QB Garrett Kruczek Leaving UCF

[Knight_Light]

They could probably even prorate a player who quits in the middle of a paid semester as well. Make them pay some of it back.

Since Garrett was a walk-on...there is nothing to "pay back"...plus, if a team had a policy like that...good luck getting anyone to sign with you.

Garrett wants a fresh start come Jan at a new school so he can participate in off-season training and Spring Practice...and since his injury back in Sept...he has never been 100% healthy so he will be undergoing a surgical procedure soon so he can heel up and be ready come Spring at his new school.

Wish him the best.

 

[UCFProf]

If you quit, I think that any future bills for your education, housing, etc. becomes your responsibility if the coaches and university agree on this.

That's seldom a factor. In-state students aren't saving much and sacrificing the chance to enjoy their college years socially in favor of their non-paying "job." Many never graduate (that's why we have non-money sports: to jack up the overall grad rates), and are restricted to a handful of easier "recommended" majors that least interfere with practice and travel schedule. There are a lot better and less hazardous ways to get a "free ride" through college than playing football.

 

[SCKnight]

The king of revisionism calling the kettle black. From your years of college coaching experience. Low-budget program do usually fold in the second half because they lack 4 star recruits, depth, 8 home games, and expensive asst. coaches and facilities. Kruczek did recruit some pretty damn good players (including a list of future pros) and brought home some awfully big wins. His team didn't fold when UCF came back from down more than two scores against Bama, the kind of victory Mac never got, and enough to get their coach fired (I know, KL: Bama was "mediocre" that year despite their early top 10 ranking and later losses: no chance that losing to us and their coach's firing didn't cause their subsequent losses??? Or several big MAC wins including the first meeting against Roethlisberger. And remember, he wasn't AD like Coach Mac. To come full circle, pushing this convenient narrative lore is the reason I feel bad for Coach K (a decade later) just because his son came here. Now he's again subjected to scurrilous defamation he cannot defend himself against.

I get really tired of the coach K mentality and those who think he was treated badly by UCF. Those were lost years for UCF football. Years where we almost beat UGA and almost beat Miss and almost beat Ga Tech and almost beat Syracuse and almost beat Auburn and almost beat South Carolina and almost beat Ark and played Nebraska close blah blah blah.....Really? Big wins? Bama was big, but only because it was our very first win against a big conference foe. It was a last second field goal to beat an Alabama team that went on to go 3-8 and lose to us and Southern Miss. It is like Wofford crowing about beating UCF last year.

Coach K was not cut out to be a head coach. That is not an attack on him as a person, it is just the fact. He could not build a program. He did not discipline the players (which showed both on and off the field) he did not have a great conditioning program, he did not hobknob with alumni, he did not go into the community to gather support. He had the program for 6 years, that is more time ten most coaches have to work with. He had the probably one of the greatest players in Florida history as the QB. Did he have the resources available now? no. But nobody outside of the top programs had that in those days. The truth was that UCF needed a strong leader in both the AD position and the FB coaching position and Kruz was not it. Our results were mediocre even in the MAC, and the professionalism of the program was going backwards. I hold no ill will towards him, but it is not defamation when it is the truth.

I was excited that his son came here. I wish it had worked out. But really everyone knew that Frost was not looking for a pro style QB. I am surprised that Harris is still on the roster. I assume he just wants his education at this point rather than a college football career.

 

[Mikesi]

Since Garrett was a walk-on...there is nothing to "pay back"...plus, if a team had a policy like that...good luck getting anyone to sign with you.

Garrett wants a fresh start come Jan at a new school so he can participate in off-season training and Spring Practice...and since his injury back in Sept...he has never been 100% healthy so he will be undergoing a surgical procedure soon so he can heel up and be ready come Spring at his new school.

Wish him the best.

Talking about Payton or scholarship players. Everyone knows that walk-ons aren't on scholarship.

 

[SCKnight]

That's one I hadn't heard. Perhaps KL can shed light on the circumstances. We went 9-2 and they wouldn't let us into a bowl. That could never happen today because there are so many more bowls. At the time, Gene's team was brand new to Div. I-A and there weren't any invites to established conferences. There were 30 fewer I-A schools and still several independents. Expansion wasn't on the table for most conferences. So much was different. And before Gene had much of a chance, he was gone, trying to defend his players over a federal violation whose activity would become legal a few month later. Perhaps Louisville was behind turning us in on that one, too.

UCF had been scheduled to move up to D1 in 1996. When CUSA was being formed in 1994-1995 there was discussion of UCF joining the new conference. I remember distinctly Gene McDowell indicating that he had no interest in joining CUSA because that was an unknown fledgling conference and that UCF should be seeking to join a conference such as the SEC.

I do not know if Gene was just saying that because UCF was being snubbed or because he poo-pooed the idea of join CUSA as being below him. Gene was a defensive position coach at FSU under Bobby Bowden and had a real long term vision of taking UCF the same route FSU had just completed. FSU was an independent that struggled until Bobby Bowden took over in 1976. Gene was part of of Bobby Bowden's revival of FSU football

 

[UCFProf]

KL and SC: More pat narrative. Nobody's arguing Coach K was UCF's future, just that he was treated badly ever since and vilified for things he had no control over. It's so very petty. Time to embrace all the coaches that helped get us where we're still trying to be. That's the classy thing to do.

 

[Knight_Classes_begin_7pm]

I get really tired of the coach K mentality and those who think he was treated badly by UCF. Those were lost years for UCF football. Years where we almost beat UGA and almost beat Miss and almost beat Ga Tech and almost beat Syracuse and almost beat Auburn and almost beat South Carolina and almost beat Ark and played Nebraska close blah blah blah.....Really? Big wins? Bama was big, but only because it was our very first win against a big conference foe. It was a last second field goal to beat an Alabama team that went on to go 3-8 and lose to us and Southern Miss. It is like Wofford crowing about beating UCF last year.

Coach K was not cut out to be a head coach. That is not an attack on him as a person, it is just the fact. He could not build a program. He did not discipline the players (which showed both on and off the field) he did not have a great conditioning program, he did not hobknob with alumni, he did not go into the community to gather support. He had the program for 6 years, that is more time ten most coaches have to work with. He had the probably one of the greatest players in Florida history as the QB. Did he have the resources available now? no. But nobody outside of the top programs had that in those days. The truth was that UCF needed a strong leader in both the AD position and the FB coaching position and Kruz was not it. Our results were mediocre even in the MAC, and the professionalism of the program was going backwards. I hold no ill will towards him, but it is not defamation when it is the truth.

I was excited that his son came here. I wish it had worked out. But really everyone knew that Frost was not looking for a pro style QB. I am surprised that Harris is still on the roster. I assume he just wants his education at this point rather than a college football career.

He really wasn't head coach material, agree

 

[SCKnight]

KL and SC: More pat narrative. Nobody's arguing Coach K was UCF's future, just that he was treated badly ever since and vilified for things he had no control over. It's so very petty. Time to embrace all the coaches that helped get us where we're still trying to be. That's the classy thing to do.

Nobody vilifies him. I would greet him as a returning hero because once a knight always a knight. But there are those who look back with rose colored glasses as if those were UCF glory days. They think that UCF was actually accomplishing things with the moral victories. I used to be one of them. Some think that UCF had some kind of momentum going into the GOL years but that simply is not true. As a program we had stalled and were floating aimless. In walks Steve Orisini and finally UCF has a game plan.

 

[UCFProf]

Some think that UCF had some kind of momentum going into the GOL years but that simply is not true. As a program we had stalled and were floating aimless. In walks Steve Orisini and finally UCF has a game plan.

That we agree on, just like with our new AD, who hired the new coaches and is trying to change the whole operating culture. Some similarity to the end of the GOL era with a lousy AD followed by letting the coach run the athletic program, too.

 

[KnightLife1]

Yes, I agree with this completely. He may still transfer, and may come to an agreement with the coaching staff to finish out the year strongly. It's a very strong possibility. Personally, I think he should, because he thinks he's better than he is. He's certainly not a bust or sucks, and still could shine. However, I don't see him being good enough to steal the PT that he wants from Snelson and Smith. He's a 3rd WR option at best with more talent on its way with recruits.

If you quit, I think that any future bills for your education, housing, etc. becomes your responsibility if the coaches and university agree on this. The old regime did keep on scholarship for a time, the kid from Iowa (Brinson?) who blew out his knee. Not sure what happened with Gabbert the QB though.


They could probably even prorate a player who quits in the middle of a paid semester as well. Make them pay some of it back.

Not only for Tristan, but for many of our receivers, I don't think we've seen half of how good they can be yet. A sound offensive line buys time for the QB and receivers to develop plays, connect and shine. Let's not rush to judgement on their talent level or ability.

 

[UCFProf]

Not only for Tristan, but for many of our receivers, I don't think we've seen half of how good they can be yet. A sound offensive line buys time for the QB and receivers to develop plays, connect and shine. Let's not rush to judgement on their talent level or ability.

Also, earlier in the season when the line was at full strength and the rushing game was working, UCF was calling 70 percent runs. Smith was ignored. Last weekend was the first time he had a chance to show what he could do every single game for us (or the NFL).

 

[CFKnight]

Who?

 

[Brandon]

 

[SCKnight]

I will become a fan of wherever he goes. I hope he kicks butt

 

[80'sKnight]

View embedded media

One of the teams we fought against back in the 1-AA years I think.

 

[CFKnight]

Eek

 

[SCKnight]

One of the teams we fought against back in the 1-AA years I think.

I remember losing in a big way to EKU in the 80s

 

[The Nation of UCF]

I think the biggest mistake was the failure of Gene McDowell to see the value of joining a conference when he was AD/Football coach. I think he wanted to emulate the FSU model of playing independent for years. When CUSA was being formed he should have worked hard to join. Instead he downplayed the value. I think this caused us to wander for about 6-7 years.

Huge mistake not getting into C-USA

 

[UCFProf]

Huge mistake not getting into C-USA

Perhaps he was hoping his FSU mentor would use his influence there to not oppose our entry into the ACC.