Matt Jones (2:37)

Welcome everyone, Kentucky Sports Radio. Monday, December 1st, historic day in the University of Kentucky athletics. You can give a shout out Clark's Puppet Shop phone line 859-280-2287. Avion Auto Glass text machine is 772-774-5254. This edition sponsored by the T.J. smith Law Office called T.J. he'll after a memorable weekend including embarrassing, embarrassing loss to Louisville on the road, Mark Stoops is no longer the head coach at Kentucky. A result that would have seemed shocking even two weeks ago has now taken place. We're with Ryan Lemon, Drew Franklin. So here's what I'm going to do today. I think this is the way to go. I think we're going to spend the first hour talking about sort of the end of the Mark Stoops era. Okay, what happened, how it took place, etc. And then the second hour going, all right, what's next? Because I think that's the way to go.

Ryan Lemond (3:38)

Yep.

Matt Jones (3:39)

I want to end this first hour given Mark Stoops kind of some flowers. But let's just talk a little bit of news here for a second. What happened? Kentucky gets destroyed 41. Nothing. Ryan, you and I were talking inside on our way walking in. Do you think he gets fired if that game's close?

Ryan Lemond (3:57)

No, I think they could even lose that game. But if it's close, they show some fight. He is our coach today.

Matt Jones (4:02)

You agree with that?

Drew Franklin (4:03)

Agree. Maybe if it just shows fight either one of the last two weeks. I think he's here.

Matt Jones (4:07)

I agree. I think what is amazing is that this, and I mean I can say this with some certainty, they went in to the Vandy game and everybody had just said, all right, I think we're good.

Ryan Lemond (4:20)

Yeah, they're five and five.

Matt Jones (4:22)

You know, we were going to hit that purgatory of 5 and 7 that I talked about, but the $37 million was probably going to save him.

Ryan Lemond (4:29)

Yep.

Matt Jones (4:30)

And then they just couldn't have foreseen to not just two blowouts, but two quits because the team quit. I mean, I, you know, the team quit and then a series of events proceed took place that were somewhat shocking. I mean, even as they walked off the field, it started to think to me, I started thinking, I talked about this on the post game show. I was walking around downtown going, I've got to say they need to replace him. But I kind of don't think they're going to. And so I'm going to have this situation where I've called for his job and then I'm going to have to see like cover him.

Ryan Lemond (5:08)

Yeah.

Matt Jones (5:09)

But I was like, I still have to do it. But then I started to hear that night a lot of people talking about there's folks who just think it's time. And I think one of the stories about Mark going is this is the rise of kind of a new generation of decision making at UK that we haven't seen. Most decisions in the last 10 or 15 years have been mentioned. Eli Capilouto. Right. Other people have chimed in, but it was. They did what they wanted to do. And I think in this one, if it was just Mitch and Capilouto, I think he might still be the coach. But there are. There's kind of a new decision making body which includes this board of seven.

Ryan Lemond (5:50)

Right.

Matt Jones (5:51)

Includes the board of trustees who's always existed. But I think some of those people kind of were like, all right, gotta make a move. And Mitch and Capilouto were like, oh, and Stoops at that point. I'm not saying Mitch and Capilouto wanted to fight for him, but I think they were a little taken aback. And then the discussions happen and next thing you know, we end up where we are. So, Ryan, what's interesting is the people who I think were the biggest part of Kentucky athletics decision making, Mitch Barnhart, Eli Capilouto, even to some extent, donors, the crafts, et cetera, I think all of those people were not really what drove this. I think it was a different group of folks who kind of said, we have to make a change.

Ryan Lemond (6:38)

And I guess to Mitch and Eli's credit, they listened.

Matt Jones (6:40)

You know, you did, they did.

Ryan Lemond (6:42)

And I think it came to the point where, you know, we like Mark Stoops, he's the best coach of our lifetimes. But the program needed a change, a breath of fresh air. I think that's what it came down to. And I'm finally convinced. Mitch and Eli, who was going to line up for season tickets next year, they ran this back. Who was going to line up to donate nil money next year if they ran this back? I think they finally convinced him to the better of the program. A change had to be made.

Matt Jones (7:06)

It just had to happen. I think you got to the point that like I said on the postgame show, it's just over. And I think there became a realization in the athletic department. You know what? It's just over.

Drew Franklin (7:19)

There were some People maybe even still on the fence the last two weeks. But when you lose like that in those two games with so much on the line, you're playing for bowl eligibility. And Stoops his job really those last two weeks and to get shut out against Louisville and quit. And a lot of people try to downplay Auburn because in Florida, because their coaches were out, teams weren't good. I wasn't listening to that. Auburn and Florida, those are big wins. Louisville truly had a JV roster out there that was kicking your tail. Not to take away from the kid from Ashland that won the award, but a true freshman walk on. Should not be running it down your throat in year 13 as a head coach, as an SEC school.

Matt Jones (7:54)

And that was probably part of it too is it wasn't Louisville the way Louisville was when they beat Miami.

Ryan Lemond (8:01)

Right, right.

Matt Jones (8:01)

This was a Louisville team that was playing a guy who last year was running against high schools.

Drew Franklin (8:06)

They were supposed to be the team that quit.

Matt Jones (8:08)

Yeah, they. And maybe there's a world where they would have. But we did it first, you know, so then the process gets started. And Sunday, I think UK basically was meeting all day. You knew, you said you knew something was up when he didn't, when Mitch didn't show up to the volleyball.

Ryan Lemond (8:26)

When I saw your tweet that said Mitch was not at the volleyball selection show, that told me right there something's going down. That's a too important event for me.

Matt Jones (8:33)

Because media are invited to that.

Ryan Lemond (8:35)

Yeah, right, right.

Matt Jones (8:36)

So media are invited to that. And he didn't want to be there. You know, he didn't want somebody to go. What's. I mean, I was going to have to call Phoenix Stevens and go Phoenix, go up to. I mean like, oh, we had Zach there.

Drew Franklin (8:45)

Zach was on the side.

Matt Jones (8:46)

I mean we were going to ha. And like so he didn't want to be there. So that was a, that was a sign. But they, they started meeting Eli Capilouto. I think calls went on all day. And then Eli Capilouto and Mitch started meeting, I think late afternoon. It went into. I don't think it ended until a few minutes before that story broke last night. So you're talking about a five hour meeting. First was trying to convince whether or not they were going to do it. And I think they went into that meeting, not sure. But slowly it became, okay, we're going to do this. But then it was how do we get the money? I think it had been made clear that the donors weren't paying for this one. Right.

Ryan Lemond (9:23)

That's A problem.

Matt Jones (9:24)

The donors are not paying for this one. So then it became, okay, how do you raise this money? In a very short turnaround, the university is allowed to loan money to the athletics department, but you can't just do that overnight. Process, A process. It has to be approved. They also knew a board of trustees meeting was today. So I think there was a long talk about how do, what do we, how do we get this money if we're going to do it? And they talked to Mitch, excuse me, to Mark's agent, to all his people. And then in what I think needs to be celebrated genuinely, Stoops agreed to take the money. Over a period of years now, we have not heard that he agreed to take more money. I kind of think he probably did. I don't know if he did or not, but he still agreed to do that. And Drew, he didn't have to do that. Brian Kelly didn't do that at lsu and he did. And to me, I think that's a big step in him preserving his legacy here.

Drew Franklin (10:30)

I agree. And even before he did it, I wrote on our website and I've said on the show many times, I wouldn't have done it. You sat down at the table with me. We signed the same sheet of paper. I'm not budging because you didn't like the deal you gave me on down the road. So I think it took a lot for Stoops to be able to do that because. Because he had every right to sit there and say, no, this was our agreement. This is how it's going to play out. And I think a lot of people listening would have been the same way.

Matt Jones (10:53)

Do you agree that I wrote on social media this could allow Mark to have a Tubby esque future with the fan base where when he gets out, you know, it took Tubby a few years to get it did. When he gets over it, he can come back and be beloved here. He could even live here if he wanted. I'm not saying he'd want to, but that kind of thing, I, and for.

Ryan Lemond (11:14)

Me also completely changed my attitude about Mark Stoops. The fact that he decided to spread that out over a number of years shows that he's throwing us an olive branch and we're going to maybe walk off in Sunset holding hands a little bit and that made a difference.

Matt Jones (11:27)

Or extend an olive. You don't throw the olive branch.

Ryan Lemond (11:31)

Well, I think he threw it. It was so important. He picked it up and threw it.

Matt Jones (11:35)

All right.

Drew Franklin (11:36)

I think he saw. We all saw it. I don't remember the exact game, but this season they had the homecoming, one of the last home games. Whatever. Rich Brooks was getting the whole treat. I mean, he was being paraded around all week. Former players are there. He's getting hugs at every turn. I wonder if Stoop saw a little bit that bit of that and thought, hey, I'll. I kind of want that one. It's my turn.

Matt Jones (11:54)

Do you think Mark gets that?

Ryan Lemond (11:56)

I think he does. Now, like you said, it may take a couple years, but I think he's the best coach of our lifetimes.

Matt Jones (12:02)

Yes. You know, well, and I want. I want to talk about that in a little bit because I do think that's worth noting because. But do you think Mitch wanted to do it?

Ryan Lemond (12:13)

I think going into that Louisville game, Mitch did not want to fire him. I think it was after the Louisville game, it became just evidently clear he had to fire. I don't know if he wanted to, but he had to.

Matt Jones (12:22)

Yeah, I don't think he wanted to, but I also think. I will say I think he knew. Again, he's in an isolated bubble. Only a few people get to him. And I think what changed is some of these people that were in his bubble actually got to him. You know, it was one of those things. When I did that post game show, I knew, okay, this UK will hear this. And then. But they can always just write off us as like haters. Exactly. Ksr. But that's then one step of fans yelling at the Louisville game. Okay. I think there were a couple of important people at the Louisville game that said something to Mitch there. And then it kind of snowballed and all of a sudden he was like, whoa, you know, I didn't. And then I think he realized he had to do it.

Drew Franklin (13:11)

Yeah. And there's been caliperi comparisons the last couple of years, which I get. But I've always said it will never be the same because of how the sports are lined up. Cal had it. There's a tournament format where you can lose in the first round. Football just doesn't present that. So it's going to be harder to make a call because you have your SEC games and your cupcakes. In a bowl game, you got to make a decision of what was good and what wasn't.

Matt Jones (13:30)

With a small sample size.

Drew Franklin (13:31)

Yes. And that just the nature of the sports doesn't give you that moment that we had with Cal. It was obvious. But then Louis in 41 to Louisville. That was Oakland. It really was. It was. That was Oakland. St. Peter's everyone there, everyone at home looked around like, we cannot run this back.

Matt Jones (13:44)

Yeah. But then I was thinking about how after the Oakland game, it, I. You could just tell everybody knew we can't do this. But then they brought him back. He ended up getting. We ended up getting bailed out, but they were going to bring him back. So I was wondering, are we just going to have this. They sit there on. On BB and tonight and, and smile because unlike how they didn't hate each other. Stoops and Barnard like each other.

Ryan Lemond (14:09)

Remember that show we had after they had. They did that TV show we were all thinking about. Fans were not going to get behind this. We were almost had that same conversation today.

Matt Jones (14:18)

Oh, this would have been the same conversation. Saturday was. Was terrible.

Commercial Announcer (14:22)

Yeah.

Matt Jones (14:23)

So they do it.

Ryan Lemond (14:25)

It's kind of sad really, to me.

Matt Jones (14:27)

Is it sad?

Ryan Lemond (14:28)

It is a little bit. The fact that he was, you know, he was my coach and had the best coach I've ever seen. Been around. Good guy. You were about the same age. He had great success here. It's kind of sad to see it.

Matt Jones (14:40)

By the way, I think people need to know if they didn't listen to the end of the Post Game Show, Mr. I'm keeping him no matter what. You, at the end of the post game show, called in and said you flipped based on Saturday. I mean, literally, it might be people like you flipping. That was the difference.

Ryan Lemond (14:55)

I told the story that, you know, my dad was a coach.

Matt Jones (14:58)

Here we go.

Ryan Lemond (14:59)

And he got fired one time. So I, I fully admit my leash is probably longer than most people's leashes. I'm willing to give the coach a little extra benefit of the doubt. But at the end of the Louisville game, it was just plain and obvious for the betterment of the program, you had to make a change. So I did flip.

Matt Jones (15:14)

I had a conversation with somebody last night, Drew, somebody who was, let's say, on the fence towards leaning towards wanting him to stay, that is involved in some of this stuff. And I said to him, and they were like, this just doesn't feel right. And they said in a nice way. But they were like, you have always. He's liked you and you like him. And I said, you know, I do like him and he has been good to me, but at the ultimate thing, like, it's not about me and it's not about if he's nice to. Like, ultimately, you hold a responsibility to an institution. And it's not about per. It's almost not about personal relationships. It's about can you succeed and we didn't think going forward he could succeed. Right?

Drew Franklin (16:12)

Yeah, the record's too damning. I mean, my mother could be the coach of UK football if she lost 11 straight home games. I'll be like, mom, it's time to get home. You did a great job. I still love you. But Kentucky football needs to win games. What is it we like 3 and 15 against power four teams in the last couple years. I mean, no one, even people that wanted to keep him, cannot make a case for a reason to have optimism. Optimism with. I can't talk today. Moving forward. So, yes, I like Stoops too. I wish him the best. I'm not really sad like Ron is. I mean, he didn't die. I mean, he's. He's going to be all right. It was a good run. I'm not taking joy that it's over, but Kentucky's got to win football games and he wasn't getting it done.

Matt Jones (16:46)

Yeah, I don't really think sad's not the word to me. I actually am kind of relieved because I think it needed to happen and it happened. It's like. It's like a couple got divorced at the perfect time where they can still spend their kids birthdays together without hating each other. Right. Like they can still go to graduation and your child doesn't have to go to two different parties. I think they broke up. We broke up at the exact right time.

Ryan Lemond (17:13)

Do you feel the way you feel is because Stoops gave him that extension on the.

Matt Jones (17:18)

I would have felt that way either way.

Ryan Lemond (17:19)

Would you?

Matt Jones (17:20)

But I feel more like that because he did that. Because I think if Stoops hadn't done that, then I think it says he's walking away bitter, angry. He clearly has to have walked away with some goodwill to have done this right. So I think that's good. 859-280-2287. We're gonna open up the phones a little bit. I wanna talk about kind of Stoops time here. And again, second hour, we'll talk about who's next. This is ksr.

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Matt Jones (19:43)

O U n D welcome back Kentucky Sports Radio. All right, so let's talk just a second about Stoops's Stoops, his time here. I think it's important to say I think he's the best co certainly the best coach of my lifetime. I think he's probably the best coach Kentucky's ever had. He took Kentucky at his lowest point when they were 2 and 10 and he up through about two years ago had an amazing run of success. Yes, he did really 10 win seasons. I never thought I'd see that being able to recruit top talent. I'd never thought I'd see that he put more people in the NFL in his 10 years than the 35 years prior. Combined, combined, combined. There were times he put I think if you look at the most players drafted in the NFL draft from Kentucky in a seven round format Because I think they used to have like a 30 round format, but if it was a 7 round format. Players drafted. He has like 4 of the top 5. Most times Kentucky players have gotten drafted. Okay. I mean, it's just crazy. And these are not just dudes in the NFL. These are dudes that really play and are good, okay? Including Josh Allen, one of the best players in the league. So. And we have amazing wins, right? We have New Year's Day bowls, back when that meant something. And he also, you know, Daniel Hager put out the video of the best Stoops moments. I was sitting there. Just a lot of great moments. I mean, there's just a lot of great times where it was fun to be a Kentucky football fan. I don't like how it ended at all. But he leaves this program is a lot more attractive as a job now than it was when he got here. This was one of the worst jobs in the country when he got here. And I don't think that's true now. And it's been frustrating the last couple years. But he's also, I think, a good guy. A flawed person, but a good person who I'm very happy Drew was the football coach for this amount of time.

Drew Franklin (21:47)

Definitely the last few years were disappointing and that's how it got to this point. But that's not how I would Remember Mark Stoops 10 years from now, 5 years from now, heck, maybe next month when you're asking me about Stoops time here, I'm going to be talking about punching the ceiling out at Missouri.

Matt Jones (22:01)

Yep.

Drew Franklin (22:01)

I'm going to be talking about the. The Louisville game when Lamar fumbled. Not just the Lamar fumble. That pregame locker room video. I watched it again last night. It's one of my favorite Stoops things ever. He gets on the chair to talk and the whole team is like rapping Meek Mill. And he just gets off the chair and walks out silently and they follow him and they go and beat Louisville's 26 and a half point underdogs. That's all the stuff I'll think about with Mark Soups. I'll forget that they lost 41 to nothing. I will think finally of his time, even though that time needed to end.

Matt Jones (22:25)

Yeah, we don't think about Tubby's last two or three years where they lost in the second round to Connecticut and Kansas. We think about the good moments, right? We think about 98. We think about 99. We think about the oh3 team that was so good. Like, we. We don't think about the end. I think that'll be like that with this too.

Ryan Lemond (22:41)

I think he totally changed the culture of UK football. Like you said during the Joker years we were a laughingstock. He brought it back to a tough. When you played Kentucky, you were hurting the next day. Tough guys that hit you, not afraid to bring it, compete in the sec, win SEC games. He just did a lot of things I think most fans didn't think could be done here. And he did it on a continuous continually basis.

Drew Franklin (23:03)

I need to add his biggest. I meant to work this in.

Matt Jones (23:05)

Yeah.

Drew Franklin (23:05)

I thought I was going to die. An 80 year old man. Never see us beat Florida. Not only did he beat Florida, we. We kind of had their number the last five, six years and that's kind of. We have had their number.

Matt Jones (23:15)

That's his biggest win. That win in the Swamp.

Ryan Lemond (23:17)

Yep.

Matt Jones (23:17)

Where we ended it with the, you know, the Johnson catch and the game that. That was it Stephen Johnson played or Terry Wilson. I can't remember who was the quarterback then. But let's, let's just talk about some of the really good Stoops moments for a minute. You mentioned the Lamar fumble. That Louisville game I think is way up.

Drew Franklin (23:35)

That was honestly one of my favorite UK moments. I know we're all basketball Final Fours national championships. That game is right up there with anything basketball's.

Matt Jones (23:42)

I think the Tennessee win with John Schlarman in the locker room is one.

Ryan Lemond (23:46)

Yes, it was one.

Matt Jones (23:47)

I definitely think about the Austin McGinnis kick against Mississippi State. That ensures our first bowl in forever. Right. I mean that's the loudest maybe Commonwealth stadiums ever been. The Bud Dupree interception against, against South Carolina. I mean that, that may be the loudest that stadium has ever gotten ever. You talk about the Lynn Bowden years.

Ryan Lemond (24:10)

Yes.

Matt Jones (24:10)

Creating an offense out of a dude that doesn't even play quarterback and guys and they. He just can't be stopped. Right. Benny Snell followed by Chris Rodriguez followed by Ray Davis. We'll never have a better seven years of running backs than that. Right. The Penn State bowl game where we go and win including a Lynn Bowdoin punt return. I mean that, that Penn State bowl game is kind of the best of a Mark Stoops team. You have a Josh Allen superstar. You have a craz. Have you break the rushing record in that game. You break the rushing record in that game and then you have a quarterback in Terry Wilson who kind of embodies. Stoops is like what's he doing out there? And it's working in an offensive line that dominates.

Drew Franklin (24:55)

And in that game, I'll forever remember this. When he walked out and yelled bring it on to James Franklin five minutes into the game. That's what I knew. Wait a minute.

Matt Jones (25:02)

We are an actual football program to Franklin. Even last year winning at Ole Miss, a game that no one thought we had any business winning. And we won like those. And we. You know Louisville beat us Saturday's first time they beat us there since 2014.

Ryan Lemond (25:20)

Yeah.

Matt Jones (25:21)

Which kind of is an amazing thing.

Ryan Lemond (25:23)

When he beat him at our place, everybody stormed the field. We beat Florida finally for the first time at home. When an SEC home.

Matt Jones (25:28)

Trevin Wallace running back. That block kick against Florida that time. Right. When we beat lsu the year at home, which was a mad house of a win with I think basically got ords are on fire. Think about how many coaches he's gotten fired over the years.

Drew Franklin (25:42)

It's a big graveyard.

Matt Jones (25:43)

Including two of them this year.

Ryan Lemond (25:46)

You know, he beat Louisville at five times in a row until the last two years.

Matt Jones (25:49)

Yes.

Drew Franklin (25:50)

And think about just where they'd fire their coach after they played Kentucky.

Matt Jones (25:53)

Yeah. I mean think about how many dudes he's gotten fired over the years. He might. I mean I'm sure there are others, but those all kind of come to my mind. Oh. First time they won a road game at South Carolina.

Caller (26:04)

True.

Matt Jones (26:04)

Remember when they stopped the two point conversion and ran it back. Denzel, where I think did that call Chris Westrie game? The Chris. Exactly. They're just a lot of the JoJo Kemp against South Carolina. Just running it over and over and over and over out of the Wildcat and they can't stop.

Ryan Lemond (26:20)

I'm glad we're giving him these flowers and celebrate his time here.

Matt Jones (26:23)

We have Will Levis who had an awesome two years.

Ryan Lemond (26:26)

We. He deserves the moment to get his flowers. I'm glad we're giving him this moment here. Even though we were saying goodbye today, he is, he. He is a guy that it's going to be tough to replace.

Drew Franklin (26:35)

What he did here on a personal note too, when he would come on this show, he was a different person. That was fun. Like, I looked forward to those interviews because, you know, when we get him in a press conference. Back to work. Back to work. But it was always fun talking to him on here. He'd let loose.

Ryan Lemond (26:47)

Yep.

Matt Jones (26:47)

All right, we'll open up the phones. What do you think about the Stoops era? And we'll talk about the rest of it after. And the decision to fire him. 859-280-2287 channel. Open it up right after this.

Drew Franklin (26:58)

T.J. smith, personal injury attorney.

Matt Jones (27:00)

Call T.J. he'll make him pay.

Kentucky Sports Radio Host (27:02)

Now more of Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Here's Matt Jones.

Matt Jones (27:07)

Welcome back, Techie Sports Radio Text Machine, 772-7745254. Before I go to it, Shannon, you haven't gotten to say anything. What were your thoughts on this?

Kentucky Sports Radio Host (27:15)

Well, I mean, the good thing is losing a combined 86 to 17 in your last two games of the year makes it obvious what you need to do. I think the worst case scenario would have been going five and seven and then being competitive in those two games and really not knowing what to do and dividing the fan. So if you're looking for a silver lining, getting beat 41 to nothing at Louisville made it clear there had to be a change.

Matt Jones (27:34)

Yeah, we might have to thank Louisville for that.

Drew Franklin (27:36)

Yeah.

Matt Jones (27:36)

I mean, I didn't want it to happen, but since it did, you're right. I think it made it easier. One person says, Matt, do you think Mark Stoops knew it was coming? No. I mean, I think he knew yesterday, but when he got up in the press conference, said, there's a 0.0% chance I'm leaving, I don't think he thought it. And then I wonder what happened between that and when he talked to Tom. Did you notice the difference in the language?

Ryan Lemond (28:01)

Absolutely.

Drew Franklin (28:01)

He said, I have bosses.

Matt Jones (28:03)

He said, well, there's zero percent chance I'm leaving, but I do have bosses. And it was like, I don't know if somebody said something or on his walk from the. From the press conference to talking to Tom, he was like, well, wait a minute. I guess it's not my only choice.

Drew Franklin (28:23)

Makes you wonder now some people to just give you a little cold shoulder, you know, like, wait a minute, why are you not making that Comes and.

Matt Jones (28:29)

Talks to me after the game and he's not here.

Ryan Lemond (28:33)

Stoops also backed off the cutter bowling comments.

Matt Jones (28:37)

He screwed that up.

Ryan Lemond (28:37)

Yeah, he did.

Matt Jones (28:38)

He screwed that up.

Kentucky Sports Radio Host (28:39)

The uncomfortable laugh, too. When he was asked about it in the press conference, you know, he was like, zero percent chance I'm leaving. I'm getting all that money.

Drew Franklin (28:50)

Yeah, it wasn't just the zero percent for me either. He had a moment to kind of explain the loss and give him a chance to inject some incitement moving forward. And he was like, well, you know me, we're going back to work.

Matt Jones (28:59)

It was like, well, that's part of the problem.

Drew Franklin (29:01)

Just keep saying going back to work.

Matt Jones (29:03)

Somebody said, do you Have a message. And his message was just like, well, keep working. You know, like, it was like he.

Drew Franklin (29:10)

Kind of had a chance there to maybe win a few people over.

Matt Jones (29:12)

It's like you're, like, standing there on the final battlefield before you're taking on the enemy and you've lost the last battle, and you're like, all right, guys, let's battle. And you're like, no, we want to be. We want to be pumped up.

Ryan Lemond (29:26)

And his solution was he's going to go get junior college players, which.

Matt Jones (29:29)

Which is not gonna be a good idea.

Ryan Lemond (29:30)

I don't think that's a good idea.

Matt Jones (29:31)

So, yeah, it ended up actually kind of working out. By the way, UK just put out a graphic. That was very nice. Saying, we thank you for all you've done. Mark, Stu, like, they're clearly trying to make this a positive transition.

Ryan Lemond (29:45)

I think you're right. After a couple years, you can bring him back, introduce him at the stadium. We'll give him a great round of applause. And that's not going to happen next year, but maybe in a couple years.

Matt Jones (29:53)

Down the road, I think we will. All right, let's go through here real quick. Let's. Doing good.

Caller (29:59)

Gentlemen. I'm doing good with. Michelle's doing better, but I called in right before the Auburn or the Florida game and was a.

Matt Jones (30:10)

All right, doing good. We got it. You got to be more into it, and you got to give. Like, we can't just be sad. Go.

Caller (30:18)

Sorry, I'm a bit sick today. Anyway.

Matt Jones (30:20)

Okay.

Caller (30:20)

Love having Mark Supes as the coach. He's been my favorite coach of my lifetime, and I go back to Kersey that I can remember in place, but I love the University of Kentucky more after that loss to Louisville. I think it was obvious we needed to go a different direction. I was not looking forward to next year. You guys touched on it, but I think he did probably the classiest move that I don't think I would have done in that situation was letting us do a buyout over a certain amount of time that did not cripple the university going forward. So I hope, as we look back on this time, that we are very grateful for everything.

Matt Jones (30:57)

Yeah, I think that's. I think you're exactly right. I appreciate the call. He did, you know, think about how Lane Kiffin left. Lane Kiffin left with people standing at the airport flipping him off.

Ryan Lemond (31:07)

Yeah.

Matt Jones (31:10)

That was wild.

Drew Franklin (31:11)

Not a couple people.

Matt Jones (31:12)

I mean, let's just go ahead and say that the Lane Kiffin any was wild.

Ryan Lemond (31:16)

Should we expect anything less from that guy.

Matt Jones (31:18)

I mean, well, they just did a documentary about what a good dude he was.

Ryan Lemond (31:21)

Hey, change his life.

Matt Jones (31:22)

Oxford had changed his life.

Drew Franklin (31:24)

His daughter made a PowerPoint to convince him to stay.

Matt Jones (31:26)

Remember? I mean, that was crazy.

Kentucky Sports Radio Host (31:30)

Putting his clothes out in the streets.

Matt Jones (31:34)

Clothes in the street.

Kentucky Sports Radio Host (31:35)

I kind of applaud that.

Ryan Lemond (31:36)

I like it.

Kentucky Sports Radio Host (31:37)

You know, like, get out of here. Yeah, it's over.

Matt Jones (31:39)

And put his clothes in the street.

Ryan Lemond (31:42)

Should. Bye.

Matt Jones (31:43)

Bye.

Kentucky Sports Radio Host (31:43)

Should put a yard sale sign next to it.

Matt Jones (31:45)

Sounded like the players didn't like it either.

Drew Franklin (31:47)

Yeah, you know, LSU plays in Oxford next year.

Matt Jones (31:49)

Dude, that have to go. Like, everyone has to go. I mean, that will be. Remember when he went back to Tennessee, they threw mustard at him and that was like five years later. Good night.

Drew Franklin (32:03)

He didn't help his. His cause when he tried to poach the entire staff and, like, get on this plane or you don't have a job.

Matt Jones (32:09)

I mean, so much happened in that Sunday. The whole, like, if you don't come with me now, you don't have a job. We have a bowl game, and one guy went, Charlie Weiss Jr. And pretty much everybody else stayed. May have a game.

Ryan Lemond (32:22)

It's a playoff game. It's a huge game.

Matt Jones (32:24)

It's crazy. David, go ahead, David. Hey, go ahead. Yes, go ahead, David.

Caller (32:33)

First of all, I want to thank Coach stoops for his 13 years at Kentucky, and. And I. And I want to thank him for beating Florida the past five years. I remember the first game against Florida when we start that fumble and I hug my dad and. And I was. I was at the. I was at the block field goal game in 2021, and that was epic.

Matt Jones (32:58)

We did kind of own Florida. Not only the games we won, we should have won two more. There was the one where the play clock went out and the holding call and bungee stallings. Like, we probably should have won, right? Should have won like 9 of 11 or something against them. But we still. I mean, we had a winning record against Florida and most, which is kind of crazy, but. What. Anything else?

Caller (33:19)

Yes. I hope the next coaches is Will Stein. That. That's my. My take.

Matt Jones (33:25)

We're gonna do that in the second hour, though. I appreciate it, David, but Lucas, Go ahead, Lucas.

Caller (33:34)

Hi there. Hey, how's it going, guys? Yeah, I. I really just appreciate, you know, kind of what Stoops has done, the program. And I remember back in. Near South Carolina in the state. Stoops troops there. And I'm hoping that, you know, moving forward with a new head coach, that's something that we can Kind of attain as a fan base since it wasn't such a tough breakup. And I'm looking forward to that.

Matt Jones (33:57)

I think it's been interesting. I appreciate the call about the former players because former players have weighed in most of them and said how much they love Stoops, but they also haven't like taken shots, you know what I mean? Like, I think the former players, a lot of them kind of thought, you know, I get it. Right. Even though they loved him. And I do think the former players love him. I think a lot of them, Drew kind of got it that okay. Probably need to do something else.

Drew Franklin (34:26)

Yeah, I follow a lot of them on social media like a lot of our listeners do and kind of do your. What you're saying they love Stoops, but you could just tell their tone, how things change. I mean, even like Cash and guys we've had on this show mentioned that the locker room isn't what it was in their time just because the sports changed so much and kind of wondered if that's the right, you know, this is the right time to have Stoops. But there's no question they all love him. I mean, we have a recap of players reactions and there's so many. It was hard to track them all down.

Matt Jones (34:52)

What do you think? If you're looking back, was the check, what do you think was the change? Like, why did it end beyond just you lost.

Ryan Lemond (35:03)

I, you know, the smart Stoops that came on this show and said, we're just getting started, bro.

Matt Jones (35:08)

That blue collar, forget that one. That was awesome. We're just getting started, bro.

Ryan Lemond (35:12)

Yeah, that blue collar attitude is what made him who he was. And I feel like he just lost his fastball a little bit the past couple seasons. Maybe got it back up a little bit this year. But like the 22, 23, 24 seasons, I feel like he lost his fastball a little bit and I don't know why. I don't know if he just got rest on his laurels a little bit. You know, I've taken this program as far as I can take it and there I'm a superstar here.

Caller (35:34)

Getting started, bro.

Ryan Lemond (35:35)

There it is.

Matt Jones (35:36)

Yes. I mean, John Caliperi said about the basketball job, it was a 10 year job. Maybe all these jobs are 10 year jobs because we start to see, we started to see cows fall at 10 years and I think we kind of started to see marks at 10 years.

Ryan Lemond (35:50)

Yeah, that's true.

Matt Jones (35:51)

Maybe these guys have like 10 years of fire in them and then that's Kind of it. Because really it started then and it was, it was not just winning and losing. It was the locker room. It was him. He wasn't the same person. Whereas Cal became kind of prickly and ornery. Stoops just kind of seemed down for the last three years. Yeah, he just wasn't his self I think in a lot of ways. And when you were around him it wasn't the same energy. If you talk to people that love him, including people like Vince and Cash and all these former players, they'd all go yeah, just. It's just not what it was. And maybe this Drew is just a 10 year job and you do it and then you kind of gotta hand it to somebody else.

Drew Franklin (36:40)

I agree that it's 10 years is about right. You just need new, new juice with everything. But I also don't think it's a coincidence both of them fell off around the same time when Nil got here. Both for different formulas. They were both great with what they brought. Like when Stoop said in his first interview I'm sitting on G and need an O he had a plan, he's going to go to Ohio. Recruit develop. I mean you think of Josh Allen, a two star that he turned into something Lyden Bowden kind of a player he took a gamble on. We know what he became when the era changed and we fell way behind on Nil. Everything. The Stoop's formula didn't work anymore. The sport evolved all around him and what he was doing just didn't stick with the sport.

Matt Jones (37:17)

I think you're exactly right. Recruit develop. Bring guys in that are and build them up. That maybe isn't the way. And then I think some of this goes on the athletic department. Mitch took too long for Nil put him at a two year behind. He became bitter about that. It led him to do things like pony up and next thing you know it kind of slipped away. I think he, he, he lost that connection for a variety of reasons. Is pain, stiffness or a numbing sensation preventing you from enjoying watching your physical or your favorite teams compete? Go to court physical therapy over 30 years Kentucky's go to physical therapy helps athletes, fans and average Joes get rid of aches, pains and get back to what they love. They now have through the end of the year. If you've met your insurance deductibles, you can go for free. Visit court.com that's k o r t.com we'll take a break. One more segment on Stoops and then we look to the future. Who's going to be the next guy that's here on Kentucky Sports Radio, you.

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Matt Jones (40:13)

That'S exactly what he said. I think he would like to have.

Kentucky Sports Radio Host (40:15)

No, no no no. Johnny Paycheck said that, not Mark.

Matt Jones (40:18)

I understand. I just didn't know if that was apropos of up here A couple people talking about kind of the way it fell apart. And it is worth noting. I, I think you would be. If you're really trying, you'd be reminisce not to say he had a lot of changes in his personal life too during that period.

Ryan Lemond (40:34)

Yes.

Matt Jones (40:35)

And I think that matters. I think you. It would be incorrect to say that, that it doesn't. But I do think there's a bigger thing of you want to leave anything George Costanza said on Steinfeld, leave them wanting more.

Ryan Lemond (40:49)

Right.

Matt Jones (40:50)

Like get one good joke and get out. And I think, I don't think he left people wanting more, but I think he left before it started to really get stale. And it's a good lesson for life, like don't stay till the last minute. Make people go, man, I wish they'd come back. Rather than will you just go away?

Kentucky Sports Radio Host (41:12)

Like the people at the party that just stay all night.

Matt Jones (41:14)

Yeah. Stays a little bit too long.

Kentucky Sports Radio Host (41:16)

Yeah, you gotta leave the party.

Matt Jones (41:18)

Leave just a little bit earlier than you will. You think I felt that one.

Drew Franklin (41:23)

That one hit home.

Ryan Lemond (41:24)

How many times did we hear him in the last couple years? You know, somebody would be, he'd hear some criticism, he'd say, well, yeah, but he's a big.

Matt Jones (41:32)

Yeah but guy.

Ryan Lemond (41:33)

Uh huh.

Matt Jones (41:34)

I mean and he, the other thing is he felt people's criticism. Yeah, he felt it. And by the end he was almost expecting your criticism before he talked. Remember his last interview when he came in the studio and before everything he'd be like, no, I don't want to. You know, I know everybody's gonna say. And I just wanted to be like, just say, you don't have to be on rebuttal to start. Just say talk. And he just never felt comfortable in those last couple years kind of in his own skin like he did the years before.

Drew Franklin (42:02)

I've heard every word he has said for several years, including the last two. And there was a lot of, well, I don't want to make a headline. Well, I don't want this getting out there. I don't want to. You know, it's like as your point, just say it and we'll figure it out. There's a lot of. Well, I don't want to answer that. It'll be a headline.

Matt Jones (42:16)

Yeah, Dustin, go ahead, Dustin. I want to get these folks on here. So let's go quick. Just make your point and go, Dustin, go ahead. All right. Out of the gate. He was right. That's true. It was quick. It was. Did you hear the guy on the postgame show Carl who called. He did like five seconds. It was stumbling over his words and he just went, ah, yeah.

Kentucky Sports Radio Host (42:41)

Than callers.

Matt Jones (42:42)

I gave Carl credit. He was like, ah, somebody so mad.

Ryan Lemond (42:45)

And frustrated he couldn't even get his words out.

Matt Jones (42:47)

Go ahead, Justin.

Kentucky Sports Radio Host (42:48)

Justin. Yeah.

Caller (42:50)

Hey, Matt. What's up, guys? Hey, real quick. I don't know if anybody's asked this question or touched on this. Where do you think. Where do you think he lands? So does he take some time off from coaching? Does he maybe go back to a coordinator position? Does he try to go coach, maybe a head coach at a lesser school? I think maybe as a head coach probably when you coach that long as a head coach, you probably want to be a head coach right at your next stop. I don't think he's done coaching. So I'm just curious where maybe you think.

Matt Jones (43:16)

Yeah, I think most likely scenario. Yeah. Appreciate the call. Time off followed by coach at a G5. That's my. I think the most likely scenario. I could see him being a coordinator, but he likes to be in charge now and I think that's hard. I don't think he's one of these people that's desperate to coach that like is like, I gotta have a job next year. But I think he. I think he goes and he'll end up getting like a G5. Who knows? Maybe he gets one this year. A lot of these jobs like in the American Conference have all come open South Florida, so. But I do think that's probably his likely future.

Ryan Lemond (43:51)

I think, you know, maybe end up someplace like Youngstown or Toledo or.

Matt Jones (43:55)

Youngstown ain't not going that low. Not. I don't think he needs to go to Toledo. I think he can get a job like Tulane or so. I don't know if he will, but I think he can. Don't you?

Drew Franklin (44:07)

Definitely. Yeah.

Matt Jones (44:08)

His division too.

Drew Franklin (44:09)

Yeah.

Matt Jones (44:10)

He doesn't need to go to that.

Drew Franklin (44:11)

No, he should not do that. If I were setting odds, one would be go enjoy life for a little bit.

Matt Jones (44:16)

Many probably hadn't had time off since he was in a year off.

Drew Franklin (44:20)

Yeah, he got money. You know, we've talked about family. You know, he's got his boys getting to about college age. They've been away from him. I would say the favorite would be taking a little time off. Second, I would watch the. The Kirby smart rehab analyst thing. Kind of what people do with Saban. Yeah, I'll come give you a job for a year to you figured out Mark and Kirby are very close. So I could see like the Analyst at Georgia, defensive analyst for a year, as many people did under saving at Alabama.

Matt Jones (44:45)

He will get a job. He'll get a job. He succeeded here. Yeah, he'll get a job. He might even get a job at a school like Kentucky in another conference. You know, you could see, I don't know, a Minnesota or something like that hiring Jerry. Go ahead, Jerry.

Caller (45:07)

Hey, Matt. First off, even though, you know, I felt a need for a change for a while, I want to thank Mark Suits for what he did here because he did do a lot of good things here and wishing the best in the future going forward. This kind of down, because I was afraid was going to happen, is that Barney was going to ring his hands. About time again.

Matt Jones (45:25)

Not going forward yet. We're not, Jerry. We're not going forward. That's our two. All right, I'm gonna go to James. I was very clear. Appreciate the call. I was very clear that we were doing this. We were doing Stoops. Jerry. James. Go ahead, James.

Caller (45:39)

Yes, sir. First time, long time. My question is, you said yourself that Stoops pulled a lot of good investors into the. Into the program.

Matt Jones (45:49)

Correct.

Caller (45:50)

What happens to all these. What happens to all these guys once he leaves? Are they still on board or.

Matt Jones (45:54)

It's gonna be up to the new coach. It's great question. It's a great question. It's gonna be up to the new coach. The new coach is gonna have to get him. I told this story on. On YouTube last night, but I watched Drew Franklin and I set 12 years ago, 13 years ago, at a table at Dudley's. At a table at Dudley's. It was me, Drew, Joe Kraft and Mark Stoops and one other person who I won't force to be on there. And I watched Mark Stoops sell Joe Kraft on investing in UK football. I don't know why Drew and I were there, but we were still tell that story. And it was a lot of fun. And we closed the restaurant down, and Mark Stoops so won Joe Kraft over that he became the leading change in the renovations of Kroger Field.

Ryan Lemond (47:00)

Oh, yes.

Matt Jones (47:01)

And we wouldn't even have a football team if it was. I mean, we wouldn't even been able to get on the field these last few years. And we watched it happen. And that was the moment I went, okay, maybe this guy. And he didn't just do it with Joe. That's the one we saw. He did it with a lot of people that weren't maybe as big a donors, but that were successful. And the new Coach now has got to go do that. Wouldn't you agree? Yeah, that's one of their most important jobs, to be honest with you. Stoops was so good.

Drew Franklin (47:33)

I'll get the reservation if they want.

Ryan Lemond (47:35)

Stoops was so good at getting the guys that would just invest in basketball to also invest in football.

Matt Jones (47:41)

And he said a line which I'll never be able to say, but which has become legendary amongst me and my friends. And it was the line. He looked. He looked at Joe and said. And then Drew and I were like, okay, maybe this is the dude.

Drew Franklin (47:56)

I think I choked on my food when he said.

Matt Jones (47:57)

When he said, well, so did Joe. No one saw it coming. And I was like, oh, maybe Mark Stoops is going to get this done. So I give a salute to him.

Ryan Lemond (48:10)

Amen.

Matt Jones (48:10)

I really do. He made football a sport that matters at this school. And now somebody else takes that mantle to the next level. And that's what we'll do in the second hour. Who's next on Kentucky Sports Radio, you.

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Matt Jones (48:53)

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Caller (48:59)

Hola.

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