Kentucky Football Staffing Strategy: Recruiting, Offensive Line, and Coaching Talent - Episode Hero Image

Kentucky Football Staffing Strategy: Recruiting, Offensive Line, and Coaching Talent

Kentucky Sports Radio Podcast Network · · Listen to Original Episode →
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TL;DR

  • New offensive coordinator Joe Sloan's "mayor" persona and deep Louisiana connections are critical for Kentucky's recruiting, enabling him to build relationships and convince key decision-makers beyond just the player.
  • The offensive line requires significant portal additions due to only one player exceeding 50 snaps last season, necessitating a short-term "flex seal" approach followed by long-term development.
  • Kentucky's coaching staff is betting on ascending, young coaches like Cutter Leftwich and Tony Washington Jr., who have SEC and Power Five experience, to build a competitive program.
  • The hiring of Kobe Smith, who has SEC experience and learned the wide zone scheme under McDaniel, aligns with Will Stein's offensive philosophy and addresses the need for running back development.
  • Jay Bateman's move to Kentucky signifies a desire for defensive autonomy, allowing him to implement his own system and leverage his recruiting experience in the DMV and Florida.
  • Josh Christopher Young's extensive Power Five experience and track record of multiple head coach hires suggest he will be a key recruiter and potentially a co-defensive coordinator.
  • The coaching staff's strategy involves targeting fertile recruiting grounds like Louisiana and Houston, leveraging new hires like Joe Sloan and EJ Joe Price to expand Kentucky's reach.

Deep Dive

Kentucky Football's new offensive coordinator, Joe Sloan, is positioned to be a key figure in the team's recruiting efforts, leveraging his established "mayor of Louisiana" reputation to build relationships and attract talent, while the team faces a critical need to rebuild its offensive line through the transfer portal and future recruiting classes. This strategic focus on personnel acquisition and development, particularly in the wake of significant coaching staff changes, will determine the program's ability to compete effectively in the coming seasons.

The coaching staff's emphasis on recruiting relationships, exemplified by Sloan's approach, aims to overcome geographical limitations and connect with key decision-makers, including parents and mentors. This philosophy is crucial for addressing the dire state of the offensive line, which currently lacks experienced depth. The team's immediate challenge is to supplement the roster with immediate impact players from the transfer portal, a strategy necessitated by the previous regime's under-recruitment in this area. However, the long-term sustainability of this approach is questionable, as relying solely on the portal for multiple starters annually is not a viable strategy. Instead, a renewed focus on developing high school talent is essential for building a robust and consistent offensive line.

The quarterback situation also remains a central point of discussion, with a strong trend indicating that Cutter Boley will return as the starting quarterback, likely commanding a starting quarterback's salary. While this provides a degree of stability, the team recognizes the necessity of acquiring additional quarterbacks from the transfer portal to ensure depth and mitigate the risk of injuries, a recurring issue in recent seasons. This approach acknowledges the reality of college football roster management, where maintaining a competitive quarterback room is paramount.

Beyond player personnel, the new coaching staff embodies a calculated risk-taking approach, particularly in hiring young, ascending coaches with experience at high-caliber programs. Coaches like offensive line coach Cutter Leftwich and outside linebackers coach Tony Washington Jr. represent investments in individuals who have demonstrated potential and worked within successful systems, such as Oregon's. This strategy aims to secure talent before they become prohibitively expensive or unavailable, aligning with head coach Will Levis's vision. Similarly, the hiring of Kobe Smith, a running backs coach with SEC and NFL experience, and EJ Joe, who brings deep recruiting connections in Houston, signals a deliberate effort to enhance both on-field coaching and off-field recruitment across key positions and geographical areas. The defensive side also sees significant changes with Jay Bateman taking over defensive play-calling, bringing in Josh Christian Young, who has a history of maximizing limited resources and possesses extensive Power Five experience. These hires collectively suggest a strategic push to infuse the program with talent and expertise, aiming to cultivate a competitive edge through both player development and aggressive recruiting.

Action Items

  • Audit offensive line recruiting: Identify 3-5 key recruiting territories and establish target metrics for offensive line signees per class (ref: Joe Moore Award finalists).
  • Create offensive coordinator evaluation framework: Define 5-7 criteria for assessing offensive coordinator performance, focusing on player development and scheme sustainability (ref: Oregon's offensive line success).
  • Develop quarterback depth strategy: Outline a plan for acquiring and developing 3-4 quarterbacks annually, considering transfer portal and high school recruiting (ref: Kentucky's historical QB injury rates).
  • Design recruiter onboarding process: Establish a standardized training module for new recruiters, emphasizing relationship building and parent engagement techniques (ref: Joe Sloan's recruiting approach).
  • Implement offensive line development program: Define 3-4 core skill development areas and establish annual progress benchmarks for offensive linemen (ref: Cutter Leftwich's coaching background).

Related Episodes

Key Quotes

"I get a sense you know without having spoken to any of the other assistants that he is probably going to be the most vocal the most charismatic member of Will Stein's coaching staff not necessarily Vince Marrow they're two different kind of guys but an elite recruiter who knows how to work a room like he fits that that billing."

Adam Luckett suggests that Joe Sloan is likely to be a highly visible and engaging member of the coaching staff. Luckett highlights Sloan's potential as both a charismatic personality and an effective recruiter, indicating he possesses the skills to connect with people and build relationships.

"I like to call him the mayor because he knows everyone in town and this gets to just Sloan was just they called him the mayor at LSU and he knew a he knows everyone and he got to know everyone he kind of touched on that today if you watch the press conference kind of just talked about you know how he got started in Louisiana he's not from that area but he became like kind of this recruiter and a guy who knew everybody in Louisiana."

This quote illustrates Joe Sloan's extensive network and deep connections within Louisiana, a key recruiting territory. The nickname "the mayor" signifies his ability to build rapport and familiarity with many people in the area, which is crucial for successful recruitment.

"You know that a dollar figure that that's been a big talking point amongst BBN as of late that certainly plays a role but as he said the biggest key is especially for those the players around or the people around the players right the whether it's a coach a parent a mentor trainer whoever it may be convincing them that you have the right plan in place for their child to be successful."

The speaker emphasizes that while financial aspects are important in recruiting, the core strategy lies in building relationships and trust with the support system around the player. This involves convincing parents, coaches, and mentors that the program offers a solid plan for the player's development and success.

"The buck stops with him not me but yeah I think they have 12 offensive linemen scholarship players some some are full some are not but yeah you need you need more players but only one of those guys played more than 50 offensive snaps for Kentucky last season."

This quote highlights a significant concern regarding the Kentucky football team's offensive line depth and experience. The speaker points out the low number of scholarship players and the lack of significant playing time for most of them in the previous season, indicating a critical need for improvement.

"The short term plan probably will be some form of fashion doing the flex seal and just smacking it on there yeah I thought yeah I thought that was a good way to phrase it yeah right like we have we gotta do what we gotta do right in the short term right right you gotta do what you gotta do you're just figuring it out this roster bill just as best you can you know with what you have right."

This statement describes the immediate strategy for addressing roster needs, particularly the offensive line, as a temporary fix. The "Flex Seal" analogy suggests a pragmatic, albeit potentially makeshift, approach to patching up deficiencies in the short term while a more sustainable plan is developed.

"It's trending that way for Cutter Boley to be back and be the starting quarterback and for them to probably pay him starting quarterback money he is I think the clubhouse favorite right now."

This quote indicates a strong likelihood that Cutter Boley will return as the starting quarterback for the upcoming season. The speaker suggests that Boley is the favored candidate and that the team is prepared to invest in him financially as their primary quarterback.

"You know you worried about a young staff he's not young 52 years old mhm has been in power conference football since 2009 or 19 I believe so long run in power conference football but even before that he was a defensive coordinator at Ball State defensive coordinator at Army so he's seen a lot of football here."

This passage addresses potential concerns about the age of the coaching staff by highlighting Josh Christian Young's extensive experience. The speaker notes his age and his long tenure in power conference football, as well as his previous roles as a defensive coordinator, underscoring his readiness and qualifications.

"I do think there's concern like less so on defense but with Leach specifically it's such an important position specifically Stein's offense when they've cooked at Oregon have had great offensive lines and we've talked about just the need there at the position with Kentucky it's so important and he is young and so like you're like you're betting a lot on him if you if you're Stein."

This quote expresses a specific concern regarding the offensive line coach, Cutter Leach, due to his youth and the critical importance of the offensive line in Will Stein's offensive scheme. The speaker acknowledges the potential risk involved in relying heavily on a young coach for such a vital position, especially given Kentucky's past struggles in this area.

Resources

External Resources

Books

Videos & Documentaries

Research & Studies

Tools & Software

Articles & Papers

  • "Feature on Joe Sloan" (The Athletic) - Discussed as a source for information on Joe Sloan's background and reputation as "the mayor" at LSU.

People

  • Joe Sloan - Mentioned as the new Kentucky offensive coordinator and primary play caller.
  • Adam Luckett - Host of the podcast.
  • Nick Rauch - Host of the podcast.
  • Will Stein - Mentioned as the head coach of Kentucky football.
  • Brian Polian - Mentioned as LSU's special teams coordinator and director of recruiting relations.
  • Kelly (Brian Kelly) - Mentioned as the head coach who made Joe Sloan an important hire for LSU due to his Louisiana connections.
  • Kenny Doby - Mentioned as a wide receiver from Louisiana recruited by Kentucky.
  • Vince Marrow - Mentioned as a comparison to Joe Sloan's charisma and as the recruiting coordinator.
  • Jalen Farmer - Mentioned as a returning starting right guard for Kentucky.
  • Malachi Wood - Mentioned as a player who received some snaps for Kentucky.
  • Cameron Miller - Mentioned as a three-star tackle recruited by Kentucky.
  • Jordan Knox - Mentioned as a junior college guard recruited by Kentucky.
  • Cutter Leftwich - Mentioned as the offensive line coach for Kentucky.
  • Cutter Boley - Mentioned as a potential starting quarterback for Kentucky.
  • DJ Uiagalelei - Mentioned as a transfer portal quarterback.
  • Dillon Raiola - Mentioned as a transfer portal quarterback.
  • Aaron Noll - Mentioned as a transfer portal quarterback.
  • Charles - Mentioned as a transfer portal quarterback.
  • Mike Hartline - Mentioned as a former Kentucky quarterback analyst.
  • Mark Stoops - Mentioned as the former head coach of Kentucky football.
  • Bo Allen - Mentioned as a player whose eligibility is not extended.
  • Brennan Ward - Mentioned as a true freshman player for Kentucky.
  • Stone Saunders - Mentioned as a player who did not take a snap at Kentucky.
  • Gerard Smith - Mentioned as a player who is "locked in."
  • Liam Boeiden - Mentioned in relation to deciphering tweets.
  • Dante Moore - Mentioned as a player who may go pro.
  • Austin Novasad - Mentioned in relation to Oregon's quarterback situation.
  • Carson Beck - Mentioned as a quarterback for Georgia.
  • Quavius - Mentioned as a player for Alabama.
  • LT Overton - Mentioned as a defensive player for Alabama.
  • Marcel Reed - Mentioned as a quarterback for Texas A&M.
  • Malachi Tony - Mentioned as a receiver for Miami.
  • Walt - Mentioned in relation to college football playoff betting.
  • Jay Bateman - Mentioned as the defensive coordinator for Kentucky.
  • Jeff Monken - Mentioned as a head coach who hired Josh Christian Young multiple times.
  • Willie Fritz - Mentioned as a head coach who hired Josh Christian Young multiple times.
  • Josh Christian Young - Mentioned as a hire for Kentucky's coaching staff, potentially coaching safeties.
  • C.J. Conrad - Mentioned as a potential tight ends coach for Kentucky.
  • Vince - Mentioned in relation to C.J. Conrad's connections.
  • E.J. Joe - Mentioned as Kentucky's wide receivers coach.
  • Lovie Smith - Mentioned as a former coach at Illinois.
  • Dan Lanning - Mentioned as the coach of Oregon.
  • Mario Cristobal - Mentioned as a coach for Miami.
  • Mike McDaniel - Mentioned as a coach with the Miami Dolphins.
  • Tua - Mentioned in relation to the Miami Dolphins.
  • Bobby Petrino - Mentioned as part of the new Kentucky coaching staff and a potential offensive coordinator for North Carolina.
  • Garrett McGee - Mentioned as the receivers coach for North Carolina.
  • Mac Leech - Mentioned as the offensive coordinator at Texas Tech and Cutter Leftwich's brother.
  • Nick Petrino - Mentioned as a potential interim head coach for the Xbox Bowl.
  • Charlie Strong - Mentioned as a potential hire for Kentucky.
  • Skip Holtz - Mentioned as a retired UFL coach.
  • Derek Shaw - Mentioned as a player traded from Kentucky to Texas A&M.
  • Pete Golding - Mentioned in relation to a trade between LSU and Ole Miss.
  • Frank Wilson - Mentioned as the interim for LSU.
  • Charlie Weiss Jr. - Mentioned in relation to a trade between LSU and Ole Miss.
  • Kiffin - Mentioned as a coordinator for Ole Miss.
  • Isaiah Pacheco - Mentioned as a player at Rutgers.
  • Jabbar Jaluke - Mentioned as a player who picked Texas.
  • Colin Cole - Mentioned as a coach who brought Stone Saunders to Kentucky.
  • Greg Nord - Mentioned as a coach who moved between Kentucky and Louisville.
  • De'Aaron Fox - Mentioned in relation to Cutter Leftwich's high school recruiting class.
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - Mentioned in relation to Cutter Leftwich's high school recruiting class.
  • Baby Dev - Mentioned as a player from the same recruiting class as De'Aaron Fox and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Organizations & Institutions

  • Kentucky Sports Radio Podcast Network - The network hosting the podcast.
  • Monticello Bank - Sponsor of the podcast.
  • KSR Plus - Mentioned as a platform for news.
  • KSR Board - Mentioned as a platform for news.
  • LSU - Mentioned in relation to Joe Sloan's recruitment and a coaches clinic.
  • The Athletic - Publication that featured Joe Sloan.
  • Kentucky Football - The subject of discussion.
  • College Football Playoff - Mentioned in relation to upcoming games.
  • NFL (National Football League) - Mentioned in relation to player performance and data.
  • New England Patriots - Mentioned as an example team for performance analysis.
  • Pro Football Focus (PFF) - Mentioned as a data source.
  • Oregon - Mentioned in relation to the Joe Moore Award and coaching staff.
  • Iowa - Mentioned in relation to the Joe Moore Award.
  • Ohio State - Mentioned in relation to player recruitment and development.
  • Tennessee - Mentioned in relation to player recruitment.
  • Texas A&M - Mentioned in relation to a coaching trade and upcoming game.
  • UCLA - Mentioned in relation to a transfer portal quarterback and coaching staff.
  • Virginia Tech - Mentioned in relation to a transfer portal quarterback.
  • Kent State - Mentioned in relation to coaching staff hires.
  • Troy - Mentioned in relation to a past player.
  • Michigan State - Mentioned in relation to a transfer portal quarterback.
  • Georgia - Mentioned in relation to the SEC Championship game.
  • Arkansas - Mentioned in relation to coaching staff experience.
  • Army - Mentioned in relation to coaching staff experience.
  • Rutgers - Mentioned in relation to coaching staff experience.
  • Texas Tech - Mentioned in relation to coaching staff hires.
  • North Carolina - Mentioned in relation to Bobby Petrino's potential job.
  • Louisville - Mentioned in relation to coaching staff hires and past games.
  • Ole Miss - Mentioned in relation to a coaching trade and upcoming game.
  • UFL - Mentioned in relation to Skip Holtz's retirement.
  • Xbox Bowl - Mentioned as a bowl game.
  • Gasparilla Bowl - Mentioned as a bowl game.
  • Bean Bowl - Mentioned as a bowl game.
  • Indiana - Mentioned in relation to college football playoff games.
  • Notre Dame - Mentioned in relation to college football playoff games.
  • Miami - Mentioned in relation to an upcoming game.
  • James Madison - Mentioned in relation to an upcoming game.
  • Oklahoma - Mentioned in relation to an upcoming game.
  • Alabama - Mentioned in relation to an upcoming game.
  • TCU - Mentioned in relation to a past game.
  • South Carolina - Mentioned in relation to a past game.
  • Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel - Mentioned in partnership with Bet MGM.
  • Bet MGM - Sponsor of the podcast, offering betting on college football.
  • Progressive Insurance - Sponsor of the podcast.
  • Kentucky Volleyball - Mentioned as a team to watch.

Courses & Educational Resources

Websites & Online Resources

  • https://pcm.adswizz.com - Mentioned for information about personal data collection.
  • nbcbank.com - Mentioned as the website for Monticello Bank.
  • on3.com - Mentioned in relation to graphics and quote cards.

Podcasts & Audio

  • Kentucky Sports Radio Podcast Network - The network hosting the podcast.
  • 11 Personnel - The name of the podcast episode.

Other Resources

  • AdsWizz - Mentioned as a company associated with Simplecast.
  • Simplecast - Mentioned as a platform hosting the podcast.
  • Joe Moore Award - Mentioned in relation to Oregon's offensive line performance.
  • Flex Seal - Used as an analogy for a short-term fix.
  • Rice and Beans - Used as an analogy for eating at home.
  • Peanut Butter and Jelly - Used as an analogy for a simple dinner.
  • Fajitas - Used as an analogy for a meal not being had.
  • BBN (Big Blue Nation) - Mentioned in relation to Kentucky fans.
  • Xbox - Mentioned in relation to the Xbox Bowl.
  • Halo - Mentioned in relation to halftime entertainment at the Xbox Bowl.
  • Wide Zone - Mentioned as a running scheme that Will Stein will run.
  • Broyles Award - Mentioned in relation to Mac Leech's nominations.
  • DMV - Mentioned as a recruiting area.
  • Power Conference Football - Mentioned in relation to Josh Christian Young's experience.
  • SEC (Southeastern Conference) - Mentioned in relation to coaching experience.
  • GA (Graduate Assistant) - Mentioned in relation to C.J. Conrad's role.
  • Houston - Mentioned as a recruiting area.
  • Texas - Mentioned as a recruiting area.
  • Lone Star State - Mentioned as a recruiting area (Texas).
  • Bet MGM Bonus Code "on3" - Mentioned for a promotional offer.
  • **12-team College Football

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