Jurich: “Louisville is a top 10 program”
In a press conference discussing Charlie Strong’s decision to stay at Louisville, AD Tom Jurich just said that he thinks Louisville is a top-ten program…in football. No, really:
“I truly believe this is a top 10 program in college football. Someone debate that with me, please. Because I’ll debate that ’til I drop dead.”
Tom, I believe there’s a certain radio show in your city that would take you up on that offer.
#JurichOnKSR
(No more Louisville news the rest of the day. Promise.)
114 Comments for Jurich: “Louisville is a top 10 program”
If I were paid what Jurich or Strong were paid, I’d lie and say football was invented at Louisville.
He’s right. They are top 10. In the ACC.
2. exactly what i was thinking.
TT, i agree. enuf Tard news.
Is Drew Deiner the new chief of this blog? Get sports news coverage today.
But, the $24 question is: Will Math Jonas talk about the meaning of a “$24 question”?
How much of KSR’s taxes go to the building and maintaining of the Yum! Center?
“take the damn picture, I cant suck in forever.”
They were a top ten team a few yrs ago, until they came to Lex
Debate you? Yeah, like that isn’t an absolute time waster. Hard to debate a dufus whose rebuttals are “Nuh-uh”.
How stubborn can someone be! UofL’s program history is barely better than UK’s, if it is, because UofL has played in poop conferences every year. Incredible.
2)They will be better than most in the ACC. However, I would say, that there are probably 10 teams in the SEC that are better than them. Sec has 6 of the top 10 teams in the country right now, how would they stack up against the big boys?
I’m probably the least biased UK fan when it comes to analyzing UL, but Tom Jurich has completely lost his mind if he truly believes this.
8- You forget that ul has mastered the art of manipulating time lines to bolster their accomplishments.
Tell you what, just drop dead, and save everyone the headache of trying to argue with a moron
So let’s see….UofL is on par with or better than ALABAMA; LSU; GEORGIA; OKLAHOMA; OHIO STATE; TEXAS; MICHIGAN; SOUTHERN CAL; OREGON; TEXAS A&M; FLORIDA ETC…man I want some of whatever Tommy Turtleneck has been smoking…
LOL!
11 – haha seriously…but before John L. Smith, Louisville was nothing in football. And since Smith, they have been independent, in conference-USA, then the Big East. Some real powerhouses in those….
And I believe that I am a top 10 draft pick in the NBA this year…after all I am only 60 years old.
UofL top 10???….. what a joke. They play in a nothing conference against nothing opponents.
Why do Louisville fans praise Tom Jurich and want a statue of him when its HIS greedy contract with the Yum that will result in Louisville Taxpayers bailing out the arena?
Debate this:
How many Top 10 schools did UConn and Syracuse beat this year?
Yes any team that has lost to UK 4 out of the last six years is a top ten program for sure!
They wouldn’t be top ten in the SEC. True story.
jurich is perfectly round.
I didn’t know that athletic directors were on steroids too.
#18, it’s only a matter of time before fans realize that Tommy Trutleneck’s GIANT ego is the reason they are paying a $2 million coach $5 million a year
UL National Recruiting Rankings
2013 – 73rd(this year’s class)
2012 – 42nd
2011 – 29th
2010 – 48th
2009 – 76th
2008 – 55th
2007 – 41st
2006 – 34th
2005 – 45th
2004 – 102nd
2003 – 35th
2002 – 59th
These are UL’s team recruiting rankings for the past decade per Rivals. Not one time in the past 10+ years has UL even had a Top 25 recruiting class. If UL is a Top 10 program, why hasn’t any coach been able to sell that to recruits Tom??? Why does “your boy Charlie” currently have the 73rd ranked recruiting class? UL’s best recruiting class on this list is 29th and they have finished outside the Top 50 multiple times including one class in 2004 that ranked 102nd.
What are they smoking on that campus? Top Ten program? Since when, this year.
UL will wnd up in the fifth power conference.
That is for all teams that cannot get into one of the big four power conferences.
In fifth conference they will play a rotating schedule and play a home game with each of their conference foes about one time each fifty years.
There will be some good rivalries in that conference though. Can see it now, UL hosting rivalry game with North Dakota in 2039.
20 – THIS * 1000
Just because some idiotic AD pays a mediocre head football coach extremely too much money, doesn’t make it a top 10 program.
25 – In addition to my previous post, until you can recruit with the big boys, you are NOT one of the big boys.
When you are 9-1 and can’t sell out a tiny football stadium than you are DEFINITELY NOT one of the big boys.
And he’s talking about a football program whose head coach said its fan base needs to be more like the BBN. What a joke.
That comment is so bad not even Louisville trolls are in here defending it.
So… this is the last Louisville post of the day huh? Took you guys all of 10 minutes to break that promise. Color me surprised…
Winning the Big East or ACC will NOT guarantee a team a spot in college football’s 4-team playoff. Winning the SEC will be a slam dunk.
You UK folk are insane… You guys are sad.
uofl being a top 10 program explains why the big10 picked:
maryland, rutgers, nebraska and not uofl
and why the big12 picked:
west virginia, tcu and not uofl
and the acc picked:
nd, pitt, cuse, before uofl
somebody needs to tell the roly-poly dude that just because you pay the coach a salary like a top 10 program, doesn’t necessarily make you a top 10 program. Expect price increases on Crown Royal, KFC buffet plates, and possibly even italian restaurants to follow soon.
Alabama
LSU
Florida
Georgia
Miami
Florida State
Notre Dame
Texas
Auburn
USC
Michigan
Ohio State
Oklahoma
I’m sure I can come up with a few more.
Jurich has to say that to justify getting into a pissing match with TENN and overpaying for a good, solid coach but not a GREAT coach. Every AD in the country just saw the price go up to retain or acquire a coach with a heart beat. Thanks, Tom. The top tier will now want at least 6 million for themselves and 500,000 for top assistants. There goes the budgets. If Charlie doesn’t want the pressure of playing big boy ball, that is understandable. But he has just increased the pressure on himself and his staff by 1000%.
Louisville, your athletic director. woof.
39 – MORE IMPORTANTLY ON THIS BLOG… Where is UK? And where is UofL.
Complete the list!
I forgot to say Charlie also needs to spring for an agent or a PR person with his salary increase because this has all been a mess.
“Suck in that gut, Mister!”
#25 Don’t see your point. Did Jurich claim UofL is a “top 10 program in recruiting”??? I get sick of seeing recruiting ranksings. What matters is W-L records and what recruits do after they actually take the field. We heard about UK’s improved recruiting over the past several years and it never translated to on field success. No, UofL is not a top 10 program, but heck if Strong is winning without much recruiting success, doesnt’ that make him a coach that “coaches up” his players?
Jurich’s hair looks as if it was parted with a chain saw.
And cut with a qweed eater.
weed
Top ten program. ROFLMAO Only in their own minds. More smoke and mirrors from the vile. Top programs play good competition. How many ranked teams were on the schedule this year?
44- It translated into UK winning 4 in a row over your dirty birds, which is a HUGE deal considering you are all now a football school.
Delusions of grandeur for sure.
He could have at least said, we’re striving to make ourselves a top 10 team. Still laughable but better.
Let’s see what happens when Bridgewater is done.
Because I live in Louisville, I would seriously like Jurich investigated to see how that clown comes up with the funding for all this stuff he commits to. We’re a poor city after all. This is at least as questionable as the Yum Center funding.
Why is his torso so small????? I must know. He may be an alien midget.
Clearly Jurich is crazy. UL has never even won a national title or played in a national championship in football, but they are a Top 10 program. Good one Tom.
A top ten program because he pays his coach like a top ten program? Okay fine then. I can go out and spend $100,000 on a 1989 Ford Tempo; that doesn’t make it a top ten car now does it?
He’s obviously stretching it, but that is his job as AD. Who in all honesty wouldn’t exchange Mitch Barnyard for Tom Jurich if they had the choice?
44 – No, Jurich didn’t say that, but how can you be a Top 10 program if you aren’t even a Top 30 program nationally when it comes to recruiting? I agree that winning means more than recruiting and I never said Charlie Strong was a bad coach. However, UL can’t recruit with the top programs in college football and its not even close. Sure, you’ve landed a Teddy Bridgewater, Michael Bush, and Brian Brohm, but the top programs bring in multiple studs like that in every recruiting class.
This isn’t me saying that UK is better at recruiting, or that we are a better program. I’m just saying you are NOT a top program until you can recruit nationally against the best of the best. Having your best class in 10+ years as 29th and your average somewhere in the 40’s-50’s is not what anyone would consider of a top program.
54 – Fair point. Jurich is one of the better AD’s in the country and he is clearly a good salesman(can’t deny that), but he speaks VERY LITTLE TRUTH on a wide range of subjects. When its highly debatable whether UL is even a Top 25-35 program nationally, its just pure lunacy to say Top 10. That is when you start losing credibility.
I started laughing when this was posted, I haven’t stopped yet. Too funny Tom, WAY too funny!
Is he wearing a girdle???
But, WHERE does the money come from?????
So, the Big 12 didn’t want a top 10 team?
After paying charles strong so much money.
The ul students will be happy knowing that their tuition is now higher than Harvard and Yale.
Alabama
LSU
Florida
Georgia
Texas
Texas A&M
South Carolina
Clemson
Norte Dame
Florida State
Notre Dame
Oklahoma
Virginia Tech
USC
Oregon
Ohio State
Michigan
Michigan State
Wisconsin
Nebraska
Penn State
Oklahoma State
Stanford
Mr Jurich, that is a ludicrous statement!
Call AD Jurich right after his up-coming bowl game and ask him where he thinks he ranks.
54-not sure i agree.
–uofl ath dept takes $$ from the school. UK takes $$ from the its ath dept.
–uofl/jurich basically negotiated with itself for the yum center. hence the sweet deal & all the new $$ pouring in. though it was all “legal”
jurich’s has done well but come on. the city lets him do whatever he wants
We will see how good they are on January 2nd when they take on the gators in the Sugar Bowl.
Meanwhile, Kentucky’s new head coach said Kentucky could win the SEC. That’s way more absurd than anything Jurich has ever said.
Daddy,
Jurich said UL “is” a top 10 program.
Stoops said KY “can” win the SEC.
2 completely different statements. Jurich is delusional point black period!
Here is a list of programs that are ahead of UL as overall programs (some may be down at the moment but history says they are still ahead of Da Ville;
Bama
LSU
FLA
USC
OSU
Mich
ND
Texas
OU
Oregon
UGA
UT
Ark
AU
A&M
Wisconson
FSU
Nebraska
USCjr
OKie St
Penn St (even now)
V Tech
WVU
Miami
Boise St
BYU
Iowa
UCLA
ADORABLE !
Jurich said he believes UofLis a top 10 program.
If I say that I believe in the tooth fairy doesn’t make the tooth fairy real. Tom and Ricky P are masters at making statements that are totally insane.
I remember Pitino saying that Jared Prickett was going to be a lottery pick. Jurich learned from the best.
In Strong’s statement, he quoted “Steve McCovey.” He might be a good coach, but he’s an idiot.
Tom obviously has forgotten to take his meds. He is clearly delusional!
This very well could be the most ridiculous qoute I’ve ever heard. No way he said that.
Has Jurich ever been to a real football school on game day?
This guy has LOST IT. What a moron. This is probably what he told Charlie Strong to get him to come to Louisville, then reality set in and Strong vented his frustration through the media (regarding fan support). Louisville simply does not have the numbers to ever have the kind of fan support UK has. Louisville will always be a “stepping stone” program–where you can get easy wins to boost your resume. Then move on to bigger and more relevant programs.
That is a picture of a delusional sociopath !! He’s got to be messed up in the head if he thinks UL is anywhere near the top 10 in football. UL is so great no conference wanted them until a last minute deal to keep the conference together. Now Jurich has got UL committed to big money long term contracts to Ricky 15 seconds & Charlie I can’t talk Strong. I wonder what Tommy Bowl Cut is going to do like always when he figures out after the fact that the ACC is just using UL, and once the Maryland buyout gets negotiated, all the good schools leave the ACC & UL is stuck again now with 2 big money contracts.
Spoken like a true Card fan. “I’ll debate it until I drop dead.” If you have to debate it, then you are not it. A team with no NC and one year of BCS experience is a top ten program? The game against FL is a sham. How do they play UF with their résumé. I love it because the game will get ugly. Sorry to inform you that your Card team is not what you thi I they are.
By the way. The check to CCS will bounce. No more alcohol at the games (ACC bound), means no more money. UL is driving off their own fiscal cliff.
Jurich must have been drinking again. I didn’t know top 10 programs couldn’t fill their stadiums even when their football team is ranked and undefeated. It’s all about trying to convince the public what a great AD he is. How many ranked teams has Strong beaten at UL? NONE.
If you google dumbest quotes ever, this quote pops up
#78, I think they can still sell alcohol. From what I read concerning Syracuse, the ACC leaves it up to member schools as to whether or not they sell alcohol.
66- key word…could…he didn’t say we will this upcoming season or something ridiculous like that.
Yes, we feel good and passionate about our football program. Over the last 10 years it has grown leaps and bounds over its history. You say we manipulate the years for our advantage, however you do the same thing. You do realize it is not an SEC school that holds the most championships right? You do realize it isn’t UK that holds the most basketball championship right? Yes we can admit that our history is crummy in these sports, but this ain’t history, this is the present. You are quick to say in the past 6 years you have won 4 times, ok, we have won 6 of the past 10. You will do the same comparisons all day long. Truth is, Charlie Strong doesn’t want us to be like UK fans, he just wants us to have as many. Don’t kid yourselves into thinking you would be in the SEC if you were not a charter member, and don’t kid yourselves in thinking that the reason we were not invited sooner has anything to do with our athletics, it is solely about TV sets and we can’t compete with the markets those other schools have.
83- When you say that your program has grown over the last 10 years, does that include the recent 4 ass kickin’s in a row by UK? That doesn’t count, does it?
What the hell is going on with his torso? Are his pants pulled up to his nipples?
84. Sure it does, just like the 6 ass kickings it has handed to UK in those years.
86- um, we aren’t making these crazy ass claims about our football program like you tampon absorbers.
Most level headed UK fans know where we are with our program. But ul fans, not so much.. Keep deflecting and rationalizing, it’s the only thing you all know.
Hey Jurich, I would start by filling the stadium.
Don’t kill Tom Jurich!!!! He has a family!!
Deflect and raiotnalize? Sorry, because you want to bring in your records from before 99% of the people on this message board were even born doesn’t mean I am deflecting or rationalizing. We are not in the top 10 programs in college football, but we have made a name for ourselves nationally over the past 10 years, and the move to the ACC will only further that growth. There is no rational talk with someone in the big blue goggle world.
This can’t be a surprised to anyone. UL’s delusion goes all the way to the top. What happened had nothing to do with UL but everything to do with Cholly gettin’ paid. He just took UL to the bank. He used them as leverage to get more money. That’s all this was. He’s an average coach that got blown-out by Syracuse and the following game got beat by Uconn in a 3 OT game. They nearly got beat by Rutgers as well.
This was a year when UL should have ran the table and went undefeated with their weak schedule. That just shows how average of a coach Strong is. He can’t even run the table in a weak Big East. Luckily the current BCS format is setup in his favor so an unranked UL team with 2 bad losses can make a BCS bowl.
And, sorry, I don’t encounter most UK fans that are level headed about their program. I don’t live in Louisville and have to deal with UK fans everyday. 95% of the people I talked to thought because you were in the SEC you could get whatever coach you wanted, especially Rex Ryan. Although I believe as of now you did probably end up with the best hire of any of the other positions filled, the guy hasn’t even been the head coach of a single game, let alone get a win at UK, and all I hear is how you are going to have 8-10 wins next year, and then want to talk about UL win we want to keep a coach that went 10-2?
91. You should check your facts, we are ranked 21 in the BCS polls.
91- ahhh, more manipulated time lines. shakin my head.
92- Your point? chawy stwong was never a head coach either before he signed with the dirty birds. derp derp derp
I mean 90 not 91
Jurich must have an extremely, teeny-weeny, can’t find it man member for saying stuff like this
94. I use the past 10 years, because the past 10 years is how long I have followed UL as 2002 is the year I was a freshman at UL. We can take it back to when the football game was renewed and we still have an 11-8 record. I know you don’t realize, but things do change. Would it be right to say Princeton is a great football program because they have the most national championships in their history? No you wouldn’t, because times have changed and Princeton is irrelevant in football now. And, my point is, you want to try to make fun of us for wanting to keep a coach that has done great with our program over the past 3 years because its just the big east, but want to act like stoops is the crown jewel of head coaching when he hasn’t even coached a game. He will get 3 years and then realize expectations were higher than what he could achieve in the amount of time given, and the toilet bowl of a coaching position at UK will continue to ruin coaches careers.
97- no, ul fans try to miminalize everything that UK does by over exaggerating your accomplishments (using manipulated time lines).
Look, I’m just glad we have a nationally recognized rivalry, and I mean that with every inch of my cardinal-hating heart.
I think his turtlenecks have cut off the circulation to his brain! Keep telling yourself that Tommy.
MATT….MATT…..you misunderstood….JURICH SAID….Louisville is a TOP 10 FOOTBALL Program in the STATE of Kentucky…..
Actually, Kentucky sports would be a lot more boring without the University of Louisville spokesmen periodically discussing the national merits of their athletic programs.
So, however much I detest what they represent, these guys can be very entertaining. Thanks, Tom, for allowing us into your parallel universe.
98. I think you have that backwards. UK fans want to minimalize what UL has done. No we don’t have that big long standing history, but we are making a name for ourselves, but you don’t want to admit that because you want to hold onto that history and say “we are big brother, back down.” You guys are the ones that tried to minimalize our final four last year, while the rest of the country couldn’t believe we made it so far. Yes you won it, and it is probably one of the greatest NCAA teams I have ever seen, but a UK fan could never say “yea you played us well.” And definately can’t recognize the Orange Bowl team, we lost Michael Bush, who could have ran very well against an SEC school, in the first game and still almost went undefeated that year. But you are right, we are the ones that downplay your accomplishments.
And 100. There is no doubt that we have THE top football program in the state. SB Nation even had an article that questioned if Kent State, had the won the conference, even be allowed to play a BCS game because they were beat by UK. You are the laughing stock of SEC football and if you ever travel oustide of this blue bubble you would see that.
Bleed Red, what the hell are you doing with your life? You’ve been posting on this site since 1:30 to people who could give a rats a** on the pointless sh*t you are saying. with every rebuttal you put out is just another laugh for everyone on this site. It is now 2:45- get back to work, Dairy Queen lunch breaks aren’t that long.
92 not to pile on but, I’m bleed blue and I really don’t think our first year we’ll win 8-10 games. But here’s the kicker, Stoops will bring a defense to UK they we’ver have never seen. If (now that’s a pretty good size if) his past records tells anyone anything, it’s that his D will vastly improve over the next few years. Plus to the fact he’s privy to a couple of other offensive minds as to his brothers.
Here’s the thing though, Uvel left the BE and bolted to the ACC who in it’s self is a shakey conference to begin with. I mean that’s kinda cheating on youyr girlfriend with your wife isn’t it? It’s pretty much a known fact that both Duke and UNC are looking to go to either the SEC, or Big 10 and already Clemson and NCS are waiting to see if they collapse in the next few years. So this jumping ship thingys all you BE members are doing just might be doing that same thing in a few years. Have fun!
I believe UofL is the largest subsidized university in the U.S @ 11% UK is 1%. They do make approx 6MM a year from a student athletic fee.
Yea Jurich said top 10 job not top 10 program. If your going to quote someon at least be correct.
A top 10 team?? So he’s stating they deserve to be up there in rank with SEC teams? Give me a break, Big East is the one of the weakest football conferences along side their new conference ACC… The Gators will give Louisville a SEC ass whippin.
Everyone chill.. don’t hate on Jurich for leaving off a zero.
Unfortunately I must have made too mich sense in my last two replies because KSR deleted them. We will see what the future holds for both programs, for now Strong is our Cal, just hope he doesn’t flop next year like Cal is in his 4th.
All of this Louisville stuff is ridiculous. Man, we UK fans are lookin real petty and jealous right now. I know Matt Jones lives and works there, but for most of us that don’t we really don’t give a shit except when we’re playing them. I never thought I’d say this to KSR but please get off Louisville’s nuts!
Kentucky fans are so predictable. LOL!!!!
Let’s talk about why UK really mad…. We just beat Tennessee in a bidding war and we got a chance to beat Florida…
WHAT ARE UK FANS GOING TO DO IF WE BEAT FLORIDA? HAHAHAHA! YOU BETTER SPEND MORE TIME PRAYING WE DON’T WIN AND TAKE ALL YOUR ARGUMENTS THAT WE COULDN’T COMPETE IN THE SEC AND POOP ON EM….STOOPIDS!
I think he’s kind of cute. I wonder if he likes DQ Blizzards.