The House of Blue

If Joker goes, we lose Patrick Towles, Thomas Chapman, Demarcus Sweat, and pretty much the entire recruiting class...which is pretty close to being a top 25 class. Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it.

If UK hires a quality coach Towles would stay as well as the others. However, this class that is ranked 12 or 13 out of the 14 members of the conference. It certainly does not bode well for the teams future. A new well respected coach would close the deal with the 5-7 true BCS players in the class and add some improved players. Do you think these guys would really bail if UK brought in Rich Rod, Leach, Sumlin, Fedora, etc. I don't think so. They would probably be fired up. It is not like the majority of the class has UGA, LSU, UF, AU, UA, etc. waiting on them. Using the recruiting slant to save Joker is way past weak.

I don't post very much, just because I don't feel like arguing over something I can't control. With that said, I am very firm in the belief that firing Joker will set us back further than if we keep him. If we fire this coaching staff, we will see a lot of kids transfer and we will lose 2/3 of this recruiting class. We will also lose all of the footing we have in the state of Georgia. All those kids from Lagrange and Stephenson and all those other schools wouldn't even give Kentucky a second glance without Joker, Tee Martin and Coach Pardue. We would lose any ground we've made up in Louisville, and Charlie Strong would have his pick of any kid from that city. It wouldn't even be a battle for him anymore. All of the hard work of the coaching staff would be down the drain. Do you remember what Rich Brooks said when he got here? I think he said we had 2 players who could run a 4.5 40. It has been a grueling process to build the roster to where it currently is, to stock it with players who have SEC caliber speed. We're going to have some very talented kids on the roster next year, and I think the offense will be much improved. I understand how frustrating this season has been. That doesn't mean you completely scrap what you've been doing and undertake a complete program overhaul. That would be the worst possible thing. You think things are frustrating right now? Just imagine what it's going to be like if we bring in a new head coach and all new assistant coaches. It would take a long time for the kids to learn a new system and even longer to be competitive again. Besides, who do you think we are going to get to be our head coach? I know some of you have short memories, but for the past several years, we've had one of the SEC's most potent offenses. This staff hasn't forgotten how to coach an offense and put this team in position to score points. I realize this has been an extremely disappointing year, but realize that things could be a lot worse than they are now.

For those (including me) that believe a coaching change this year is needed you also have to understand that with a coach change there are several things that accompany it.

1. Normally the new coach will decided who if any on the current staff he wishes to retain. You go out get a quality head coach you will NOT dictate to him who he will keep. You have to give him complete autonomy to select his own staff.

2. You will lose some recruits that's inevitable

3. You will have some players transfer - that's also inevitable

4. A new coach depending on his situation and that of the assistant's he taps is likely to bring a few recruits in with him. Depending on how high profile that coach might be, he could bring in some real surprise talent late.

5. You will normally have at least one transition year but not always. Sometimes a new man can come in and stoke the fire immediately - for evidence of that back the tape up no further than last Saturday.

Like JawJaker said you have to think in the long term on a coaching change, not the immediate impact, although you may get some very surprising positive immediate impact as well.

Something like 6 players from 08 either don't play football or transfer. One of our supposedly most talented recruits Priester transferred and just talks about smoking weed openly on twitter. Not that I truly care but you get the point.

People come and go in life and in sports. You bring in a Chris Peterson and he will get you results and recruits. I know he didn't do it in the SEC right? Ask UGA who is favored by 697,982 points against us, their opinion of Boise St. If the coach can coach the players would come. Only coach I would like to keep is Tee. IMO a coach that would come here would see how good Tee is. Hell let's not forget Bama wanted him for this year.

I agree with this trueUK. Peterson is number 1 on my call list. If it were me I would have feelers out now. Urban Meyer or Gruden isnt coming here. UK isnt invested enough in its football program for that. We can get a great young coach who works toward building that though. Also he makes 1.6 mil so a pay raise to 2 mil might do the trick if we were to show him that we were dedicated to the cause.

We're way below where we were in 2003, so, I'll give all of those guys to Louisville or Cincinnati to get a new coach...Max Smith is fine. I've heard this one for years and I'm only 21. There's always a few people who will scream if we lose a few 2 or 3-stars but there are only 5000 more 2 and 3-stars out there!~!~!~!~!~!~?~?~?~?~!~!~!

Besides, what happened to the last can't miss Boise St coach at Colorado????? Boise has a nice program but lets face it, they really only play one or two difficult games each year and then they coast on their cream puff schedule. Put them in the Pac-12, Big 12, or God forbid the SEC and they'd be a solid above average team but nowhere near as successful as they've been over the last several years.

Actually they are headed for the Big Least. If the league keep their BCS tie in that would be a great situation for Boise as they now have a manageable route to the BCS championship game. So for that reason I just don't see Peterson giving up that situation to roll the dice here.

Peterson is a pipe dream, especially now that they're going to the Big East and are a regular in the top 10 every year. Same for Patterson, Meyer, and any other big name coach who has been waiting on the right job to open. With both Ohio State and Penn State looking to fill HC jobs this off-season, along with places like UCLA likely doing the same, its gonna be a tough hiring market, especially for lower tier jobs like UK.

That said, I want Joker and everyone associated with the staff, except for Tee, gone ASAP. I actually like Minter and think he'll do well if the offense ever stays on the field long enough to help out, but I suspect he would be replaced by a new HC.

As for candidates, this may be the perfect chance to get a big time coordinator who is high on most people's list (Kirby Smart, I'm looking at you). Reason being, the big "name" coaches will likely get the really big jobs opening this year, Richt has likely done enough to stay at UGA a little longer, etc. If we could get a guy like Smart who is well proven and is trusted as Saban's DC, you do it regardless of what it does to the current class and possible transfers.

I agree 100%

+1

Personally I prefer D but you give a good argument and I have kept an eye on Wash to see how Sark would do.