by Andrew Hardison
It was my freshmen year, the fall of ’04 as I sat reading the local, school newspaper—The Kentucky Kernel—with the topic of discussion being football. Sitting in the hallways of one of the University of Kentucky’s buildings used for teaching, I scratched my head thinking,
“Who is this guy?”
The answer to my bewildered question was Rich Brooks, his face dead-and-center on the front page with headlines above stating—to the affect—‘Can Brooks get it done?’
The question was real, but the fact that I was clearly unfamiliar with the name was a commonality among many of the Big Blue Nation causing a stir over whether this Brooks character was really the right hire for a team in one of the nation’s power conferences.
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Like many Kentucky fans at the time, no one really knew the history of Brooks. He looked serious, but cordial. Intense, but humble. Ferocious, but gracious. He looked like my grandfather with a bit more intensity to his demeanor. A little more than you’d expect from a 60-year old sent to Lexington to revive a faltering football program.
That was Brooks’ M.O. however, as he was brought in to help resurrect a program desolated by NCAA infractions and sanctions that limited the teams scholarships for several years. These initial sanctions hindered any recruiting ability Brooks may have had in the early portion of his tenure as Kentucky head coach and affected his early years at UK tremendously.
His knack for turning programs around started at Oregon, where in 1994 Brooks was named as the “Paul Bear Bryant” National Coach of the Year as well as Pac-10 Coach of the Year. The Ducks had suffered mightily under Brooks in his first seven seasons in which his Oregon teams only posted 22 wins.
As time went on, Brooks made his impact on the program with all of it coming together during the 1994. The Ducks went 9-4 that year, eventually losing to Penn. State and Joe Paterno in the Rose Bowl.
Because of his success at Oregon, Brooks entertained the offers the NFL brought to the table, trying his hand at rebuilding a struggling St. Louis Rams team. If you can’t tell by now, Brooks liked the idea of starting a fresh and trying his hands at new things.
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A decade after NFL stints with the Rams and Atlanta Falcons, as well as sitting out for two years, the Kentucky Wildcats came calling. In 2003, Brooks was hired as the head football coach of the University of Kentucky football program. While many—like me—questioned the hire as well as whom the individual was entirely, Brooks fit the bill as the Wildcats looked to rebuild and become a namesake in the Southeastern Conference.
Brooks started out right away, hitting the recruiting trail and instilling a new mentality within the culture of football for his new team.
Prior to Brooks hire, Kentucky had gone 7-5, typically a good showing for the coach in waiting
That wasn’t quite the case however, as NCAA sanctions were handed down, crippling the program because of recruiting violations. The violations that were put in place limited the overall number of scholarship players Brooks could recruit and have on his team.
It showed as Brooks and the Wildcats posted (9-25) record in his first three seasons, going (4-20) in conference play. His performance was well short of what many expected, but Brooks needed time and most of all patience.
The patience of the fan base and university administration paid off because of Brooks’ hard work and dedication at turning things around.
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If you were to look at the overall impact Brooks had on the program, you could start the initial success with his 2003 and 2004 recruiting classes. As Brooks and the rest of his coaching staff began to get scholarships back, they started by implementing a new recruiting strategy.
While not receiving commitments from the nation’s 5-star and 4-star players, Brooks found the ‘diamonds in the rough,’ players that were willing to work hard and dedicate themselves to becoming professional athletes capable of making it at the next level.
2003 brought mainstays like Andre Woodson, Keenan Burton, Jacob Tamme to the team, players who would stick it out with Brooks until the end. 2004’s recruiting class solidified the roster and depth charts adding guys like Tony Dixon, Rafael Little, Marcus McClinton, Myron Pryor, Garry Williams, Johnny Williams, and Wesley Woodyard. Many of these players would develop under the guidance of Brooks and his staff, ultimately earning the school’s first bowl bid in 2006, the first since ’99.
The continuance of recruiting success and player-coach development has led the Wildcats to where they are right now, much of it due to the leadership of one Rich Brooks.
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We could sit here and go on and on about the accolades Brooks has achieved during his tenure as the football coach of the Kentucky Wildcats. He’s beaten a #1 team (LSU) in 2007. He led the team to its first bowl game victory in 22 years after the Cats defeated Clemson in the 2006 Music City Bowl. He’s beaten the Louisville Cardinals for three straight seasons, as well as leading the Wildcats to its fourth straight bowl game, something no other Kentucky coach can ever say they did.
Whatever statistic, memorable game fact, accolade, accomplishment, or headline you can think of Brooks and his presence with the program far surpass the importance of any of those.
To simply put it, Brooks is the best head coach to ever roam the sidelines for Kentucky Wildcats football. His impact has been felt for the past seven years and it will continue to be felt far down the line.
So, as Rich Brooks retires and rides of into the sunset, WildcatBlueBlog.com would like to send out a well deserved thank you to Brooks, his family, and everyone else involved in making Kentucky Wildcats football into what it is today.
Thanks Coach!
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