Has there ever been a UK coach you like his entire career?
- Thread starter Neal Orac
- Start date
But, fwiw, that was NOT the way it was viewed at the time with Joe B. A huge chunk of the fan base had turned on Joe B and very much wanted him gone by the end of his tenure. It wasn’t until well into his retirement that he became a beloved figure.
Pitino is the only UK coach I’ve known who never wore out his welcome during his time at UK. It wasn’t until his later ultimate betrayal (ie. joining UL) that we finally turned on him.
The question was for each poster here what coach did we like start to finish. Mine were Joe B. and Pitino. I always liked Joe B. and never wavered on that.
Pitino. He pulled the program out of the ashes and put it back on top while bringing an exciting style of BB to UK.
Felt like he kinda got the shaft and didn’t have admin support during his tenure. In hindsight it’s probably to his credit.
Rick Pitino. Best UK Coach in my lifetime. His style of press and 3pt shotting fit UK so well.
Pitino was the shiznizzle wire to wire.
But I’m actually fairly easy to please.
Got really sick of Cal’s BS following the end of the 2018-19 season when Mitch tried to lock him in for life and once my eyes were opened I never really warmed back up to him.
Pope I’ve always liked as a person but for a long time I was saying he couldn’t stay if he couldn’t start landing recruits. And for a while there I was convinced he never would be able to. So glad I was wrong.
Outside that I really don’t get too down on coaches. One reason is basically something George Bernard Shaw wrote when basketball was only 13 years old:
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”
If you’re not capable of pushing the envelope somehow then you’re probably not right for this job. And if you are trying to push the envelope then sometimes that’s gonna look crazy and foolish even if it’s the best thing you could possibly be doing and even if you’re about to blow up and rule the world. Plus I don’t like to micromanage and I get really turned off by people who do.
Just be a guy who can win at a very high level and really wants to and I’m gonna be behind you. Be able to get out of your own way and don’t stay committed to anything obviously self destructive too long and I’ll stay behind you.
I’ll save people some typing who are dying to ask me “You think Billy Gillispie could win at a very high level???!” Yes. Dude did some bonehead things and lost the handle on recruiting and some other things by the end. But you don’t step into a mediocre roster and win SEC co-coach of the year off the bat if you don’t have something, especially not if you’ve beaten Pitino and gone to the Sweet Sixteen a year prior with a completely different school and roster.
But I’m actually fairly easy to please.
Got really sick of Cal’s BS following the end of the 2018-19 season when Mitch tried to lock him in for life and once my eyes were opened I never really warmed back up to him.
Pope I’ve always liked as a person but for a long time I was saying he couldn’t stay if he couldn’t start landing recruits. And for a while there I was convinced he never would be able to. So glad I was wrong.
Outside that I really don’t get too down on coaches. One reason is basically something George Bernard Shaw wrote when basketball was only 13 years old:
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”
If you’re not capable of pushing the envelope somehow then you’re probably not right for this job. And if you are trying to push the envelope then sometimes that’s gonna look crazy and foolish even if it’s the best thing you could possibly be doing and even if you’re about to blow up and rule the world. Plus I don’t like to micromanage and I get really turned off by people who do.
Just be a guy who can win at a very high level and really wants to and I’m gonna be behind you. Be able to get out of your own way and don’t stay committed to anything obviously self destructive too long and I’ll stay behind you.
I’ll save people some typing who are dying to ask me “You think Billy Gillispie could win at a very high level???!” Yes. Dude did some bonehead things and lost the handle on recruiting and some other things by the end. But you don’t step into a mediocre roster and win SEC co-coach of the year off the bat if you don’t have something, especially not if you’ve beaten Pitino and gone to the Sweet Sixteen a year prior with a completely different school and roster.
Oh, I know one. I can't show you though, because he's an attorney now and he would probably sue me for something.
Pitino for sure, I liked Calipari most of his tenure. It was only at the end I started tiring of him because it was obvious he didn’t care about winning anymore.
I loved Tubby until after that 2005 loss. By then it was obvious he needed more talent and his refusal to change his staff and play the recruiting game it was time to go.
It was for us all, dude was our coach K. The biggest what if ever imho.
Yep. If he had stayed , it would have been all about Coach P, not K.
I think some people forget how much this board criticized Rick Pitino both before and after he left. One of the mods even called me a "Pitino Lover." Joe B had his issues as well. When he retired, his wife even told the media: "You will no longer have my husband to kick around."
Joe B's loyalty to the program and Rick leaving UL have changed the narrative on both of those guys.
Joe B's loyalty to the program and Rick leaving UL have changed the narrative on both of those guys.
Coach Brooks is the blueprint for toughness despite the odds and how to retire in style.
The memory of him addressing the fan day crowd in the West End zone w a stinking bullhorn was proof.
I loved all of them as long as they were still UK's coach. The only ones I was happy to see leave were BG and Cal. I remember Rupp and my favorite was Joe B Hall.