Demarcus Henry to UNC

BookofMormon

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That’s what I’m saying. Stein doing this good is a blessing and a curse. He’s going to ask for more nil as well as probably going to get a raise sooner rather than later at least verbally. In years past pope being fired would be easy but with NIL now you have to weigh the pros and cons of blowing all the money on a coach and firing a coach or just keep throwing money at recruits and towards football. Comes down to what the boosters really care about with their money. We don’t have those ultra aggressive sports boosters it seems.
I'm just looking at the contract now. What in the hell was the one year extension for the S16 for? That is a low bar for an extension - worse case scenario that he hit that year one and now can coast.

So he has 4 years left, buyout is 75% of remainder. He's got a little under 24mm left, will be down to 18mm after this year. That means UK would owe the guy around 13mm after this year. That is a tough bite to swallow. Will drop down to about 9mm after Y4, 4.5mm after Y5.

Everyone lapping over Oats, he will have a 15mm buyout if someone takes him this year. So we are talking 28mm to fire Pope and hire Oats. Oats buyout drops down to 12mm the following year, then to 0. If it's Oats you want, you wait an extra year and it goes from 28 to 21, wait 2 years it goes from 28 to 4.5.

Oats ain't happening anytime soon, should all drop that. No way doing a two way buyout after this year for 28mm. That is a way over market buyout, which are usually in the 4-5mm range.

You move on Pope, hire Oats and along with Stoops, you are looking at 65mm in buyouts. Good lord.

I honestly think unless brass gets really confident they can get someone like McCasland or Otzelberger, you're seeing 2 more years of Pope.I like both of them, but not sure I'm doing jumping jacks. A guy like McCollum has only been at Iowa a year and isn't a UK fit. Give Lucas, Hodson and Murray 2 years to see if they are the goods.
 
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RunninRichie

Heisman
Sep 5, 2019
29,874
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I'm just looking at the contract now. What in the hell was the one year extension for the S16 for? That is a low bar for an extension - worse case scenario that he hit that year one and now can coast.

So he has 4 years left, buyout is 75% of remainder. He's got a little under 24mm left, will be down to 18mm after this year. That means UK would owe the guy around 13mm after this year. That is a tough bite to swallow. Will drop down to about 9mm after Y4, 4.5mm after Y5.

Everyone lapping over Oats, he will have a 15mm buyout if someone takes him this year. So we are talking 28mm to fire Pope and hire Oats. Oats buyout drops down to 12mm the following year, then to 0.

Oats ain't happening anytime soon, should all drop that. No way doing a two way buyout after this year for 28mm. That is a way over market buyout, which are usually in the 4-5mm range.
I just hope big boosters come through and eat the buyout for us.
 
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ScWildcat3

All-Conference
Sep 27, 2005
1,663
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I'm just looking at the contract now. What in the hell was the one year extension for the S16 for? That is a low bar for an extension - worse case scenario that he hit that year one and now can coast.

So he has 4 years left, buyout is 75% of remainder. He's got a little under 24mm left, will be down to 18mm after this year. That means UK would owe the guy around 13mm after this year. That is a tough bite to swallow. Will drop down to about 9mm after Y4, 4.5mm after Y5.

Everyone lapping over Oats, he will have a 15mm buyout if someone takes him this year. So we are talking 28mm to fire Pope and hire Oats. Oats buyout drops down to 12mm the following year, then to 0.

Oats ain't happening anytime soon, should all drop that. No way doing a two way buyout after this year for 28mm. That is a way over market buyout, which are usually in the 4-5mm range.
Yea and that’s if he doesn’t make sweet 16 this year. If he does that’s another year of money you owe.
 
Mar 13, 2026
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I'm just looking at the contract now. What in the hell was the one year extension for the S16 for? That is a low bar for an extension - worse case scenario that he hit that year one and now can coast.

So he has 4 years left, buyout is 75% of remainder. He's got a little under 24mm left, will be down to 18mm after this year. That means UK would owe the guy around 13mm after this year. That is a tough bite to swallow. Will drop down to about 9mm after Y4, 4.5mm after Y5.

Everyone lapping over Oats, he will have a 15mm buyout if someone takes him this year. So we are talking 28mm to fire Pope and hire Oats. Oats buyout drops down to 12mm the following year, then to 0.

Oats ain't happening anytime soon, should all drop that. No way doing a two way buyout after this year for 28mm. That is a way over market buyout, which are usually in the 4-5mm range.
Rewarding coach for a Sweet 16! Welcome to Bloomington! Home of mark pope!
 

BookofMormon

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Mar 27, 2026
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Yea and that’s if he doesn’t make sweet 16 this year. If he does that’s another year of money you owe.
No way, an extra year for every S16? SWEET SIXTEEN? Jesus - that makes the play much more interesting. I guess it's all about who their targets are. You can't be hoping for the guy to fail every year for 2-3 years.
 

ScWildcat3

All-Conference
Sep 27, 2005
1,663
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113
No way, an extra year for every S16? SWEET SIXTEEN? Jesus - that makes the play much more interesting. I guess it's all about who their targets are. You can't be hoping for the guy to fail every year for 2-3 years.
That’s why I’ve been saying it’s all on the boosters and what they are willing to spend. It’s more complicated than just fire him and move on.
 

BookofMormon

All-Conference
Mar 27, 2026
1,210
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That’s why I’ve been saying it’s all on the boosters and what they are willing to spend. It’s more complicated than just fire him and move on.
Weird contract - rewarding him perpetually for S16s. I get it if he gets to it in his first year. A S16 isn't mediocrity, but it's not the UK bar. I just don't know why they would have drawn that in. This wasn't a coach with a ton of leverage. It's not like he had other top programs swooning over him. Really dumb. Would have maybe said Y1 S16 and then E8's after.

And then it's really about who they target - if it's another established coach, it'll be 4-6mm. If it's Oats in the next two years it's a ton. It's so important not to F up on the next hire, need to be pinpoint, not rush just to get Pope out. You also don't want to pass up on the next great thing to get the current good thing just to get Pope out.
 

ScWildcat3

All-Conference
Sep 27, 2005
1,663
2,452
113
Weird contract - rewarding him perpetually for S16s. I get it if he gets to it in his first year. A S16 isn't mediocrity, but it's not the UK bar. I just don't know why they would have drawn that in. This wasn't a coach with a ton of leverage. It's not like he had other top programs swooning over him. Really dumb. Would have maybe said Y1 S16 and then E8's after.

And then it's really about who they target - if it's another established coach, it'll be 4-6mm. If it's Oats in the next two years it's a ton. It's so important not to F up on the next hire, need to be pinpoint, not rush just to get Pope out. You also don't want to pass up on the next great thing to get the current good thing just to get Pope out.
That’s Mitch for ya. King of bad contracts favoring the coach. Oats won’t be an option for at least 2 years. Also they have his new wife on staff now to keep him happy.

it will have to be a situation where the new coach will make the boosters happy enough to say do what it takes we got you. Just like lsu did with kiffin and firing Kelly.
 
Apr 29, 2026
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I'm just looking at the contract now. What in the hell was the one year extension for the S16 for? That is a low bar for an extension - worse case scenario that he hit that year one and now can coast.

So he has 4 years left, buyout is 75% of remainder. He's got a little under 24mm left, will be down to 18mm after this year. That means UK would owe the guy around 13mm after this year. That is a tough bite to swallow. Will drop down to about 9mm after Y4, 4.5mm after Y5.

Everyone lapping over Oats, he will have a 15mm buyout if someone takes him this year. So we are talking 28mm to fire Pope and hire Oats. Oats buyout drops down to 12mm the following year, then to 0. If it's Oats you want, you wait an extra year and it goes from 28 to 21, wait 2 years it goes from 28 to 4.5.

Oats ain't happening anytime soon, should all drop that. No way doing a two way buyout after this year for 28mm. That is a way over market buyout, which are usually in the 4-5mm range.

You move on Pope, hire Oats and along with Stoops, you are looking at 65mm in buyouts. Good lord.

I honestly think unless brass gets really confident they can get someone like McCasland or Otzelberger, you're seeing 2 more years of Pope.I like both of them, but not sure I'm doing jumping jacks. A guy like McCollum has only been at Iowa a year and isn't a UK fit. Give Lucas, Hodson and Murray 2 years to see if they are the goods.
The extension for getting to the sweet 16 is because even the university understands that is what Kentucky's ceiling is now, a sweet 16 team. They are no longer relevant or a contender in college basketball in this era. Literally all of the evidence is there:

- Mark Pope being the best coach they could get
- No five star recruits for the entirity of Pope's tenure here
- 2019 the last time they got past the sweet 16
- The extension on the contract for making it to the sweet 16
- The best record Kentucky has had under pope is 12 losses.

I could go on but its obvious and all the evidence points to it that Kentucky is just not a relevant basketball program any longer. If you disagree please give me any evidence you have to the contrary that Kentucky is still relevant in today's college basketball and not just a historic team with an incredible legacy.
 
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