Trying to be realistic about the Barnhart hatred

[Catatonic]

Seems like some fans have very selective memories when it comes to past hirings and who was available at the time. I recall virtually everyone being excited about Gillispie at the time. I also recall how many big name coaches Barnhart went after and was turned down by.

I would guess there's a lot of names we never even heard about, in both major sports. UK basketball is a pressure cooker, UK football is a career-destroyer. Stoops isn't working out so great, but who else were we going to get? Personally I'm really, really glad Barnhart didn't make a move for Petrino, although I believe the SEC had already deemed him unhirable which would have made it a non-factor. The only reason I might have wanted Petrino at UK is because maybe it would have destroyed his career, too.

[J.Jennings]

Seems like some fans have very selective memories when it comes to past hirings and who was available at the time. I recall virtually everyone being excited about Gillispie at the time. I also recall how many big name coaches Barnhart went after and was turned down by.

I would guess there's a lot of names we never even heard about, in both major sports. UK basketball is a pressure cooker, UK football is a career-destroyer. Stoops isn't working out so great, but who else were we going to get? Personally I'm really, really glad Barnhart didn't make a move for Petrino, although I believe the SEC had already deemed him unhirable which would have made it a non-factor. The only reason I might have wanted Petrino at UK is because maybe it would have destroyed his career, too.

Who was excited about the hiring of Billy G?????????

[Dwight Schrute]

After seeing this past weekend and where he has Louisville versus where we are, I'd take him - I don't care about personal conduct anymore. Keep the NCAA out of Lexington and do what you will.

I'm not going to blame Barnhart for not going after him, though. Tennessee and Auburn could've offered him the job as well and chose not to. There were other high profile jobs open as well (USC, I believe).

[Catatonic]

Who was excited about the hiring of Billy G?????????

Just about everyone. People on this website. The 20,000 who gave him a standing ovation at his Big Blue Madness introduction.

Read the comments:
http://kentuckysportsradio.com/1/bre...w-coach-at-uk/

[KevinHall]

Who was excited about the hiring of Billy G?????????

Plenty were. Hey he beat Pitino in the NCAA's so he had to be a good'ern'?

[J.Jennings]

Plenty were. Hey he beat Pitino in the NCAA's so he had to be a good'ern'?

Let's be more clear. He beat Tubby Smith in front of a anti Tubby Smith desperate Rupp Arena crowd, literally fools gold... He was not the man, it was always Cal or Donovan in my opinion.........

[J.Jennings]

Just about everyone. People on this website. The 20,000 who gave him a standing ovation at his Big Blue Madness introduction.

Read the comments:
http://kentuckysportsradio.com/1/bre...w-coach-at-uk/

Not me, I actually wanted Billy prior to hiring Tubby Smith but his two years at Marshall wasn't enough.

[surveyor]

I liked the Gillispie hire at the time. I liked his enthusiasm.

I don't know that anyone believed he was going to be a straight up loon.

[Joneslab]

Who was excited about the hiring of Billy G?????????

A lot of people were. I remember going to the SEC Tournament in Tubby's last year and Gillispie was the name everybody mentioned.

I continued to like him all the way through his first year, which turned out to not be a disaster until Patterson went down. I saw a practice he put on and it was something to behold.

One thing most of us missed because we hadn't been around it that much was how you have to recruit in any sport at every BCS school. Gillispie could have been sober and sane and still wouldn't have won with his style, because it would have been so hard for him to bring in great players.

[J.Jennings]

I liked the Gillispie hire at the time. I liked his enthusiasm.

I don't know that anyone believed he was going to be a straight up loon.

Nobody knew he would be flat out crazy but at the same time, you just don't gamble with a unproven coach at a place like Kentucky which is why I understand Kentucky didn't offer Billy D the job and decided to go with Rick's recommendation for the hiring of Tubby Smith.

Regardless, all is well now but it doesn't make up for MB's inability to hire good coaches to lead our teams. Let's all be PERFECTLY CLEAR in regards to Calipari and MB, MB has no control on Calipari and MB had no choice but to hire him as coach of the basketball team, anyone who believes anything different is fooling themselves.....

[J.Jennings]

A lot of people were. I remember going to the SEC Tournament in Tubby's last year and Gillispie was the name everybody mentioned.

I continued to like him all the way through his first year, which turned out to not be a disaster until Patterson went down. I saw a practice he put on and it was something to behold.

One thing most of us missed because we hadn't been around it that much was how you have to recruit in any sport at every BCS school. Gillispie could have been sober and sane and still wouldn't have won with his style, because it would have been so hard for him to bring in great players.

I will admit, I did have a brief moment of happiness in regards to the hiring of Gillispie. After Mitch failed on his first few attempts to hire a more proven coach, I remember listening to Billy G's speech on the radio while driving on the interstate. I wasn't happy for the hire, just happy that we FINALLY hired a coach. It felt very akward as a UK fan not having a coach in place for a few weeks, that was a uneasy feeling at the time................

[Blue Heaven]

I dont think it matters. If people think that Petrino to UK would equal would U of L has now I think they would be wrong. Jesus might be our only hope.

Well we can't say that obviously, but we let's be real here. They haven't got much more, if any more, higher rated guys coming out of high school as us. It all goes back to coaching. UL has a great staff and we do not. That's the bottom line.

[Matt Dillon]

"You've had unmitigated disasters (Gillispie), coach-in-waiting quagmires (Joker), and now just an out-and-out mistake, which is what the Stoops era looks like so far."

1) Gillispie was a disaster. No question about it. No argument here.

2) Joker and the "coach in waiting." Yes, that was messy. And, in hindsight, and utter disaster. But, at the time, Joker was an OUSTANDING OC and NO ONE wanted to lose him. It was greatly feared that other programs would be after him as an HC. Brooks was on the brink of retirement. Barnhart got creative -- yes, it was sloppy, but creative -- rolled the dice, and lost.

3) As I said a few posts earlier, the Stoops extension was an over-step and the kind of mistake that should not have been made. I will grant you that. But, I will NOT criticize Barnhart for the hire. Stoops was HOT!! The entire BBN praised the hire. We were ALL excited about Stoops. Barnhart was viewed as a near genius. It would certainly seem that is NOT working out, but the blame for that cannot be placed on Barnhart. Sure, Petrino was available, but ... a SIGNIFICANT portion of the fan base opposed that hire. (Yes, I know there were also many who would have accepted it.) And, there is no evidence to say Petrino would have come here, even if offered. (BTW, I do not think any of the other coaches available at the time have sustained any degree of success, including Mike Leach, or Sonny Dykes, or the guy who went to Colorado who's name escapes me.)

I don't remember where I read it, but I read something to the effect that Petrino practically got down on his knees and begged for the job.

[Blue Heaven]

I have a friend who is a caddy at Valhalla and he says Petrino is a different person. He said a few years ago he wouldn't have even acknowledged him, or much anyone else. Says he is really polite and humble now.

[catfaninin]

Just about everyone. People on this website. The 20,000 who gave him a standing ovation at his Big Blue Madness introduction.

Read the comments:
http://kentuckysportsradio.com/1/bre...w-coach-at-uk/

Yeah, I was there and I can remember people being more fired up for the start of a season than they had been in a long time. All the "experts" said it was a great hire. People here were celebrating like it was New Years. Boy what a change we were in store for.