Rich Brooks Steps Down as Kentucky’s Head Football Coach

After seven seasons as head football coach at the University of Kentucky, Rich Brooks has decided to step down. He made it clear during his press conference that he still wants to stay involved with the program and help it get to the next level. He envisions improved facilities and more competitive coaching salaries to help UK football get where it needs to be.

He mentioned how the beginning of his tenure was extremely bumpy and that he appreciated President Lee Todd and Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart’s patience.

That patience was rewarded with four strait winning seasons and three bowl victories, including three strait bowl wins from 2006-2008. He credited their success to hard work, outstanding young men and outstanding coaches.

He acknowledged that the players and much of his family urged him to stay. They wanted him to beat those teams that they haven’t beaten yet and ride out of Lexington on a white stallion.

His wife, Karen, however, told him to do what he felt was right. And in the end that was to retire. He mentioned that he came to peace with his decision, more and more, over the past week.

In the end he said the reason for his decision, “I just felt it was time.”

He closed by saying, “This is the end of the road for the old man’s coaching career.”