Give Me the Confidence…….

[George]

And that is really the best way to look at it. After 5 years, (30 really) we are ready to start the work of becoming a sucesseful SEC Football program. My hope is that this is a foundational season.

I'm quoting Spirit, but this is a question for everyone...

Do you all see Stoops as capable of getting us past the "foundation" years? Say he is laying a legitimate foundation, and good things are on the horizon: do you trust Stoops with teams that could potentially win eight games in a season? Maybe nine? MAYBE even compete for the East one day?

OR, let's say Stoops builds the team to that point, then takes another job. Then, maybe UK's a more attractive job opportunity, and we appeal to a better coach.

Which situation would you prefer?

[KevinHall]

I'm quoting Spirit, but this is a question for everyone...

Do you all see Stoops as capable of getting us past the "foundation" years? Say he is laying a legitimate foundation, and good things are on the horizon: do you trust Stoops with teams that could potentially win eight games in a season? Maybe nine? MAYBE even compete for the East one day?

OR, let's say Stoops builds the team to that point, then takes another job. Then, maybe UK's a more attractive job opportunity, and we appeal to a better coach.

Which situation would you prefer?

If Stoops can build a foundation where UK wins 6 to 8 games every season then I am satisfied. If he does more than that it is just gravy, But I think the best any UK fan can expect is 6 to 8 wins a season.

[Matt Dillon]

First of all, I agree with Kevin. I could live with winning six to eight games a year. Back to Downes post, if coach Stoops made us relevant, and left for another position, if we were good enough to attract a coach even better than coach Stoops, that's the scenario I would prefer. You always want the best possible no matter what you're talking about.

[boomdaddy]

If a team is at a certain level, its fans always want better, always. No matter the sport. If a team wins 6 to 8 on a regular basis, the fans will expect 9 or 10 every 3rd or 4th season. If the officials hadn't hosed the Cats in the Florida game, UK would be 7-1 right now and 9 wins would look like a lock for this season.

[surveyor]

If a team is at a certain level, its fans always want better, always. No matter the sport. If a team wins 6 to 8 on a regular basis, the fans will expect 9 or 10 every 3rd or 4th season. If the officials hadn't hosed the Cats in the Florida game, UK would be 7-1 right now and 9 wins would look like a lock for this season.

So Kentucky's problem is officiating,................

Of course not. That has not a wit to do with fan expectations and goals. That might be the theory of the Jock Sutherlands of the world.

[surveyor]

This board is actually really sound and stable about the team.
there are some sites that have a LOT of posters that expect Alabama results NOW.
Truth is Saban did it at LSU but not MSU. Alabama but not in the pros.
Alabama and LSU had some winning tradition
We didn't.
This program of ours isn't rebuilding. It's really finally after all these years starting.
I hope.

I agree with that in bold.

Change the mindset and you have a solid base to start from. This team has the mindset to persevere. They have a tenacity that hasn't been as readily evident before. Maintain that and you can build upon it. Show consistency and the fan base will enthusiastically follow.

[surveyor]

I'm quoting Spirit, but this is a question for everyone...

Do you all see Stoops as capable of getting us past the "foundation" years? Say he is laying a legitimate foundation, and good things are on the horizon: do you trust Stoops with teams that could potentially win eight games in a season? Maybe nine? MAYBE even compete for the East one day?

OR, let's say Stoops builds the team to that point, then takes another job. Then, maybe UK's a more attractive job opportunity, and we appeal to a better coach.

Which situation would you prefer?

I think Stoops is capable of getting us past the "foundation years". Better and sustained results are going to beget (I would hope) better recruits. 6-8 wins per season will eventually yield a desire for more wins per season. It will all depend on how well he maintains his support personnel. IMO, the bigger issue is going to be retaining good coordinators when we get them, versus retaining Stoops.

Brooks got us past the probation years and could have been the one to build that foundation had his age (time) not been a factor. What he handed off to Philips was fragile, and Philips broke the hell out of it.

[George]

I think Stoops is capable of getting us past the "foundation years". Better and sustained results are going to beget (I would hope) better recruits. 6-8 wins per season will eventually yield a desire for more wins per season. It will all depend on how well he maintains his support personnel. IMO, the bigger issue is going to be retaining good coordinators when we get them, versus retaining Stoops.

Brooks got us past the probation years and could have been the one to build that foundation had his age (time) not been a factor. What he handed off to Philips was fragile, and Philips broke the hell out of it.

This is part of what I'm getting at. Do you feel like the players he's recruited should be performing at a higher level, or are we just not there yet? Will Stoops be able to maximize the potential of those "better recruits" once (if) they start rolling in?

[surveyor]

This is part of what I'm getting at. Do you feel like the players he's recruited should be performing at a higher level, or are we just not there yet? Will Stoops be able to maximize the potential of those "better recruits" once (if) they start rolling in?

I think he will, but I'll couch it on the condition that for that to happen, Stoops has to continue to grow as a head coach. It's extremely difficult to become a head coach at this level and in the SEC. Stoops was indoctrinated by fire.

He's had to learn how to be a HC in a top two conference will also trying to build a team.

Urban Meyer spent 12 years as an assistant before taking his first HC job at Bowling Green.

Saban's first job was a year at Toledo.

If Stoops continues to grow as a HC, so will the team's prospects as a perennial winner.

[Spiritof96]

This is part of what I'm getting at. Do you feel like the players he's recruited should be performing at a higher level, or are we just not there yet? Will Stoops be able to maximize the potential of those "better recruits" once (if) they start rolling in?

Like Surveyor, I think Stoops is fine, but I also think he is a work in progress as a head coach and I expect that to be the case any time you bring in someone who was a coordinator or even a successful coach at a lower level. There is SO much more responsibility and moving parts in the move from coordinator to HC. I don't think anyone knows how much he can or will continue to improve. His brother seemed to figure it out.

I also think talent is an issue. Alabama has occasional problems on both sides of the ball but they are physically so much better than everyone else they have a wide margin of error. Bigger, faster, stronger, matters. We still need years of consistently improving recruiting to ever be a factor in the SEC. Our staff seem to be pretty good in that role and a better reputation can only help down the road.

[Dwight Schrute]

I think Stoops getting us to a sustained period of 7 wins a season for several years is a win. It'll enable us to get a more proven coach next time around. Of course, last time around Butch Jones told us no, so it's hard.

I do agree though, that learning by fire in the SEC is hard, very few do it successfully. Will Muschamp failed pretty miserably at Florida. Kirby Smart seems to be doing a pretty good job at UGA in his second year, but Georgia was fundamentally stronger than we are/were. Mark Stoops started from a much lower point and has us on solid ground, but it took 4 years.

[johnkyblue]

I hope Stoops stays for 40 years...

[Matt Dillon]

I think Stoops getting us to a sustained period of 7 wins a season for several years is a win. It'll enable us to get a more proven coach next time around. Of course, last time around Butch Jones told us no, so it's hard.

If we can reach a sustained period of seven or eight wins a season, for several consecutive seasons, I feel it will make it easier to get a more proven coach next time. This is just my opinion, but I think coach Jones turned us down because he didn't want to take on the monumental task of trying to get UK fb back on solid footing.

[catfaninin]

After Saturday night and reading the "fire Stoops" stupidity that took over the game thread it's pleasant to see some more logical people still have confidence in the direction the program is going.

I found it hilarious that people wanted to fire Stoops and hire Mike Leach. At the same time as Leach was getting his ass handed to him by Arizona.

[Dwight Schrute]

After Saturday night and reading the "fire Stoops" stupidity that took over the game thread it's pleasant to see some more logical people still have confidence in the direction the program is going.

I found it hilarious that people wanted to fire Stoops and hire Mike Leach. At the same time as Leach was getting his ass handed to him by Arizona.

I don't take seriously anyone that says we should fire Stoops. And hire who, exactly?

Stoops isn't his brother Bob yet, but he has Kentucky going forward. We have a really good shot at winning 8 games in a regular season for the first time in a long time.