Rich Brooks' Coaches Teleconference Highlights

Today was the SEC Coaches' Teleconference and Kentucky Coach Rich Brooks was dead last in the coach rotation. By sheer bad luck, I missed Urban Meyer and Lane Kiffin, but did catch Brooks. Here's the highlights...

A general spring practice report...
"We have 6 practices left, then we finish with the blue-white scrimmage. Overall, I'm pleased with the progress I've seen. Defensively it's an improvement over last year. Offensively, there isn't any question in my mind we'll be a better team. Hartline is doing some good things and Randall Cobb returned to full contact yesterday. We have a chance to do something that hasn't been done around here in a long time, and that's go to a 4th straight bowl game"

On Trevard Lindley and his return...
"There's not many people in the country and our league that can cover people on an island like Trevard Lindley. It's huge that he came back. Along with Micah Johnson and Jeremy Jarmon. Puts us in position to have a special defensive year. He's a very quiet guy, and just goes about his business quietly without a lot of talk or chest thumping. He just goes and plays"

On the QB position and who's The Guy...
"Based on what's here, I know what I want to do. We'll look hard at our incoming players so that may change in the fall. Right now, Hartline is the guy that fits our system the best. His production will be better with Cobb at receiver. Both Newton and Mossakowski are tremendous talents that are going to get a hard look. They throw it out of high school better than anyone we've had here. Newton has the added advantage of being a big guy. Mossakowski isn't as big or strong because he was coming off surgery, but is now cleared to lift and throw. Both guys fit our system well, and I believe they'll be ready to compete."

On the level of surprise regarding new to the league coaches or coordinators and their contracts...
"I'm an old guy. I'm surprised by everyone's salary. You see it here, with John Calipari. See it with football coaches making unbelievable money now. Coordinators are getting paid unbelievable money. It's gotten a little out of whack, but it speaks to the pressure that coaches are under to make the entire athletic operation operable. We net more out of football than we do in basketball. I'm not saying it's right, but it's market driven. In fact, I don't think it's right."

On whether players now are more difficult to to coach now as opposed to before...
"In a way, they are more difficult to coach. Probably because of the information age and the exposure. You see high school games on ESPN, five star, four star recruits, information is at a much higher level then before. They all come in believing they will play as freshman and play in the NFL. In reality, that ain't gonna happen. Dealing with that takes more psychology then it did before in terms of coaching. The pressure on them to be successful is so much higher."

The true highlight of the conference call was Brooks' response to a question posed to him about Twitter. Each coach that I heard was asked the same question, regarding their use of Twitter, if they thought it connected well with the recruits and fans, so on and so forth. This was Brooks' response:

"I do not Twitter. I email, but I don't Twitter. I think it's the latest new electronic craze that's getting all the attention. I don't think that it's much better than emails or phone calls."

Translation: "Twitter is bullshit". Gotta love him.