Based upon the entire body of work, including the two games this year to date. For 27-28 do you retain Pope (HARRR Pope) or do you send him packing (FARRR Pope)?
Gun to head. Decision must be made today (10/24)
- Thread starter Anon722800
- Start date
Please delete this stupid effing thread
HARRR. And it isn’t because I’m confident that Pope is the right man for the job. It’s because Nate Oats’ buyout goes to zero next off-season.
Why would we want Nate Oates? He has been coaching 12 years, he has a winning percentage of .69%, he has 1 final four in those 12 years, he has 6 seasons out of 12 of losing 10 games or more he has lost 14 games or more 4 times in 12 years. Do we want that to replace Pope??? Would you be happy with that here???
This guy eats crayons. 5 SEC titles, #1 overall seed, final four, 2 elite 8s. At a football school. He was solid at Buffalo, but he had to build that place up because this was pre NIL/TP era. But you already knew that; just another prop job.
He has won the SEC twice not five times.
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We paid $6 million for Pope’s buyout from BYU (something I still try to come to grips with). If Oats wants to come here, I doubt boosters would keep their wallets zipped to pay for whatever buyout he has at Alabama.
Im not saying he wouldn't be. Even tho I dont think he would be the answer. But what gets you excited about Donovan in a completely new college game? Seriously asking. Not being a smart asss. I just dont see it with him man.
Players aren't staying multiple years like when he coached at Florida. Its a new roster every year which is why you need a great recruiter to go along with the coaching.
If Donovan can tear it up recruiting then sign him up. He just doesn't have the personality for the job imo same as Pope. Hes not a weird as Pope tho.
UK needs a young over the top coach. A coach that says we will be good because of him. A cocky sumbitch like Stein. Just my opinion tho.
Harrrr more moderators
Donovan would be a great recruiter. A former 2x champ who has also been in the NBA and knows exactly where the game is going. Players would be begging to come here and play.
Donovan is also as professional as it gets with unlimited connections to the NBA. I don't doubt he could get together a great staff for the modern game.
Not the same situation. We didn’t have to pay Cal anything. Oats‘ buyout will be something like 15M iirc. Then it goes to zero. Pretty easy to understand it makes sense to wait one more season if Oats is the guy. Maybe you believe in Donovan or think there’s another premier name who wants to be here…I’m not of that opinion. I think it’s Oats or we end up having to take a risk somewhere
Dude you gotta let him go, the Donovan **** is getting borderline stalkerish at this point.
By that logic so is the obsession with Oats
I doubt Oats leaves Alabama, but I also doubt boosters and the AD would be willing to wait another year, assuming Pope craps the bed this season, just to wait for another coach that may or may not take the job. Does the AD and Oats have some secret agreement to wait until next year?
And what if Pope also does poorly next year and Oats changes his mind? Are we holding the bag scrummaging around for another coach? Penn State’s AD allegedly thought Sitake from BYU was going to take the football job before he decided to stay at BYU and they end up with the Iowa State coach, losing out on Chensey who leaves for UCLA and Penn State’s looks like crap this season.
If Oats doesn’t want the job, you may just have to take a risk on a Shertz or Lucas. Or maybe there is some other disgruntled coach out there not happy with their NIL situation. If Oats actually want the job? I doubt boosters will say no to paying the buyout. It might hurt next year’s NIL, but it’ll still probably about what he’s working with at Alabama. Oats would be the surest thing since Cal was hired. No risk waiting a year.
Oats is my #1-5 option assuming Hurley doesn’t call and ask for it.
Pope ***** down both legs again this year and we don’t fire him then UK will probably lose out on close to $15m in tickets, concessions and merch for next year anyway. It sucks to be a year off from zero but you have to bite the bullet and pay the $15 for Nate.
Batt should call Mitch and make him pay atleast 30% of it.
I support Pope and the cats, this is the beginning of the year, we should see what happens this year.
I doubt Batt is willing to wait on hypotheticals. If Pope is gone this season, he’ll ask Oats if he wants the job or not. He’ll either take it and we’ll pay the buyout or he won’t and we look elsewhere. I’ve never heard of a school keeping a poor-performing coach an extra year just to get another coach. Pope will probably take a split buyout plan like Stoops to make it easier for us. I doubt he'll screw us over. Mitch really screwed us hard on buyouts, though.
I’d agree somewhat but people been doing this with Donovan since he won his last championship. I’d takes Oats but I’m not advocating for him. Donovan is a bit of a different level due to time and the fact he openly refused UK so many times. It’s not a shot at you personally but it just comes across in a desperate/pathetic kinda way it has an IU feel to it.
Especially when the guy already openly turned down the job last time. Has anything really changed since then? If anything he’s planted himself even deeper in Tuscaloosa by hiring his newly wedded wife on the team.
First you are wrong about how many times he has won the SEC title. Second every single stat I posted is correct, he got a lucky final four, outside of that he has been very average, a 69 percent winning percentage and losing 10 games or more 6 years out of 12 with 4 of those losing 14 games or more out of 12 years does not scream UK material. So stop eating lead paint chips and look at the numbers clearly.
FARRRR Nightdouche for being a thin skinned ****
Nobody was allegedly beating down the doors when we hired Billy G in 2007, either. Then we hired Cal. Gotta find a coach with the right mindset who thrives in this kind of environment. Guys like Pope and Gillispie simply don’t. If you don’t find a guy who can handle the pressure we’ll end up having to hire a new coach every 3 years. That’s not sustainable. And telling fans to lower their standards to ease the pressure isn’t realistic either. Good luck telling a group of people to do something. No, Batt needs to find a guy who is compatible with Kentucky and its fans.
2 tourney, 2 regular season=4SEC titlesHe has won the SEC twice not five times.
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I’d take him in a second. We really need a home run hire if in fact we do need a change and Billy would be on the list of guys I’m talking to. . I’m hoping we don’t and we have a great season this year and the fanbase comes back together stronger than ever. Pope can do it with his offensive mind and our length is outstanding.
I just can’t understand how he’s not going after and getting two major point guards every year. (Especially with the money available).Just can’t win long seasons with one player who can break a press with injuries a part of the game. Now I’m very surprised about Mason and in my opinion he would start the next exhibition game to see if it lights a fire in Zoom. I’m all for Pope though and hope he can really do something special this year. Anyway.
He tried to sell Wright and Zoom together, but we saw how that turned out.
He’s desperately trying on the recruiting trail. It’s not like he’s neglecting to recruit. I give him an A for effort. But for some reason he keeps struggling. Recruiting will probably be what ultimately ruins him. Not because he’s avoiding certain players like Tubby did or relying heavily on freshman like Cal. He can’t recruit despite the vast resources he has available and I don’t understand why.
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I could not care less about winning the SEC title or tourney, it means nothing, UK has done it so many times I just don't care. As a matter of a fact I root for us to lose earlier so we get more rest for the tourney which is all that matters. Unless we go into the tourney undefeated.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Here at the beginning of the season where he has one more chance to fix everything and finally get it right including how he built his own year-three roster with all Kentucky’s resources behind him, it’s clear as day we’re a football school.
I don’t dislike the guy. But what am I supposed to do? In the words of Dr. Leonard McCoy: I’m a fan, not a miracle worker.
I don’t dislike the guy. But what am I supposed to do? In the words of Dr. Leonard McCoy: I’m a fan, not a miracle worker.
LOL @ The Decision must be made today lol.
He may be trying but he’s the head coach at the University of Kentucky. He didn’t have to get Rob, but there was 10 or so other guys good enough to run the point who would’ve loved to be here I’d guarantee it, just needed a phone call to their agent. It wasn’t Rob or no one but the way he does it, it costs him time and players. No one needs to be wined and dined and to visit here with money being the bottom line. Especially at crunch time with just a few days to get a portal guy. Call, offer, sign ! No walking away because they didn’t grow up Kentucky fans. I’m as big a Pope supporter as there is so I don’t like being negative but I have to scratch my head sometimes.
The tourney's should have been listed separately. I'll not say it was intentional but it is deceptive and suggests he won the SEC four different seasons to me. Combining them still equals four not five as you claimed in any event.
Character does matter to me as well and I think his is a bit poor. I'd give him a chance, hope he succeeded hugely here and try to trust that the support system at UK would control a lot of that but he is not a guy I'm really wishing for.
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