Brad Underwood

kydmb99

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I get he’s 62 but I think we’ve clearly seen dudes can coach at a high level into their early 70’s in this era
 
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Farsight Clone

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Thoughts as a potential candidate if Pope is gone after next year?
Sylvester Stallone Facepalm GIF
 

UKGrad24

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No. He’s older and just now finding his way. We need either a proven guy like Pearl who has done it a long time at multiple programs (if you go older) which that’s probably past now anyway. Lots of coaches have reached a final four doesn’t mean they’re any good (Bruce Weber). Underwood is above mid, but he’s not an elite level guy.

Underwood is around 11-9 with 2 elite 8’s. At his age it wouldn’t be a good move and he’s not elite. If you go for the Underwood tier you go young.

Kentucky must hire a blue blood level guy next. No screwing around. If they have had limited success, you need to see to it it’s a guy that has the recruiting down and has been on his way, expected to be a title coach, has the chops. Underwood misses on those. Could he win here? Maybe. But there are just far better candidates.
 

Tri-Countycat

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Well UK beat them out of the tournament last year and this year they went to the final four. No big secret who won the off season and portal…..I wonder why? If only there was an assistant that has ties to UK on that staff that should have been back at UK all along.
 
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UKBB4Ever

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Underwood is not that good as coach.

Hell, Dope beat him last year. He’s just got a really good group of players.
 

kydmb99

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Lots of people in here not realizing a) you have to have a LIST of candidates and b) this isn't 2009 anymore
 

UKGrad24

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I love it. In four years at Illinois, after taking over a complete mess, he’s been in two E8s and a FF. Yet the fanbase that has Mark Effing Pope as their coach can come up with reasons why Brad Underwood isn’t worthy. Amazing.
Now I didn’t say I’d rather have Pope. Pope is one of the worst coaches of any top 15 program or worse. I wouldn’t. And he’s done very good at Illinois. He could win here. If he can do it there of course he can here. I just don’t think it would be the hire I’d go after if I was AD unless it fell down to it. If it came to it then yea, but he’sdown the list a ways. There are just better candidates, younger, who match what we do. I’d much rather go after say, May, than Underwood. And let’s be honest, he’s not winning a championship. That’s not going to happen. I don’t think he’ll ever get one. That’s going off of my gut, but I don’t think he’ll ever produce the “last team standing” type of roster. He’s good, not elite.
 

SECHonk

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No. He’s older and just now finding his way. We need either a proven guy like Pearl who has done it a long time at multiple programs (if you go older) which that’s probably past now anyway. Lots of coaches have reached a final four doesn’t mean they’re any good (Bruce Weber). Underwood is above mid, but he’s not an elite level guy.

Underwood is around 11-9 with 2 elite 8’s. At his age it wouldn’t be a good move and he’s not elite. If you go for the Underwood tier you go young.

Kentucky must hire a blue blood level guy next. No screwing around. If they have had limited success, you need to see to it it’s a guy that has the recruiting down and has been on his way, expected to be a title coach, has the chops. Underwood misses on those. Could he win here? Maybe. But there are just far better candidates.
There you have it folks! Morg has spoken. Underwood is now off the table. Vetoed by....Morg! He's not just "finding his way." You just don't know nearly as much as you think you do.
 

FatCatMan

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Lots of people in here not realizing a) you have to have a LIST of candidates and b) this isn't 2009 anymore
We should have done in 2024 what we did in 2009: pay as much money as possible for the best possible coach willing to come here. In 2009 it was Calipari. This time it could be anyone, preferably someone who has already been to the Final Four.
 

kydmb99

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These threads make me laugh. I've seen this board tear Underwood apart. Almost anytime a coach wins a big game and his team lookds good... there's a thread about said coach being the next guy at UK.
The dude has been to a Final Four and Elite 8 in his last 3 years at Illinois. We haven't done that in 11 and 6 years respectively
 

kydmb99

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I'm not saying he should be UK's first call if a coaching change happens but as we saw with the last coach you have to have a deep list of candidates.
 
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mg721

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The dude has been to a Final Four and Elite 8 in his last 3 years at Illinois. We haven't done that in 11 and 6 years respectively
And your point??? My point is to the number of times we have threads like this. Take a reading comprehension class or something.
 
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RedwoodHigh

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#whenitmatters

They said on TBS that he has been a coach in division 1 for over 30 years, this is his first final 4 he been apart of. They didn't specify being a head coach.
His resume includes assisting Jack Hartman - Billy Donovan- Frank Martin.
winner at JC level - And won 2 first round games from 14 seed. Been putting as many players as Ky in NBA lately. - Now Final 4 coach.
Wouldnt be surprised to see him get Kansas job.
Jelly fits his offense & tempo.
 

LargeMarge

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There you have it folks! Morg has spoken. Underwood is now off the table. Vetoed by....Morg! He's not just "finding his way." You just don't know nearly as much as you think you do.
I think so many are still underselling the team. Especially in the media. Mark Pope took a team factually nowhere near as athletic, nowhere near as defensive oriented, nowhere near as talented, and beat

Duke (F4)
One of tennessees best teams ever (twice)
Florida (NC)
Louisville

I could keep going. There’s no way to do that with a roster like that and sht the bed with this.

I think we hit the lottery with Pope. Kentucky and the NIL recruit for him, and because of that, he’s a goldmine for UK. This is our modern goat and I wouldn’t say that if I didn’t see it coming. And I don’t play around with UK and this kind of thing. I didn’t with Calipari or Tubby and won’t now.

i think we have finally found our modern goat who will win multiple titles and not leave. This isn’t Hubert Davis, the guy is arguably the best or one of the best floor coaches in the game with an analytical mind. Our players didn’t beat Duke last year, he did. Take him off that sideline and put Calipari in there we lose that game by 10+ easily. Without question.

If Calipari can go to 2 title games and 4 final fours here…..

I understood people being upset with the Pope hire. If the NIL was not a thing I wouldn’t be saying this and I can honestly say that. Pope would have been a very risky hire if not for that. I think that’s what many failed to do which is see the new era. Yes it’s likely a bad hire if not for the generational change that happened which allowed him to be here.

Brand and NIL recruit. Pope sits back, gets the best, and just coaches them.

This league is about to absolutely loathe UK for the foreseeable future. My only hope is Pope doesn’t hit so big that the Lakers or Celtics or similar doesn’t come calling. I know he loves UK and this is a dream job, but we really don’t know what would happen if the Lakers are on line 2 and he’s already won a ship. Hopefully if that happens, Pitino will be calling him saying don’t repeat my mistake. And Pope loves it here, he might not be interested anyway.

Looking back I think everyone will say we should have easily seen his greatness coming. He beat Duke and champion Florida with the worst team he’ll ever have at UK. It’s a sign of what’s to come.

Yea I see little chance this guy isn’t brining in #9. Since the program can buy the players now, he’s going to eventually get the right group. I’m sure without the NIL it would have made it harder to hire him, if we did then it would have been a longer road to that point. But he’s already got a S16 and a hella good roster this year. He’s going to push it with all that depth and players are going to love it. He’s a perfect modern age coach for these guys.

For all we know he’s going to push to pass up Rupp. I think he definitely wants to be the guy who can be kentuckys modern goat. Get 2 titles and pretty much pass Pitino. I think it’s coming.
Come on Honk. Bro knows his coaching 😂
 
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