It's official, Rich Brooks announced this morning that he is retiring as Head Football Coach at the University of Kentucky and leaving the program in the hands of Joker Phillips.
"I have decided that it's time for me to step away and turn this program over," Brooks said, "Hopefully it will not only be competitive but reach the heights that I failed to get to. That is my biggest regret is not having broken more of the streaks that needed to be broken. We did get quite a few of them. We did achieve some things, and I can't leave without saying thank you to a great group of players who dedicated themselves to coming here and making Kentucky football respectable on a yearly basis, to a great group of coaches who have really done so much for this program, not only on the field but off the field."
This time, he is certain that he will not coach again, however, he plans to stay close to the program and help it in any way that he can. Of some of the improvements that he would like to help with, he specifically mentioned the expansion of Commonwealth Stadium and a new weight room. He didn't go into too many specifics, but he said that he would help the program in any capacity that Joker wanted him to, but did not want to stand in Joker's way, either.
Nobody wanted him to go. Coach Brooks said that he received many text messages and phone calls from players, friends, and family urging him to stay. "None of them wanted me to give it up," Brooks said. "They all thought that I would miss it a lot, that I could come back and ride out on the white stallion next year and have victories over all those teams we hadn't beaten and everything would be wonderful."
When asked, what was it that made his mind go from 80% sure he wanted to retire to 100% sure, he replied, "I just felt that it was time to make the change," Brooks said. "The losses take their toll. It's very, very frustrating to be close to something and not be able to grab it. I didn't want my frustration to change the direction of the program. I think a younger person that has been through it can be a better position to take the program forward."
And there you have it. Rich Brooks made the decision that he thought was best for Kentucky football. If he did what he really wanted to do, what was best for him, I think that he would have came back and rode that white stallion next year and be a part of that magical season that he envisions that Kentucky is very close to achieving. But Brooks felt that the youthfulness and positive energy of Joker Phillips was the best option for this program to succeed at reaching the next level and unselfishly passed the torch to Joker Phillips.
You will be dearly missed, Coach Brooks, and thank you very much for everything you've done for Kentucky football. Thank you for coming out of retirement and taking a job at a time tha
t nobody else wanted it, going through the hard times, and building this program into something that Kentucky can be proud of. On the day that Kentucky finally beats the pesky Gators, Steve Spurrier, and our neighbors to the south in Knoxville, and finds themselves in the middle of an SEC Championship race, you deserve all the credit for the foundation that you built and left behind for the chance of our dreams becoming a reality some day. Thank You once again, Coach Brooks.
"I have decided that it's time for me to step away and turn this program over," Brooks said, "Hopefully it will not only be competitive but reach the heights that I failed to get to. That is my biggest regret is not having broken more of the streaks that needed to be broken. We did get quite a few of them. We did achieve some things, and I can't leave without saying thank you to a great group of players who dedicated themselves to coming here and making Kentucky football respectable on a yearly basis, to a great group of coaches who have really done so much for this program, not only on the field but off the field."
This time, he is certain that he will not coach again, however, he plans to stay close to the program and help it in any way that he can. Of some of the improvements that he would like to help with, he specifically mentioned the expansion of Commonwealth Stadium and a new weight room. He didn't go into too many specifics, but he said that he would help the program in any capacity that Joker wanted him to, but did not want to stand in Joker's way, either.
Nobody wanted him to go. Coach Brooks said that he received many text messages and phone calls from players, friends, and family urging him to stay. "None of them wanted me to give it up," Brooks said. "They all thought that I would miss it a lot, that I could come back and ride out on the white stallion next year and have victories over all those teams we hadn't beaten and everything would be wonderful."
When asked, what was it that made his mind go from 80% sure he wanted to retire to 100% sure, he replied, "I just felt that it was time to make the change," Brooks said. "The losses take their toll. It's very, very frustrating to be close to something and not be able to grab it. I didn't want my frustration to change the direction of the program. I think a younger person that has been through it can be a better position to take the program forward."
And there you have it. Rich Brooks made the decision that he thought was best for Kentucky football. If he did what he really wanted to do, what was best for him, I think that he would have came back and rode that white stallion next year and be a part of that magical season that he envisions that Kentucky is very close to achieving. But Brooks felt that the youthfulness and positive energy of Joker Phillips was the best option for this program to succeed at reaching the next level and unselfishly passed the torch to Joker Phillips.
You will be dearly missed, Coach Brooks, and thank you very much for everything you've done for Kentucky football. Thank you for coming out of retirement and taking a job at a time tha
t nobody else wanted it, going through the hard times, and building this program into something that Kentucky can be proud of. On the day that Kentucky finally beats the pesky Gators, Steve Spurrier, and our neighbors to the south in Knoxville, and finds themselves in the middle of an SEC Championship race, you deserve all the credit for the foundation that you built and left behind for the chance of our dreams becoming a reality some day. Thank You once again, Coach Brooks.(Photos courtesy of Salem-news.com and NBC Sports Media)
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Rich Brooks has done a masterful job while here in Kentucky and at UK...a good coach, a good man and a good mentor so we do need to keep him around to show some of these other coaches how to recruit, mentor and reconize talent in the coaching ranks... Good reporting job gentlemen...now, let's welcome in the new Phillips era.
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