An Overall Old Coot's View of EKU Fotball

[Braxton]

Parker McKinney, Josiah Eserim, Payton Collins, Matthew Jackson… all Elder guys. Wells had the world by the balls when he came in.

We fired Elder too soon, and I’m afraid, we won’t fire Wells soon enough.

Elder’s staff left for power 5 or NFL jobs. Walt’s staff is leaving for high school or staying out because they know they can’t go anywhere else.

Jake Johnson still on staff shows that Walt is in over his head, and is afraid to make the necessary changes this program needs.

[ColonelFan22]

Side note that interview on KSR Walt did with Matt Jones ticked me off

Link?

[DannyHopesGhost]

Walt is benefitting from what Elder left. I don't think the cupboard was empty when Elder was removed from HC. Parker Mckinney for instance was an Elder recruit. Honestly both coaches are very comparable. I agree Walt has been given a much longer leash. With the talent on O last year, I was very disappointed in a 5-6 season. The offense hasn't been the problem, the defense can't stop a group of toddlers from running or passing on them. If EKU wants to make the jump the AD and Walt have to stop having blind loyalty towards former players. The DC has to go and should have been let go in year 3 but for whatever reason he is still around. I'm usually for the AD staying out of personnel decisions but when the problem is glaring, I think he should step in.

Side note that interview on KSR Walt did with Matt Jones ticked me off.

Which interview?

[eku022]

It was on the KSR show a couple years ago in 22'. Basically, Walt was trying to get attendance up and was saying if you have no plans an EKU game would be great for the family.

KSR wrote a couple puff pieces for EKU ( https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-wild ... wells-ksr/ ) Freddie Maggard is close with Hood and Walt.

[EKU05]

We fired Elder too soon

Here's the thing. I don't entirely disagree.

But the situation was more complicated than keeping or not keeping him due to the spot we were in with the contract at the time. It was an expiring deal. At that point you have two choices: Cut ties, or give him a multi-year extension. A one year extension signals anyone and everyone, including recruits, that you've got one foot out the door with regard to that coach. It ties his hands on the recruiting trail in a way that isn't fair, and it just sets him up for failure. But a multi-year deal ties your hands to move on if it becomes increasingly clear that you should.

In a vacuum, I absolutely wanted to see one more year of Elder. We seemed to be trending in the right direction even if not as fast as most of us would like. I also like the energy he brought to the program off the field, and I thought he saw EKU football with fresh eyes in a way that a lot of people "in the family" just can't because they're too close to the situation.

But was I ready to commit multiple years of money? That's at least a tougher call. Let's say we give him a three year deal. That's basically a million dollars committed to a coach that we're still a little unsure of four years in.

Elder was improving...from his own disaster of a first two seasons. He basically took four years to get our team back to the quality you could basically expect from a Dean Hood coached team. Is that progress? It depends on what you define as the starting point.

I'm not saying I have the answer. I just think the situation is more complicated than whether or not you wanted to see another year of Mark Elder football.

[EKU05]

It was on the KSR show a couple years ago in 22'. Basically, Walt was trying to get attendance up and was saying if you have no plans an EKU game would be great for the family.

KSR wrote a couple puff pieces for EKU ( https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-wild ... wells-ksr/ ) Freddie Maggard is close with Hood and Walt.

Can I ask why that bothers you?

And don't it twisted. I'm a lifelong Louisville fan. I assure you that no one on this board is more disgusted by all things "Big Blue" than I am. But if there's a chance to promote our program and get potential new fans in the stands...I don't know that we are in a position to be turning those kinds of opportunities down.

[RollKerns]

We fired Elder too soon

Here's the thing. I don't entirely disagree.

But the situation was more complicated than keeping or not keeping him due to the spot we were in with the contract at the time. It was an expiring deal. At that point you have two choices: Cut ties, or give him a multi-year extension. A one year extension signals anyone and everyone, including recruits, that you've got one foot out the door with regard to that coach. It ties his hands on the recruiting trail in a way that isn't fair, and it just sets him up for failure. But a multi-year deal ties your hands to move on if it becomes increasingly clear that you should.

In a vacuum, I absolutely wanted to see one more year of Elder. We seemed to be trending in the right direction even if not as fast as most of us would like. I also like the energy he brought to the program off the field, and I thought he saw EKU football with fresh eyes in a way that a lot of people "in the family" just can't because they're too close to the situation.

But was I ready to commit multiple years of money? That's at least a tougher call. Let's say we give him a three year deal. That's basically a million dollars committed to a coach that we're still a little unsure of four years in.

Elder was improving...from his own disaster of a first two seasons. He basically took four years to get our team back to the quality you could basically expect from a Dean Hood coached team. Is that progress? It depends on what you define as the starting point.

I'm not saying I have the answer. I just think the situation is more complicated than whether or not you wanted to see another year of Mark Elder football.

But has Walt Wells done more to deserve that same extension? Because I think he’s working on his 2nd one. He was in the same position as Elder. It just seems like a catch 22

[eku022]

It was on the KSR show a couple years ago in 22'. Basically, Walt was trying to get attendance up and was saying if you have no plans an EKU game would be great for the family.

KSR wrote a couple puff pieces for EKU ( https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-wild ... wells-ksr/ ) Freddie Maggard is close with Hood and Walt.

Can I ask why that bothers you?

And don't it twisted. I'm a lifelong Louisville fan. I assure you that no one on this board is more disgusted by all things "Big Blue" than I am. But if there's a chance to promote our program and get potential new fans in the stands...I don't know that we are in a position to be turning those kinds of opportunities down.

I played football at EKU. I won't say what years I think that may give me away lol. But it sincerely bothered me when students and faculty would wear UK gear around campus, supporting UK but going to EKU games.

During my playing years also had a couple run-ins with UK players rather it be in Lexington or randomly enough in Richmond. UK fans will never spend the weekend coming to Richmond to watch a game that is a reality I have seen firsthand. My wife's family is from Lexington they stay off man o war behind the Palomar center and they thought EKU was a D2 program. UK fans are very condescending in relation to EKU athletics. I watched the game where we almost pulled off the upset beating UK at Drakes and the comments were ridiculous. You'd think UK had a Heisman candidate every year.

[EKU05]

But has Walt Wells done more to deserve that same extension? Because I think he’s working on his 2nd one. He was in the same position as Elder. It just seems like a catch 22

Is he better four years in? Not really. I'd say similar, but...

He wasn't as bad early is the thing. Elder's first two seasons were easily worse performances than any season under Wells. Wells also had the COVID complications. He went 3-9 that first year, but remember that it was 3-3 against FCS teams, and he came within about 20 seconds of an FBS win that year.

I'm not taking "Wells' side," but the timing of the two situations in terms of when extensions were offered are apples and oranges in my opinion.

[EKU05]

During my playing years also had a couple run-ins with UK players rather it be in Lexington or randomly enough in Richmond. UK fans will never spend the weekend coming to Richmond to watch a game that is a reality I have seen firsthand. My wife's family is from Lexington they stay off man o war behind the Palomar center and they thought EKU was a D2 program. UK fans are very condescending in relation to EKU athletics. I watched the game where we almost pulled off the upset beating UK at Drakes and the comments were ridiculous. You'd think UK had a Heisman candidate every year.

That's a generalization of a lot of people. The people you're describing absolutely do exist, but there are UK fans that have some kind of a connection to EKU (maybe they went to school there), and those connections can be cultivated. In my opinion we'd be irresponsible for not doing so.

Like I said, I grew up rooting for Louisville. I still do. I wear the apparel, and I root for the Cards as hard as I ever did...unless they're lining up across from EKU. There are other Louisville fans like me, and there are certainly UK fans in a similar situation. There are 358 D1 schools. It's not insane that people might have a connection of some kind to more than one team. Sometimes they even have degrees from more than one school.

I guess my point is, jerk fans are going to keep doing what they do. We have no control over that. But if we decline the opportunity to make connections with others because of the ones that are jerks then we're cutting off our nose to spite our face in my opinion. I just don't want to leave any stone unturned in bringing in potential fans.