UK is in talks with texas tech O C Neal Brown. I hope someone on here can make me feel better about this guy because right now i am just shaking my head. A really young guy with no head coaching experience. I know he is a ky boy but he just doesnt seem like the right fit at all to me.
Yesterday i was hoping for smart and today i hear neal brown. Hmmmmm

The source is larry vaught. I am hoping that maybe they want to pair him up as OC with a defensive head coach, but that might be wishful thinking.
. Im still scratching my head on this one. Its like we havent even tried to get a proven big time coach. Im not going to jump to conclusions just yet.


Read about it for yourself.

vaughtsviews.com/sources-confi...tor-neal-brown/

This sounds like something we would do. And that's why we can't advance.

Leach. We need Leach.

That would be about as silly as hiring that 20 something Adolph Rupp guy.

best1978 wrote: That would be about as silly as hiring that 20 something Adolph Rupp guy.

You think Neal Brown is the Adolph Rupp of football? I wouldn't gamble on such a long shot.

Probably not but nobody thought Adolph Rupp was the Adolph Rupp of baskeball when he was hired because Miami of Ohio hired our coach away from us.

best1978 wrote: Probably not but nobody thought Adolph Rupp was the Adolph Rupp of baskeball when he was hired because Miami of Ohio hired our coach away from us.

But surely you wouldn't want to gamble our football program on that, would you? I mean, what are the odds?

Comparing rupp to this situation is a little far fetched. Rupp learned the game from naismith himself and he is a once in a lifetime coach. As cat fever stated- what are the chances.

On one hand I agree with King...on the other, I guess some young coach out there has to be the next generation's Saban, Osborne, Switzer, Schembechler, etc... maybe we can find him. 

If we're going with coordinator, I'd rather have an  oc than a dc.

Assuming Dykes was actually on the coaching list, as some speculated or hoped, I am confident Barnhart would not permit Dykes to bring Tony Franklin back to UK. If that is the case, it may be that Brown is being contacted as a possible OC for a Dykes team. Albeit, that sounds a bit of a stretch.

If Brown truly is considered one of the top young football minds, as Vaught (biased) suggests (without any citation), and he is an up and comer who is inventive on the offensive side of the ball, it seems it would be a good hire.

Yeah, if you wait until everyone else knows about him, it is more likely he is recruited to coach an established program, rather than be available for UK.  People want a "homerun."  Well, what is a homerun for UK that is reasonably likely to happen if Mitch makes the move?

ram1958 wrote: On one hand I agree with King...on the other, I guess some young coach out there has to be the next generation's Saban, Osborne, Switzer, Schembechler, etc... maybe we can find him. 

If we're going with coordinator, I'd rather have an  oc than a dc.

Leach is not even on the list so please give that thought up...He will not be here...They are
talking with Browns agent but no where did it say it was about being head coach..Feelers are being put out everywhere right now..Mitch knows he has to get this right this time..He is likely asking if there would be an interest as OC for another head coach...Do not jump to conclusions as this process has just started..

The OC suggestion is my thought about Brown, as well. A Belotti/Brown matchup would be incredible. Let Brown learn from Mike Belotti!! That is my dream. Do not wake me with facts!!!

Apparently, according to statements made on the Matt Jones show today, Texas Tech fans can't wait to get rid of Brown.

Badinage wrote: Yeah, if you wait until everyone else knows about him, it is more likely he is recruited to coach an established program, rather than be available for UK.  People want a "homerun."  Well, what is a homerun for UK that is reasonably likely to happen if Mitch makes the move?

ram1958 wrote: On one hand I agree with King...on the other, I guess some young coach out there has to be the next generation's Saban, Osborne, Switzer, Schembechler, etc... maybe we can find him. 

If we're going with coordinator, I'd rather have an  oc than a dc.

Not disagreeing. Trying to find tomorrow's Saban is much more of a gamble than finding today's Petrino. A homerun is the guy that takes us to bowl games every year.  We won't know if the title fits for at least a season or so.

The more i think about this the more it makes since to me that he would be a nice compliment for a defensive head coach like smart. I might be dreaming like bad but one can dream cant he? I like bads dream as well.

Kingrexchapman3 wrote: The more i think about this the more it makes since to me that he would be a nice compliment for a defensive head coach like smart. I might be dreaming like bad but one can dream cant he? I like bads dream as well.

Always wondered why people seemed to believe that a great offense automatically means a crappy defense and vice versa. You ought to be able to have both.  Wouldn't be a novel idea to stick a creative offensive oc or coach with a great defensive coach/oc?

Badinage wrote: Assuming Dykes was actually on the coaching list, as some speculated or hoped, I am confident Barnhart would not permit Dykes to bring Tony Franklin back to UK. If that is the case, it may be that Brown is being contacted as a possible OC for a Dykes team. Albeit, that sounds a bit of a stretch.

If Brown truly is considered one of the top young football minds, as Vaught (biased) suggests (without any citation), and he is an up and comer who is inventive on the offensive side of the ball, it seems it would be a good hire.

LOL... So you're so far into the process that your AD his hiring the Coordinators before he has a Coach in place.     Going from Texas Tech as OC to OC at UK is a step down.

Would UK (mitch) actually talk to him about the OC position before hiring a head coach?

Doesn't the head coach get some say in who his OC is going to be?

Kingrexchapman3 wrote: The more i think about this the more it makes since to me that he would be a nice compliment for a defensive head coach like smart. I might be dreaming like bad but one can dream cant he? I like bads dream as well.

Im in on this.

Why in the world would somebody think an AD would be approaching anyone about an Offensive Coordinator position? That is nuts.

hightopcleats wrote: Would UK (mitch) actually talk to him about the OC position before hiring a head coach?

Doesn't the head coach get some say in who his OC is going to be?

Maybe they have already talked to the head guy. Who knows.

IrishHOG98 wrote:

Going from Texas Tech as OC to OC at UK is a step down.

Maybe in your eyes, (and maybe Neal's for all I know) but he IS from here, and an alum,
so that definitely makes our discussion plausible.

Why? 

best1978 wrote: Why in the world would somebody think an AD would be approaching anyone about an Offensive Coordinator position? That is nuts.

Whose to say that there is not a handshake or some serious negotiations with an HC?

And, if the HC candidate is currently working, it may be easier for the AD to reach out to agents and start the process than have an HC contacting an OC who is still coaching.

hightopcleats wrote: Would UK (mitch) actually talk to him about the OC position before hiring a head coach?

Doesn't the head coach get some say in who his OC is going to be?

It really does not matter what you think.  Why you think it does matter is the confounding part.

IrishHOG98 wrote: 
    Going from Texas Tech as OC to OC at UK is a step down.

Badinage wrote: Whose to say that there is not a handshake or some serious negotiations with an HC?

That's why I asked the question, and why I highlighted the word before in bold.

Maybe things are happening faster than we could ever realize.

hightopcleats wrote:

Badinage wrote: Whose to say that there is not a handshake or some serious negotiations with an HC?

That's why I asked the question, and why I highlighted the word before in bold.

Maybe things are happening faster than we could ever realize.

Actually, I had just made the same comment. I guess it's who you are around here.

I wouldnt say its nuts at all. Theoretically speaking, It could be a selling point for a defensive minded coach.(like smart) to say look we already have an up and coming oc that is very interested in the job. Mitch might be trying to put a package together. It happens.

He is an ex uk player and has family here. Went to high school right down the road and he probably grew up a cats fan. Why would it be such a stretch to see him leaving tech for the same job at uk? Especially if the money is right.

CatFever49 wrote:

Actually, I had just made the same comment. I guess it's who you are around here.

Nothing personal....The other poster asked a direct question. You simply made a comment. I read it, but chose to answer a direct question.
Simple as that.
The moniker had no bearing on that decision.

I am not sure how far along into the procee Mitch is.  It would be crazy to think he only just started thinking about this within the past week.  I suspect after the WKU game he had a pretty good idea that Joker was not going to be here next year.  I doubt he started the official process before letting Joker go, but I would be surprised if he did not have a list and a process in place to hit the groud running.

How interested would a Belotti be?  How interested is Dykes?

Both have connections to the school or to Mitch.  Both may not be able to pursue an OC at this time.

That said, I realize that improbility.  But, not the impossibility. 

But, again, why you are here is a question mark.  Perhaps you like running the boards spiking these conversations?

IrishHOG98 wrote:

LOL... So you're so far into the process that your AD his hiring the Coordinators before he has a Coach in place.     Going from Texas Tech as OC to OC at UK is a step down.