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Rich Brooks is pulling up stakes and leaving town. The former Kentucky football coach announced on twitter this afternoon that he and wife Karen have sold their Lexington home. The two have been splitting their time between the Bluegrass and the great Northwest (plus trips to visit the grandchildren in Atlanta) even before Brooks retired as the Kentucky coach after the 2010 season. Now, the coach says he will return to Lexington for visits.

Said it before and will say it again, the man who brought the Cats back from probation and into bowl games should have something — a street, a building, a (I know) a recruiting room – on the UK campus named for him. Mitch better bring him back and get it done.

Continue reading ‘Rich Brooks is taking his Harley back to Oregon’

(H-L photo)

In what started with Rich Brooks’ appearance on the Joe B. and Denny Show, through a weekend drubbing by Florida, a Monday column by yours truly and then a Tuesday interview with the Cats Pause (subscription),  Mitch Barnhart has been a talk-about figure this week.

At issue is whether the UK athletics director is doing enough to help the school’s football program, which put up a losing record last year, culminated by a dreadful bowl performance, and is now off to a 2-2 start, including a home loss to Louisville, this season.

That sparked a poll question: Do you approve of Mitch Barnhart’s handling of the football program?

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

• Gene Chizik doesn’t know yet if his Auburn Tigers are different this year, writes Charles Bennett of the Anniston Star.
• Cameron Newton on pace to join 2,000/1,000 club, writes Chris Low of espn.com.
• Mark Crawford giving Kentucky what it needs, writes Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader.
• Tailgate Review has a special UK women’s basketball clinic story from last year.
• Auburn’s tailbacks are back in the game, writes Charles Goldberg of the Birmingham News.
• Craig McIntosh is Kentucky’s kicker come lately, reports Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal.
• Rich Brooks has no regrets about retirement, writes Keith Taylor of the Winchester Sun.
• UK’s offensive line is surpassing expectations, reports B.W. Jones of the Kentucky Kernel.
• Mike Hartline could see a little time at receiver, says Mary Jo Perino of WLEX-TV.
• His mother’s battle lifted Mark Krebs, writes William Croyle of the Kentucky Enquirer.

Good piece on the strength of the SEC by ESPN’s Ivan Maisel, who gets his best quotes from retired UK coach Rich Brooks.

Excerpt:

Above all, however, is the simple fact that the SEC has more big, fast players than the other leagues. Before he arrived at Kentucky, Brooks spent 18 seasons as head coach at Oregon.

“The biggest difference is how good the defensive personnel is throughout the league,” said Brooks, who retired after last season. “Other leagues have just as good offensive personnel. The SEC has the best on defense I’ve ever seen. Speed is one thing. Physical is one thing. SEC defenses are both.”

Bob Clark of the Register-Guard in Eugene, Oregon talked to newly retired Kentucky football coach Rich Brooks, who is splitting his time between his two former employers. Brooks has a place in Oregon, where he coached the Ducks. The Brooks, Rich and Karen, also have a place in Lexington, where they expect to spend at least part of the year.

Anyway, Brooks talks about retirement, the beauty of not having to schedule your day, etc.

He also makes an interesting comment about Kentucky’s football future:

Now, Brooks said, the challenge for Kentucky is to emulate what Oregon did, and build on its success with stadium improvements and other program upgrades.

“It’s an amazing transition from what we had (at Oregon) in 1977 (when he was hired),” Brooks said. “It’s almost storybook what has happened (at Oregon), from the days of being one of the have-nots to being one of the major haves, not only in the conference but in the country.

“If Kentucky wants to maintain what we have started there, they’re going to have to get into the 21st century. … They have to make that commitment.”

Big Blue Links for Sunday:

Jerry Tipton has video from New York of Doron Lamb talking about his commitment to UK:

Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader was in New York to cover the Lamb commitment:

For Lamb, UK’s announcement earlier this month that five players planned to enter their names in this year’s NBA Draft seemed to validate Coach John Calipari as a prophet. “My eyes opened up,” Lamb said. “That’s what he told me before the season started. He promised me that, and that happened. So I believed what he says.

Tipton’s notebook leads with Calipari’s secret:

That translates into the perception that players are not restricted by a system. “The day of the dictator is over,” Smith said. “Guys don’t like that anymore. Not to say they don’t need a stern kick every once in a while. But players want to feel they have some freedom.”

One recruit’s father is critical of Calipari in the Tucson Citizen:

“You have to ask yourself, ‘Why did Kentucky hire Calipari?’” the elder Mayes told me. “They hired him to win national championships. That’s why they are paying him all that money ($31.65 million over eight years). So knowing that, what good did it do him to recruit all these guys who left after one year? How far did it get him this year? It didn’t get him a national championship. I think knowing that, I’d say his first year there was a failure, wouldn’t you?”

(Hat tip to Big Blue Nation.)

Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader on the Big Blue Arms Race:

The open competition taking place in spring practice among Mike Hartline, Morgan Newton and Ryan Mossakowski is not to determine who will run “Operation Future Development,” or “Operation Past Experience.” It’s about who Phillips believes will be ready to lead the team to its fifth consecutive bowl game this fall.

Bruce Pascoe of the Arizona Daily Star on Lamb and Josh Selby:

If there’s two things that Josh Selby and Doron Lamb made clear they were looking for in a college choice, it’s the chance to win an NCAA title and the chance to get to the NBA quickly. Preferably both within a 12-month period. That pretty much eliminated joining rebuilding projects like Arizona coach Sean Miller’s.

Tipton has video of C.J. Leslie talking after the Jordan Brand Classic:

Continue reading ‘BBL: Doron Lamb’s commitment, C.J. Leslie video’

Nice Ken Goe column in the Oregonian on Rich Brooks, who built the Ducks program from scratch before leaving for the NFL, and then ending his coaching career by rebuilding UK.

An excerpt:

Tough, uncompromising, all sharp edges and hard corners, this is a man that didn’t give in or give up.

His UO teams didn’t always win, but they scrapped like nobody’s business. There is a reason Oregon named the playing surface in Autzen Stadium for him.

His stamp lingers on the program still. Defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti was a Brooks hire. So were assistants Gary Campbell, Steve Greatwood and Don Pellum, strength coach Jim Radcliffe and Bellotti, now athletic director.

Brooks told Goe he will divide his time between Eugene and Lexington, plans to see games next year in both places, and hopes to make it over to Penn State to watch his friend Joe Paterno coach next year.

Big Blue Links for Friday:

• Yahoo Sports national columnist Dan Wetzel gives John Calipari some well-deserved props for his Hoops for Haiti.
• Andy Mead of H-L reports that one donor spent over $108,000 on Hoops for Haiti.
• Ken Tysiac of the Charlotte Observer on how John Wall escaped North Carolina.
• Calipari tells Dan Patrick he wants John Wall to go pro if he’s No. 1 pick.
• Jennifer Smith Mark Maloney of the H-L reports that Rich Brooks gave UK women a helping hand in win over Arkansas.
• Mason Linker of the Winston-Salem Journal writes on UK target Quincy Miller. (Hat tip to Spam’s Wildcat Page.)
• Mark Story of the H-L writes on former UK commitment Dakotah Euton.
• Danny Jett’s Inner Circle has a Calipari encounter at a middle school basketball game.
• Jerry Tipton of the H-L writes that Saturday is another emotional hurdle for Arkansas coach John Pelphrey.
• High School Hoops says Ryan Harrow is backtracking on his C.J. Leslie statement. (Hat tip to Bluegrass State Basketball.)

Continue reading ‘BBL: Rex Chapman, Howard Stern, Quincy Miller & more’

(H-L photo/David Perry)

Big Blue Links for Sunday:

Linda Blackford of the Herald-Leader on Kentucky coaching history: “That’s why Keith and other advocates are celebrating the increase to 15 football coaches of color this year. With Wednesday’s hiring of Joker Phillips, Kentucky becomes the first state in the country to have three black head football coaches. That means ALL of the state’s Bowl Subdivision football coaches are minorities.”

(H-L photo/David Perry)

In the H-L, Jerry Tipton’s game story on Kentucky’s win over Georgia: “Properly awakened, Cousins took charge. He scored seven of his 16 points in the final three minutes to help Kentucky outlast supposed pushover Georgia 76-68 in a Southeastern Conference opener Saturday. At 16-0, UK established its best start to a season since Rupp’s Runts opened with 23 straight victories in 1965-66.”

My column saying this was an SEC eye-opener for UK: “Talking is one thing. Playing is another. Kentucky started slow. For the second straight game, it made just two of 14 three-pointers. It was outrebounded 36-33. It was nip-and-tuck all game until Cousins scored seven of his team’s last 11 points as the hosts finally put a gritty Georgia away.”

(Note: I committed a turnover Saturday, as well. Wrote that Georgia lost by 28 to Pepperdine. It was Missouri, not Pepperdine. As a Georgia friend e-mailed me this morning, Pepperdine is horrible. Missouri is good.)

Jody Demling of the C-J on the Kentucky win: “Cousins and Wall combined to score UK’s final 11 points over the last 2:44, pushing UK over the edge in a game that had more ties (12) and lead changes (six) than any other Cats game this season. Cousins hit 5of6 free throws and had a basket in the run, while Wall hit two free throws and sealed it with a one-handed dunk in the closing seconds that UK super fan and actress Ashley Judd said ‘made my heart go pitter-patter.’”

Ashley Judd says she checks out the Cats Pause, so maybe you should read Matt May’s game story: “When John Calipari was asked what he liked most about his Kentucky basketball team on the eve of Southeastern Conference play he wasted no time lauding his young team’s will to win. That innate ability was on full display once again just 24 hours later.”

Herald-Leader photo slide show from the UK win.

Brian Rickerd of the State-Journal says UK still has work to do: “If the Kentucky Wildcats don’t come out of the fog they played through Saturday in a 76-68 win over the Georgia Bulldogs, UK won’t even make it through next week undefeated, let alone through the end of this season. And if the Wildcats don’t make significant improvements in their perimeter shooting and, to a lesser extent, their hustle on the boards and on defense, they won’t be playing any games this season in Indianapolis.”

Mike Summers

Chuck Jones of the News-Enterprise on UK’s will to win: “Pick the winner from the statistics given below. Team A shoots 47.2 percent from the field, including going 6-of-14 from behind the 3-point line. It makes 80 percent of its free throws. It also pulls down 36 rebounds. Team B connects on 43.3 percent of its attempts and goes a dreadful 2-of-14 from 3-point range. It manages to hit 66.7 percent of its foul shots. Team B also grabs just 33 boards.”

H-L report on hiring of Mike Summer as UK line coach: “‘Mike and I have had a great seven-year run together and I appreciate all his hard work and dedication through that time,’” Petrino said. ‘He’s got an opportunity to go home and be with his family, which is a priority I can understand. I want to thank him and wish Mike and his family the best.’”

Continue reading ‘BBL: Cats’ win, Tomlin’s visit, Summers hire’

(H-L photo/Charles Bertram)

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader on Joker Phillips being named UK football coach: “Phillips cited recruiting as the key for UK turning the corner. Phillips cut his teeth as an ace recruiter during stints as an assistant coach at Kentucky, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Notre Dame and South Carolina. And while he’ll now be the CEO of the program, he still plans on being an active presence on the recruiting trail.”

My column saying Joker Phillips won’t get much of a honeymoon: “His advantage is that, as a native of Franklin, a former UK receiver, and a longtime assistant at his alma mater, Phillips knows the lay of the land. He knows the state, the university, the program, its fans. But in a way, his disadvantage is that the fans know him, too. And this year, anyway, many of the fans thought they knew better. They criticized his scheme. They criticized his choice of personnel. Most of all, they criticized his play-calling.”

Bud Withers of the Seattle times on Kentucky basketball: “Well, here’s how: Kentucky has freshman point guard John Wall, already one of the front-runners for national player of the year. A superior athlete and deft penetrator, the 6-foot-4 Wall leads the Wildcats at 17 points a game and set a school assists record with 16 one night. And Calipari also has DeMarcus Cousins, a 6-11 freshman banger who averages 9.6 rebounds and combines with Patrick Patterson to help give Kentucky a rebounding margin of 11.5, second-best in the nation.” (Hat tip to Aaron’s UK Basketball Blog.)

Jennifer Smith previews UK hoops SEC opener: “Adolph Rupp had his Runts. Maybe Matthew Mitchell can have his mighty mites. The Kentucky coach knows his team is undersized with no true post player taller than 6-foot-1 Victoria Dunlap, but he doesn’t think that will stop the Cats as they start Southeastern Conference play this week. Mitchell will find out if size really does matter at No. 8 Georgia on Thursday.”

(H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader writes that John Wall is earning opponents’ respect: “Of course, SEC veterans taking a wait-and-see attitude in October might be convinced now. In his first 14 games, Wall has made game-winning shots against Miami (Ohio) and Connecticut, hit two free throws in the final 2.5 seconds to send a game against Stanford into overtime, set a school freshman record with 14 assists against UNC-Asheville, set a school record for any player with 16 assists against Hartford (equalling the eighth-highest assist total ever for any SEC player) and shook off a sub-par (for him) game to make several clutch plays in a victory over Louisville.”

Tom Leach talks to Oscar Robertson about John Wall.

Kentucky Sports Network talks to Jodie Meeks about John Wall.

Bluegrass State Basketball reports that Landon Slone is headed to Pikeville.

Continue reading ‘BBL: It’s Joker Phillips’ job now links’