job, did UK mess up?

Did they overreacted to a couple/three bad years?

  • Yes

    Votes: 18 39.1%
  • No

    Votes: 28 60.9%

  • Total voters
    46
I've said it already, I'll miss Cal. I really liked the guy. He definitely could have bounced back. He got the type of players to do it. I'm sure he'll do well at Arkansas. But, still think the split was best for both parties. He completely lost the majority of the fanbase, and it sounds like he lost the admin/booster support as well.

Him and Ellen's farewell videos were kind of sad though. You could see that neither truly wanted to be leaving Lexington. It will be cool when they hang a banner for him in the future, but it's time to move on for now.

New hires have always seemed to work out well for UK (besides a 2 year shit show with Billy G). I have faith the next one will work out as well.
 
As far as Kentucky hiring a new coach, I honestly hope they get Drew. He’s a good coach, but I much rather see him in Lexington than someone like Hurley, Pearl, or Beard.
 
I’ll say this . . . . I’ll take the job and lose the first game of the SEC tourney at half the pay, and I’ll throw in the first round loss in the NCAA tourney for free! The result won’t be any better or worse than Cal’s, but it’ll at least save UK a bundle.
 
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I’ll say this . . . . I’ll take the job and lose the first game of the SEC tourney at half the pay, and I’ll throw in the first round loss in the NCAA tourney for free! The result won’t be any better or worse than Cal’s, but it’ll at least save UK a bundle.

Could you imagine the pressure of the new coach when you play Arkansas next year?
 
I’ll say this . . . . I’ll take the job and lose the first game of the SEC tourney at half the pay, and I’ll throw in the first round loss in the NCAA tourney for free! The result won’t be any better or worse than Cal’s, but it’ll at least save UK a bundle.

Gotta get to the tourney before you can lose in the first round, partner. 😆
 
Life long KY fan here. Arkansas is essentially paying 12.5 million per year (7.5 for Cal/ 5 for the youngsters) for a locker room full of guys that don’t shave yet to check their draft stock 3 times a day and lose 10 games.
As a bonus you’ll get to hear Cal yell GO until it sounds like your wife yelling at you to take out the garbage. He’s yours. We really don’t care who the next guy is as long as it’s for the name on the front of the jersey.
 
Coach K hit a rough spot in the mid 90’s, Duke sure did well by not running him off.

Not even remotely comparable. Coach K has never went more than 4 years without at least being a 1 seed or making the final four. Cal is going on 9, with a missed tournament in there and 4 double digit loss seasons.

K was also coming off the best run in the modern era. Between 1986 and 1994 he went to 7 final fours, 5 national title games and won 2 ships.
 
Depends on who they end up with.

I wonder if the fans who prayed for him to leave considered that the new offense they loved so much was leaving with him.
The new offense was orchestrated by John Welch, he just took a job at Feesno state.
 
Life long KY fan here. Arkansas is essentially paying 12.5 million per year (7.5 for Cal/ 5 for the youngsters) for a locker room full of guys that don’t shave yet to check their draft stock 3 times a day and lose 10 games.
As a bonus you’ll get to hear Cal yell GO until it sounds like your wife yelling at you to take out the garbage. He’s yours. We really don’t care who the next guy is as long as it’s for the name on the front of the jersey.
Damn right. Give me a coach that coaches for UK, if he loses 10 games, it's still better than losing 10 games because our culture was all about individual accomishments and goals.

Give me a coach that plays his best players and does everything he can to win. Oh and it would be nice if he appreciates the fans that pack every arena just to support him and the team.
 
Look at the staff who has left the past few years. The assistant coaches were never fired even though the results were terrible, but others on staff left to go to other schools, smaller schools, one got out of basketball completely, and some even took pay cuts to get out.

Cal just wasn't the same person since covid. I think he will do well at Arkansas and I think UK will be fine. He did UK a favor in some ways by saving them from an eventual buyout if this year didn't go well.

No matter who is the next coach we will not get the #1 recruiting class every year, but I find it hard to believe the end of season results will be worse than the last 5 years.
 
Look at the staff who has left the past few years. The assistant coaches were never fired even though the results were terrible, but others on staff left to go to other schools, smaller schools, one got out of basketball completely, and some even took pay cuts to get out.

Cal just wasn't the same person since covid. I think he will do well at Arkansas and I think UK will be fine. He did UK a favor in some ways by saving them from an eventual buyout if this year didn't go well.

No matter who is the next coach we will not get the #1 recruiting class every year, but I find it hard to believe the end of season results will be worse than the last 5 years.
Looking at the teams winning titles, I don't see many that were even in the top 10 recruiting class for that year.
With the transfer portal in play, I don't think recruiting high school kids is the way to go.
You better have some damn good 19 year olds to beat well coached juniors and seniors.
 
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Looking at the teams winning titles, I don't see many that were even in the top 10 recruiting class for that year.
With the transfer portal in play, I don't think recruiting high school kids is the way to go.
You better have some damn good 19 year olds to beat well coached juniors and seniors.

Yep. And aspiring one and dones are still going to be drawn to him. Even the ones that aren’t ready. Which is part of what hurts him.

And you know, if we get Drew…Drew just beat him and Duke for a kid they both really wanted. Now he’s going to have to compete with Drew for kids at Kentucky instead of Baylor on top of Scheyer continueing to take his lunch money at Duke. Good luck. Cal’s recruiting is always going to be great but it’s about to take another hit.
 
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Yep. And aspiring one and dones are still going to be drawn to him. Even the ones that aren’t ready. Which is part of what hurts him.

And you know, if we get Drew…Drew just beat him and Duke for a kid they both really wanted. Now he’s going to have to compete with Drew for kids at Kentucky instead of Baylor on top of Scheyer continueing to take his lunch money at Duke. Good luck. Cal’s recruiting is always going to be great but it’s about to take another hit.
He plays favorites for different reasons and like I said, it's all about individilual accomplishments. Oh, that will work if you get the talent he got from 09-17, but those guys aren't walking through the door now.

If he continues his players first system at Arkansas, he’s going to fail, it just won't work. Fans don't care about draft picks, pouting and draft stock.

If he changes and all the sudden decides to play for the name on the front of the jersey, well, that would be messed up, but he would win, but not this year, it's going to take time, can't do it with 1 year rental players.
 
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Just remember, despite having to endure 2 years of Billy Clyde, Kentucky was better off in the long run for moving on from Tubby.

I don’t know how old you are though so you might not remember that.
Born in '75. Fan all my life. Basically grew up(at first in the Sutton years), a UK fan. Been studying them since.

I will always be a fan. Obviously. Ebbs and flows.
 
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Cal is doing his introductory presser right now. I hope Arkansas fans are listening. He’s literally telling you right now that he's players first and it's about these kids. Just remember that.

During his UK presser in 09, he told us he wanted to catch UCLA and put UK well above everyone else and "if you're not good enough, don't come here, I can't hide you". This is a different guy than what came to us in 09.

The phrase: "I can't hide you" has morphed into "this is somebody's son, I can't take his heart". He’s all yours Hog fans. Enjoy.
 
can't wait for arkansas to make a final four before the next uk ff
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Can't wait to see knox, quaintance, richmond, theiro, bradshaw and some transfers in arkansas red next near.
 
Can't wait to see knox, quaintance, richmond, theiro, bradshaw and some transfers in arkansas red next near.
 
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