10 reasons why the Kentucky Wildcats Football coaching job is better than we think
By Kyle
September 22, 2012; Gainesville FL, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Joker Phillips in the second half against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 38-0. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE
Things have gone sour this season for the Wildcats and a sub-.500 season is looking like a certainty at this point. While I have personally always liked Joker Phillips and wanted him to succeed, not making a coaching change at the end of this season could set off the worst fan backlash this school has ever seen. It’s safe to assume that a new coach will be brought in at season’s end, but who that will be is a debate for another day. It seems like any big name that is brought up lately is met with an immediate rebuttal of “he wouldn’t come to Kentucky,” and I’m here today to figure out why this is such a popular train of thought amongst UK fans. Here are the top ten reasons (in my opinion) the position of head coach at the University of Kentucky is a better job than we (fans) think it is…
Oct 13, 2012; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Kentucky Wildcats wide receiver DeMarcus Sweat (83) is tackled Arkansas Razorbacks cornerbacks Kelvin Fisher Jr. (4) and Darius Winston (21) during the first quarter at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-US PRESSWIRE
1. SALARY
In any business, it’s always cheaper to promote from within than to hire from the outside, and football is no different. Kentucky will have to pay a reasonably high salary for any proven coach and has the SEC revenue to fund said salary. Mitch Barnhart hit a home run with both Gary Henderson and Rich Brooks, a grand slam with Matthew Mitchell, and a World Series ending grand slam with John Calipari. Despite all of that, the black eye of Billy Gillispie still looms over his head and Joker Phillips lack of success is not far behind. Football makes most of the money, and Barnhart will have to pony up this time to appease the fan base and get a proven head coach or BCS coordinator.
2. THE SEC
There is no question or debate as to which college football conference is king. With powerhouses like Alabama, LSU, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, etc, the SEC is so strong across the board that it can afford for teams like Arkansas and Auburn to have down years and still remain on top. If you want to win a national championship, you just about have to go through the SEC to do it. Kentucky also has the advantage of playing in the Eastern division. while that means annual battles with South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia, it also means that you get all the perks the conference has to offer and you only have to take on Alabama and LSU every couple of years. On top of everything else, being in the conference just about guarantees you a large number of televised games. With all of the uncertainty surrounding most of the other conferences, any coach capable of landing a job in this conference would be insane not to.
3. YOUNG TALENT
The phrases “snake-bitten” and “M*A*S*H unit” have been used to describe the injury situation at UK this season and both are pretty accurate. Murphy’s law has been in full effect this year, but it has paid a surprising dividend. Kentucky is one of the youngest teams in the country and has had an unprecedented number of true freshmen, redshirt freshmen, true sophomores, and redshirt sophomores see extensive playing time as a result of the team’s multiple injuries. Any coach who comes to UK will find a roster stocked with young talent that will have ample time to learn any new systems before exhausting their eligibility. You can make a compelling (and likely winning) case that the most naturally talented player at almost every position will have at least two years of eligibility left going into 2013. The cupboard is hardly bare long term, but the upcoming senior class will be lean.
4. FRANCHISE QUARTERBACK
It doesn’t matter what type of offense any new coach runs, Kentucky has a quarterback for it. Maxwell Smith is a pro-style guy, Whitlow can run the traditional option or the spread option, and Towles is versatile enough to run just about anything, and all three will have had live game experience as well. This alone would get most coaches salivating as it would allow them to hire any offensive coordinator they want. The headliner of the group has to be Towles though. How many coaches get to walk into a new team with a sophomore, former parade All-American quarterback at their disposal? When you factor in that Towles has the prototypical size and arm for a quarterback at any level AND he has played in the spread in high school and a no-huddle pro-style in college, he gives any coach a centerpiece to build his team around.
5. DEFENSIVE VERSATILITY
Whether moving to a 3-4 defense despite having 4-3 personnel was the right decision or not is debatable. The fact that it gives the next coach a roster full of versatile defenders that can play in multiple defensive schemes is not. A new coach can come in and bring any defensive coordinator that he wants along with him, and will be able to find the players to (at least temporarily) fit that coordinators scheme. Whether it be a 3-4, a 4-3, or even a more unconventional defense like the 4-2-5 or 3-3-5, there are enough versatile young players along the defensive line, linebacker, and defensive backfield positions to make the new scheme work immediately. Moving forward, the staff could selectively recruit to fit that coordinators scheme.