Rich Brooks Retires from Kentucky

Announced at a press conference today Kentucky Head Football Coach Rick Brooks has retired from the University of Kentucky. Brooks, 68, was 39-47 at Kentucky during his tenure.

The road wasn't always smooth for Papa Brooks at Kentucky. When he took over the program prior to the 2003 season Kentucky was dealing with NCAA probation imposed due to recruiting violations committed by a prior staff. Brooks had been out of college coaching for nearly a decade and his first three years at Kentucky were rough posting 4-8, 2-9, and 3-8 records.

All of that turned around in 2006 when Brooks Kentucky team with 7-5 and earned their first bowl bid since 1999 in the Music City Bowl. In 2007, the Wildcats compiled an 8-5 record and as high as a #8 ranking in the AP poll. Kentucky followed that up with back to back 7-6 records and back to back bowl bids.

Kentucky has not become a national football powerhouse program under Brooks but he has managed to pull Kentucky up from years of underachieving. There is no doubt that Coach Brooks took the program to a new level of success that has not been seen at Kentucky for some time. Now Joker Phillips will take over as the new head coach for the Wildcats and hopefully elevate the program to new heights.