Mtfe 23
In honor of Jerry Claiborne let Iv play the 'iffin' game
iffirf Shanahan comes will he unpack?
Jerry Claiborne calls it the old 'iffin" game. Heading into last weekend speculation ran rampant, predicting Denver Broncos assistant Mike Shanahan would be Claiborne's successor at Kentucky. With Shanhan's deci-
		
		Todd Hallum
		Cats' Pause Columnist
		
sion undecided at this writing, let's play out own "iffin" game. What do you say?
What happens if Shanahan becomes UK's new coach? What happens if he turns it down just as P. J. Carlisimo did the basketball job left vacant by Eddie Sutton? Who knows what C. M. Newton will do?
Now. let's look at several scenarios.
First of all. Shanahan would immediately have to form a coaching staff. Next would come the question of fulfilling his obligations as a member of Dan Reeves' coaching staff. Would UK let him coach for the Broncos while recruiting for the Wildcats? If so. UK could have big problems in recruiting with the head coach working part-time in that crucial phase of the program. It is extremely hard for an SEC school to get a top-notch recruiting class with a head coach not fully concentrating his efforts in that direction.
The next step would be hiring a staff. Of course, any new coach wants to hire his own people. When Claiborne arrived at UK from Maryland eight years ago. he kepts holdovers Bill Glaser. Greg Nord and David Likins. In all likelihood. Shanahan would try to compile his own staff and probably look at the UK holdover assistants on an individual basis. However, one stumbling block might be the salary structure allotted for the staff.
Pro assistants might not look kindly toward coming to UK with a cut in pay. However, the new coach shouldn't have any difficulty getting college assistants since most of his coaching experience comes from the collegiate ranks. Two or three UK assistants could conceivably have an opportunity to join the new staff.
Finally, what kind of offense will he instill. How long will he stay? The answer to the first one is obvious; Shanahan has become such a hot candidate because of Denver's solid passing attack. In addition, his offense at Northern Arizona averaged 391.1 yards per game, and as offensive coordinator at Florida, the Gator offense averaged 412 ypg. setting an NCAA pass-completion record of 68.8 percent.
Could Shanahan start to implement that type of offense with the material that is returning at UK? Would he go with a Freddie Maggard, whose performance tailed off at the end of the season, or give a hard look to such young, talented signal-callers as Brad Smith and Ryan Hockman.
Next question...how long might he stay at UK. His resume indicates he doesn't stay long at one place. Some other stops included Minnesota, Oklahoma and Eastern Illinois. Would he become frustrated with .some of the logistics that come with the UK job? Or would he want to redeem himself for being fired from the Los Angeles Raiders and accept the next pro job that pops open?
Interesting questions.
The most important question of all will come from C. M. Newton and will address the subject of playing within the rules.
It's a matter of record that Shanahan has coached under two convicted violators of NCAA rules, Barry Switzer at Oklahoma and Charley Pell at Florida. However, Dick Berst, the NCAA's director of enforcement, said Shanahan's name was not mentioned in any
Offensive lineman Greg Lahr
allegations against the two programs.
Regardless of the final decision, the next UK coach will have the following benefits:
t^- Athletic DirectorOne of the best in the nation. No question that C. M. Newton is a first class person who has done an excellent job to date as the AD. He would be a very cooperative person in football-related matters anariis^reputatioritorintegnty^ is widely
known.
is PlayersThe new coach will be without 22 graduating seniors, but there is plenty of talent to fill the gap. On offense he will have the luxury of a young, up-and-coming quarterback in Maggard and talented running backs in Mike Thomas. Craig Walker and Al Baker. The offensive line will return almost intact, losing All-American Mike Pfeifer and center David Crane. However. Greg Lahr and Joel Mazzela are two outstanding returnees.
^ScheduleMuch easier than the 1988 slate. Gone are Alabama and Auburn, returning are Ole Miss and Mississippi State. More good news is that the non-conference games are against the likes of Central Michigan. Indiana. North Carolina, Rutgers and Cincinnati. The roughest spots should occur on the road in
Running back Al Baker
Baton Rouge (LSU) and Knoxville (Tennessee).
^SupportWildcat fans are just dying for a winning team and a bowl bid. If the new coach can put together a string of consistent winning years, the proposed expansion of Commonwealth Stadium will come closer to reality.
^FacilitiesMuch improved. The E. J. Nutter Football Training Center is ranked among the best in the nation. The academic (CATS) center also is an outstanding selling point, along with the Cats' Den program.
^Recruiting BaseThere isn't an outstanding crop of prep seniors in the commonwealth this year, but the numbers are enough to establish a solid base year-in and year-out. The JuCo ranks have often been kind to Kentucky, as have the states of Florida, Georgia and Pennsylvania.
^AdministrationAn unknown at this time, with Dr. David Roselle leaving his post as president to take a similar position at Delaware.
^RespectabilityJerry Claiborne took care of this category. His teams obeyed the rules and won honors for their graduation rates. The Wildcat program is on much more solid ground than when Claiborne took over eight years ago.
What will the future hold for Wildcat junior-to-be quarterback Freddie Maggard?