So Steve Kragthorpe will be behind the podium for a news conference Monday, two days after being fired as the University of Louisville football coach.

Whether that’s appropriate or not is debatable. But that’s the way the media works, and he is expected to address issues surrounding his termination.

Maybe he’s salivating for another barrage of criticism after dismantling the program the past three seasons. Or does he want to use the occasion for a parting John L. Smith-like blast at the fan base? So what will kragtypographyhe say, after being ridden so hard and debased so thoroughly by a huge segment of fans for so long?

Who knows, but what Kragthorpe says could be important. Any negative remarks will be picked up by the national media, with sound bites taking on a life of their own. Any criticism will reflect directly on the U of L fan base and the football program for months to come, possibly impacting the coaching search and future recruiting efforts.

If what those closest to Kragthorpe say about the man is true, that he is of the highest character, he will avoid the temptation to diminish the university.

Yes, he has already used his position to cast doubts about the previous coach. But this is different. It’s time to admit the experiment didn’t work, shoulder the responsibility, and move on.






















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By Charlie Springer

Charlie Springer is a former Louisville editor and sportswriter, a public affairs consultant, a UofL grad and longtime fan.

4 thoughts on “Kragthorpe May Get Last Word”
  1. Every one mentions his high character. I saw a big chink in it after the Utah game here.

    Utah lined up for a FG and several of us noticed they had a player split out wide near the Utah sideline. We screamed (as if we would be heard, silly us) to no avail. Utah converted the fake and ended up with a TD to put away the game.

    A couple of days later Kragthorpe said that a designated player was supposed to count the Utah players and didn’t. I believe this to be true. My problem is that he also stated that he and the other coaches saw it was going to be a fake and yelled at the players to call a TO.

    I didn’t see Utah snap the ball because all my attention was on Kragthorpe. He was standing perfectly still with his hands at his side. He was not screaming, he was not moving, he was showing no animation. And there was an official less than 10 feet from him so he could have called time himself.

    He didn’t see the fake coming and lied about it, placing ALL the blame on a player. The responsibility should have been SHARED. That’s when I lost a lot of respect for him as a person.

  2. An epilouge to the mediocacy of Louisville football since the Orange Bowl. Maybe Petrino can find room for him on his staff….towel boy or Gatorade cup refiller. He’ll do it the right way and no personal offense is meant toward the man. He just underacheived here.

  3. Charlie, surely he won’t say anything to disparage the university. To do so would be a terrible thing to do to TJ and he is, after all, supposed to be his friend. I hope he will make his comments brief and just get out of Dodge……by the way, what time is the presser tomorrow?

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