[MVP2]

Gary Henderson named UKs new baseball coach today right after John Cohen resigns to take over the Miss. State Job.

http://www.ukathletics.com/index.php?s=&..._well_id=2

[Playboy5]

Was hoping this wouldn't happen! I mean a great hire, just that UK didn't really try to push to keep Coach Cohen after he has built the program to where it is today! I know that Miss. St. is a very superior baseball coaching job, but did Barnhardt do anything to try and keep him?

[Tubby Hater]

UK did offer him a raise but he just wanted to go back to MSU. Sounds like he was happy to go back but Ron Polk the retiring coach wasnt happy at all to see him get the job. Polk wanted his long time assistant to get the job and he has been very verbal in letting everyone know that. Polk said he is having his name removed from the stadium and he is removing the school from his will. I do think Henderson will do a great job. Oregon State won back to back national title with a lot of talent Henderson helped bring there and I know he has had a lot to do with getting the high level of talent to UK.

[kybaseball]

Man i can'i believe Cohen left. Is Bohannon going to stay?

[bluegrassballa]

I was surprised to see this. I saw an interview about him leaving UK and I thought that he was impling that he wasn't leaving.

[Mr.Kimball]

UK did offer him a raise but he just wanted to go back to MSU. Sounds like he was happy to go back but Ron Polk the retiring coach wasnt happy at all to see him get the job. Polk wanted his long time assistant to get the job and he has been very verbal in letting everyone know that. Polk said he is having his name removed from the stadium and he is removing the school from his will. I do think Henderson will do a great job. Oregon State won back to back national title with a lot of talent Henderson helped bring there and I know he has had a lot to do with getting the high level of talent to UK.

I know that Coach Cohen has done a remarkable job turning the Kentucky program around, but Coach Henderson is the primary person responsible in getting the recruits to UK. I had a pretty good relationship with Coach Henderson on the pitcher side of things, as he initaly came to UK as the pitching coach. I have no doubt that he will be able still bring in the pitching recruits , but the thing that UK will have to still have to be able to maintain, recruit, and develope those high powered offensive players. Cohen does a fantastic job in the hitting department. Be interesting to see who Henderson can get to coach that aspect of the game as his assistant.

[More Cowbell]

One thing about Henderson getting the job is that it will hopefully allow UK to keep all the recruits they have coming for next year. That class has been rated top 5 nationally, which is something I can't imagine has ever happened before for UK baseball. As others have said, Henderson was the guy resposible for recruiting most of those guys anyway.

If they had gone outside the school for the hire, I wonder if some of those guys may have asked for a release?

[Mr.Kimball]

One thing about Henderson getting the job is that it will hopefully allow UK to keep all the recruits they have coming for next year. That class has been rated top 5 nationally, which is something I can't imagine has ever happened before for UK baseball. As others have said, Henderson was the guy resposible for recruiting most of those guys anyway.

If they had gone outside the school for the hire, I wonder if some of those guys may have asked for a release?

I'm wondering if some of those guys that were a big part of making this a top five class will be coming anyways, seeing how the MLB draft turned out. I cant see Ross coming and maybe not Webb. The everyday lineup will be taking a huge blow as well. Gosh it seems like half the roster was drafted.

As far as anybody being granted a release, in the past the policy of the university has been that once you signed and put your name on the dotted line you had signed to play for the University of Kentucky, not the University of Rick Pitino, or the University of John Cohen.

[More Cowbell]

As far as anybody being granted a release, in the past the policy of the university has been that once you signed and put your name on the dotted line you had signed to play for the University of Kentucky, not the University of Rick Pitino, or the University of John Cohen.

While that may have been a policy in the past, in recent years there has been a lot more pressure on universities to grant releases to players who wish to leave. Remember the Marvin Stone fiasco? UK took a huge P.R. hit when they tried to prevent him from leaving. I believe that if any of those guys wanted to leave, UK would not stand in the way.

[Mr.Kimball]

While that may have been a policy in the past, in recent years there has been a lot more pressure on universities to grant releases to players who wish to leave. Remember the Marvin Stone fiasco? UK took a huge P.R. hit when they tried to prevent him from leaving. I believe that if any of those guys wanted to leave, UK would not stand in the way.

Yeah I remember that situation, but that was a little different than the situation than this would be. Perhaps they would in fact grant releases, but my guess is probably not.

[JackRabbitSlim]

I know that Coach Cohen has done a remarkable job turning the Kentucky program around, but Coach Henderson is the primary person responsible in getting the recruits to UK. I had a pretty good relationship with Coach Henderson on the pitcher side of things, as he initaly came to UK as the pitching coach. I have no doubt that he will be able still bring in the pitching recruits , but the thing that UK will have to still have to be able to maintain, recruit, and develope those high powered offensive players. Cohen does a fantastic job in the hitting department. Be interesting to see who Henderson can get to coach that aspect of the game as his assistant.

I had a chance to speak to Coach Henderson this past winter, and he is really a remarkable guy. He is not flashy, and really kind of boring to talk to, but he is a baseball genius, and he will bring in players that will help UK. I think this program took a step up with this hire, and I know all the players think this as well. It is always a smooth transition whenever you have someone already on staff that the players respect to take over. I think that is the reason why Polk was so upset.

[Mr.Kimball]

I had a chance to speak to Coach Henderson this past winter, and he is really a remarkable guy. He is not flashy, and really kind of boring to talk to, but he is a baseball genius, and he will bring in players that will help UK. I think this program took a step up with this hire, and I know all the players think this as well. It is always a smooth transition whenever you have someone already on staff that the players respect to take over. I think that is the reason why Polk was so upset.

Your right, he was a true gentleman as well. He called the house faithfully every week for a long time. He was just as cordial in person as well, as I can say was Coach Cohen. He had a little different philosophy on pitching than what some other coaches I talked to did. His priorities for a pitcer were (A) The ability to throw strikes, (B) Ball movement, © velocity. So many times I talked to college coaches that were concerned with the radar gun first and foremost, not Henderson. They are both what you would call a player's coach. The respect that his player's showed him in practice was very impressive. Always was "yes sir" "no sir" every where you went.

[JackRabbitSlim]

Your right, he was a true gentleman as well. He called the house faithfully every week for a long time. He was just as cordial in person as well, as I can say was Coach Cohen. He had a little different philosophy on pitching than what some other coaches I talked to did. His priorities for a pitcer were (A) The ability to throw strikes, (B) Ball movement, © velocity. So many times I talked to college coaches that were concerned with the radar gun first and foremost, not Henderson. They are both what you would call a player's coach. The respect that his player's showed him in practice was very impressive. Always was "yes sir" "no sir" every where you went.

I got that impression from him as well. To earn respect you have to give respect, and I think he has done this through and through.

[fit4life]

Mississippi State may be a better coaching job, but have you ever been to Starkville? ugh