re: Joker Phillips Has Been Fired (Letter from AD Mitch Barnhart Enclosed)

quote:

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I have to respectfully disagree. You can hire an offensive guy and bring in a serviceable defensive hire.

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The issue is two pronged

a) Stop playing in state schools and schedule to raid non SEC footprints

drop UL for IU to get Indy / Chicago exposure
drop WKU for an ACC school
drop FCS school for a non AQ in CUSA / Sun Belt

b) What works for many non SEC schools will not work at UK and Mumme was proof that offense only long term is a bad call. Brooks has some good offense but he also knew to build a respectable defense.

I can agree to disagree but doing what may work in the Big East, Big 12, and PAC is sure suicide in a conference where defense is a vital part of winning. Look at Notre Dame this year as how radical their fortunes have changed switching from offense to defense. I understand and appreciate your view and if this were any other conference I would be in agreement with you. The trick for UK is how to carve out a niche while remaining in the SEC.

To me this is scheduling as much as coaching hires and continuing to give the other state schools exposure will never help UK if they (UL, WKU, et al) let schools in weaker conferences have no win games with UK.

If UK can get to 6 wins in a season with teams that will draw more national exposure it will be a powerful first step in recruiting teenage kids in the age of media influence.

6 win and better exposure strategy
+1 B1G win OOC (via IU / PU / IL)
+1 ACC win OOC (via UVA / Duke / MD / Wake Forest)
+1 non AQ win via Sun Belt, MAC, CUSA
+1 non AQ win via Army, Navy, Air Force

+1 SEC win vs SEC east bottom (Vandy, Vols, Mizzou)
+1 SEC win vs SEC east bottom (Vandy, Vols, Mizzou)
or
+1 SEC win vs SEC west bottom when on schedule

after that it is gravy and you upgrade slowly (10 - 20 years) from that starting point.