Richard Pryor famously said that “Cocaine is God’s way of telling you you’ve got too much money”. If Pryor ever met Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart, he’d change that expression.
Kentucky has extended Mark Stoops contract through the 2018 season, the school announced on Tuesday.
The Wildcats finished 2-10 in Stoops’ first season as head coach, finishing winless in SEC play, but fans were able to celebrate in February when Kentucky signed one of its highest-ranked recruiting classes ever (No. 22 nationally in the 247Sports Composite).
“We are excited about the enthusiasm and recruiting success that Mark and his staff have brought to our football program,” athletic director Mitch Barnhart said in an official release. “We had the nation’s second-largest increase in attendance last season and we have had the two largest spring-game attendances in school history (in 2013 and 2014).
You read that correctly. Mark Stoops got a contract extension after a two-win season because of recruiting and an increase in spring game attendance. Oh, and not just an extension.
Imagine what they’ll do if Kentucky wins three games this season.
Insane.
Get The Picture 
Recruiting rankings are the college football fan’s cocaine.
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Or.. UK is hoping this guy can become their next Rich Brooks (bad analogy because of age) and don’t want to immediately lose him. UK was/is a stepping stone for any coach (like Vandy) and it seems they are hoping to lock down what they think is their golden ticket.
It’s not like they can’t afford it with the increasing revenues.
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That means Bert over at Arkansas deserves $4 million
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Hell, it means Nick Saban is underpaid. 😉
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Amazing that it took consecutive losses to Auburn and Oklahoma for Alabama to come to the same conclusion.
Professionalism for the win!
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That’s ridiculous.
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If you are UK, then you know that if your coach does well, other schools will come calling. If you see him laying a proper foundation for long term success, you tie him down for years so he won’t bolt at the first opportunity. If they are seeing him doing all the right things, then they just made a smart business decision.
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They should have just hired Charlie Weis.
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When power conference FBS schools deny that they can afford to provice more for players I do not belive them. There is a bunch of money; it is about setting priorities. When the coaches and senior adminstrators make themselves the highest paid state employees in their states of course it drains funds for other uses. If the ADs reigned in salaries at the top there would be more monmey available to provide long term health insurance and actual cost of attendance to the athletes.
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Didn’t know Mike Hamilton was at UK?
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Some people have more money than sense..
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