What would happen if Bear Bryant never left Kentucky in 1953? Would he ever coach at Alabama? Would Kentucky become a college football powerhouse? What would happen at Alabama? We pondered all these questions and decided to supply what we believe is the most likely outcome.
Bear Bryant won 60 games from 1946-1953, which puts him second on the overall wins list behind Mark Stoops. His 71% winning percentage is still the highest in school history. In just eight seasons, Bryant stands as one of two coaches to boast a winning record in the SEC and the only one to claim an SEC Championship. You can make an argument that Bear Bryant was the best football coach in the history of Kentucky.
Why did he leave? At an athletic banquet they gave Adolph Rupp a Cadillac, while Bryant received a cigarette lighter. Bryant knew at that moment, Kentucky will always be a basketball school. So, what if they both got a car? What if Bryant didn’t see Kentucky as a basketball school? What If?
Kentucky Football
1954-1965
With Bryant at the helm, Kentucky would claim the SEC one more time in 1954. They claimed signature wins over Ole Miss and Georgia Tech on their way to a 9-2 record. Over the next three years Bryant kept them competitive. They would nearly win the SEC again in 1957, but were cut down by General Neyland’s Tennessee Volunteers. They claimed 7 wins or more each year, gaining ground until they received the horrible news.
Bear Bryant accepts the head coaching position at Alabama in 1958. The pull back to his alma mater was strong enough to cause him to leave a rising program at Kentucky. The Wildcats hire Cleveland Browns Assistant Blanton Collier to the position of head coach and the Kentucky program continues to stay steady until Collier is lured back to the Browns in 1965. That’s when Kentucky hired Bryant assitant, and UK alumni, Howard Schellenberger.
Schellenberger was eager to challenge himself after his time under Bryant. His two options were the Los Angeles Rams, or the Kentucky Wildcats. He turns to his mentor Bryant who tells him that Kentucky is the place to go. Bryant says he would be the head coach their today if it wasn’t for Alabama. That was all Schellenberger needed to hear.
1966-1979
Schellenberger quickly elevates Kentucky to one of the top teams in the SEC. He wins 3 SEC championships in ’68, ’69’, and ’71. Bear Bryant convinces the Alabama Athletic Department to make the Wildcats part of their annual schedule. It quickly becomes the most anticipated game of the year for the Wildcats. In 1976 they are the only team to put a loss on the Tide. The only thing that eludes Schellenberger at Kentucky is a national championship. Alabama is too dominant. However, the Wildcats finish in the top 5 in the national six years in a row from ’72 – ’77. Then in 1979, Schellenberger seeks a new challenge.
He accepts the head coaching position at Miami. The Hurricanes are a laughing stock in the state of Florida and Schellenberger intends to change that. He finally earns his first national championship in 1984.
1979- Present
Kentucky football loses their greatest coach in program history. However, they don’t stay down. The momentum Schellenberger started at Kentucky establishes a winning tradition and the school continues to invest tons of money into the football program. They entice some of the top players in the nation and it becomes an appealing program for talented coaches.
In 2000, Kentucky hires Nick Saban from Michigan State. It is Saban who finally leads the Wildcats to the National Championship in 2003. With Schellenberger on hand, the Wildcats upset Oklahoma in the National Championship game.
Saban leaves for the NFL after winning he title. He winds up at the University of Alabama where he develops a strong rival with his old team. The SEC West teams had two rivalry games before the introduction of South Carolina and Arkansas. Their rival with Kentucky matures to the point that their game with Tennessee is dropped and Kentucky becomes their main rival in the east.
Why would this happen?
If Bear Bryant didn’t leave Kentucky in 1953, it wouldn’t be enough to keep him from going to Alabama. However, it would give him time to establish a solid program. Solid enough that a young Howard Schnellenberger sees as a tremendous opportunity. He was also on Bryant’s staff at that time, so Bryant would be there to encourage him to take the job.
Kentucky’s label of being a ‘basketball’ school would change the trajectory of it’s program. Bryant showed that you can win at Kentucky. In short, Kentucky becomes the kind of program that we see today in LSU. It’s no a juggernaut, but it isn’t a constant rebuilding job.
Check out our video on this topic: