rejecting the UK assistant offer. Per KSR...
BB: Jamal Crawford Officially
- Thread starter TheResistance
- Start date
He’s going to stay close to his son. It was always implied.
Always thought this was a long shot because I think when he does coach beyond HS ranks it will be as a head coach not an assistant.
Ehh whatever he’s a grown man so you can’t say we wiffed but I also now kinda want Crawford to fail slightly
I truly wonder how many strippers Pope fell in love with during his college years....
I think it was worth going after him, not sure he needed this long of time to say "no" though. Assume we promote someone from within now, cause not sure who you can land this late in the game.
Read the article before you are too harsh on him. He had A LOT of praise for UK and discussed how seriously he took the offer but chose his current commitments and contracts over the UK position. Didn't rule out a future with UK.
UK basketball should be beyond moral victories
Pope really has trouble reading people. Seemed to be so sure Stokes was coming that he ignored other high school players he might have had a shot at. Now this when we really needed recruiting help and all we end up with is useless Robinson.
He had a chance to hire prime Rupp but held out for Crawford to say no
Another whiff by Pope. Glad we waited 4 months for this.
Seems like that decision could have been made in 5mins it didn’t need 4 months
No only Pope. He's the only one that cant read the room.
Reads like he gave it considerable thought. Discussed it with his family and weighed his options. Some people will never know what it is like to have to decided between walking away from a multi million dollar contract to chase a coaching dream for a couple hundred thousand dollars... Or staying true to your word, contract, and making sure your family is continued to be provided for a high level they are accustomed to.
Some of you folks need help if you’re truly upset about this.
Crawford comes off as a solid guy who really likes Pope and Williams. Pope was in no rush for the assistant but stated he knew it was a long shot giving the timing. I have to think the process and relationship does not hurt UK when recruiting the younger Crawford. Smart play by Pope. Glad he does not listen to the idiots here.
They find reasons to ***** and moan about anything.
Upset is too strong a word. Just fits a pattern with Pope
Some of yall act like he signed to coach another team and chose them over UK. lol
Just getting tired of Popes decision making. He waited way too long on Stokes and Crawford when everyone knew neither was coming here
Two totally different situations.
Honest question. While we can all agree Pope held out too long on Stokes and let other players sign elsewhere chasing him. Do you hold the same vitriol for the boosters who forced Pope to stay on Stokes since he was a KY kid and would only provide the NIL money for Stokes and no one else? Or is it easier just to blame Pope since it's unlikely, outside of a group of a few small people, know who those donors were? Not everything is "Pope whiffed", though he does his fair share of it too.
Have to ask one of the guys on the board that "claims" to be a donor and knows all the big donors. It was said for weeks on here that we had money set aside for only Stokes and couldn't use it for anyone else.
*If you can't tell from the text of my comment, I'm using anti-UK and troll posters comments against themselves by playing devil's advocate.
No. If he played anyone it was UK. I mean, recruits have been doing it for years now, going back to the beginning of Cal's decline here.
This truly sucks, but we'll see it downplayed by the Popeamine Dopamine users.
Why does it feel like nothing truly outstanding will ever happen in the Pope era?
The Crawford coaching courtship felt like Pope's last shot to become elite. Kusturica, Spears Jr., Crawford = three huge swings and misses. We got Milan, but had to pay a fortune to do so. Hampton's stock has already fallen like a rock this summer due to his complete lack of a jump shot.
Pope is just a so-so personality and a so-so coach, and UK will be so-so under him and we all know that deep down.
Why does it feel like nothing truly outstanding will ever happen in the Pope era?
The Crawford coaching courtship felt like Pope's last shot to become elite. Kusturica, Spears Jr., Crawford = three huge swings and misses. We got Milan, but had to pay a fortune to do so. Hampton's stock has already fallen like a rock this summer due to his complete lack of a jump shot.
Pope is just a so-so personality and a so-so coach, and UK will be so-so under him and we all know that deep down.
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The good news is that the new AD doesn't seem like a guy that will listen to another spring full of excuses if Pope doesn't win big this year.
Need at least 25 wins and a top 3 finish in the SEC to see a 4th year at UK, and rightfully so. Some of our fans want to give Pope a longer leash when it's clear the dude just gets played over and over and over again. It's absolutely pathetic that we keep getting used to get other guys raises. That's not Kentucky basketball.
It’s harsh, I understand- but he is a clown. From the opening pep rally to his stupid picture on the beach. A not to be taken seriously CLOWN.
Yeah, the beach picture was weird. He was flexing after paying a guy 20% more than his market value, the finishing piece to a team that isn't projected top 3 in their own conference.
I agree. UK fans would be laughing at him if he was not the coach here.
Yep. This blind spot is going to hold him back his entire career.
Exactly, how many times can we miss and hang on to the good comments made. Must not be that great to these people who won’t come. I figured it was a long shot, but maybe he will be ready when his son goes into college and we can package deal it. That’s my hope at least.
Yeah, and Oats or Golden can be the ones who hire Crawford at that point instead of Pope.