Sept. 23, 2002

University of Kentucky head football coach Guy Morriss has been awarded a guaranteed, extended contract, UK Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart announced Monday.

The contract, which must be approved by the UK Athletics Board of Directors, carries through the 2007 season and is guaranteed at Morriss’ current salary of $400,000 per year. Barnhart noted that the compensation will be reviewed annually.

The contract extension is in recognition of the current team’s 4-0 record and in the way that Morriss has handled the program since being named head coach on Feb. 6, 2001.

Kentucky’s 4-0 mark is the team’s best start since 1984. Quarterback Jared Lorenzen leads the Southeastern Conference and ranks eighth nationally in passing efficiency. Running back Artose Pinner leads the SEC in rushing and is 12th nationally in that category.

On defense, Kentucky is allowing 18.2 points per game, down from 33.4 points per game a year ago. The team also has made a dramatic turnaround in turnover ratio. The Wildcats are third in the SEC and 13th nationally with a ratio of +1.75 turnovers per game after ranking last in the league and 98th nationally last season with -0.73 turnovers per game.

This year’s success is built on the progress made during the second half of the 2001 season. Although the Wildcats finished 2-9, those who looked closely at the team’s performance found evidence of a solid foundation. In the last five SEC games of 2001, Kentucky was ahead or tied of LSU, Georgia, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, and Tennessee in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats lost to LSU and Tennessee, the SEC divisional champions, by a total of just seven points.

The following are quotes from Barnhart and Morriss during Monday’s news conference:

Mitch Barnhart Quotes

“We wanted to begin a special week of preparation for our football team with a very special announcement. I’ve been here about two months now and have enjoyed the chance to work with this football staff and, in particular, Guy Morriss. We wanted to go through an evaluation period of all the different things we’ve been writing and talking about the last two months. I think we’ve determined through conversations with Dr. Todd and our staff that we’re going to move ahead and extend an offer for a multi-year guaranteed contract to Coach Morriss to stabilize where we want to go with this football program and what we want to get done.

“A lot of things have happened in the last two months to this football program. But no one has held the course and been more rock steady through all of that than Guy Morriss. The way he’s approached it with his staff has been outstanding. You couple that with what has gone on on the field and I couldn’t be happier with the results we’ve had so far, obviously. You’ve seen a different set of circumstances every week whether it was taking on a rival, ranked opponent, away from home and getting behind in the fourth quarter, to taking on a rival here at home and getting behind in the fourth quarter and finding ways to come back and win. We’ve had some bad news in our program, the ability not to go to a bowl game, and this coaching staff stood strong through the whole thing.

“As we prepare for a nationally televised opportunity with this football team against Florida this weekend, I wanted our players to know that we are in full support of their coach and their coaching staff and the things that are being done so far. I don’t think we could show any more support than to extend to this family a guaranteed contract.

“The terms of the contract are that the financials have not changed, but the guaranteed contract will run through 2007. That will ensure that the recruiting class that we’re recruiting right now will have the opportunity to work with this coach over the next four years when they come here to Lexington, Kentucky.

“We’ve had a lot of success in recruiting early on in the fall, attributed to this coaching staff. And they did so under very difficult circumstances, going out there with basically a single-year contract. They have done remarkably well establishing relationships within our state and within the southeast. And again, I couldn’t be happier with the way all of that has panned out for us in recruiting, not the least of which is on the field results.”

An emotional Guy Morriss then took the podium:

UK football players go up and hug Coach Morriss following the announcement of his contract.

“First of all I want to thank Dr. Todd and his wife Patsy for their support. And, of course, Mitch, thank you for your trust. I need to thank Jackie and my family that are here today. I’ve put them through some tough times and they’ve hung in there and I appreciate that. I want to say thank you to the coaching staff for all their efforts. I couldn’t have done it without them. This is not a one-man band, I promise you that.”

“More than anybody, I have to say thanks to the players. They’ve never wavered, they’ve never blinked, they’ve never taken a step back. They’ve done everything we’ve asked them to do. And they’ve really done an admirable job. I love these guys.”

On the impact the new contract will have on recruiting…”It’s like taking handcuffs off. We can really recruit now. There are no negatives out there that people can use against us. The thing I’m happy with is that we’re on a level playing field with everybody else. People can’t fabricate anything about us or my contract and use that against us.”

On the impact to the rest of the football staff…”I told them this morning and they’re excited. Coach (Wesley) McGriff has a `For Sale’ sign on his front lawn right now. He’s ready to move to Lexington.”

“They were happy, obviously. We want to keep our staff intact. We’re dedicated to getting this thing fixed and making this program what we all want it to be and what it should be and they’re a big part of that.”