INTERVIEW: 104.5 The Zone & Inside Hilltopper’s Jason Martin
Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Jason Martin is near and dear to the Wave The Red Towel family. He was originally going to be a writer for us, but his real world priorities to Nashville’s 104.5 The Zone, Bowling Green’s “Inside Hilltopper Sports” radio show on ESPN 1450 on Thursday’s, and as a high school play by play voice for several Warren County high school teams through the Sporting Times’ GoNation network became too much. However, he continues to be a dear friend to me, and was a great influence as I began getting involved in sports media on the Hill, and is not only the first person I know who actually works in the business who is also a friend, but one of the people I look up to the most.
Mr. Martin is a graduate of WKU, and through IHS Radio, is still able to keep up with the Tops. He is one of the smartest Topper minds out there, and was nice enough to spare a few minutes, despite his busy schedule, to answer some questions about the fallout of Petrino, and what him being at WKU meant in the grand scheme of things.
Q: Wave The Red Towel
A: Jason Martin
Q: There seems to be a lot of calm around people who know WKU best, unlike with what we saw with Taggart leaving. Does the history of not only Petrino, but WKU coaches in general have a lot to play into that?
A: Absolutely. Taggart was a WKU guy and reignited a program that wasn’t just unsuccessful, but had nearly flatlined. Willie bled Tops red and it hurt longtime fans and the Bowling Green community when he left. That said, everybody wished him well. He earned the right to make the change and the hard feelings faded quickly.
For Petrino, everybody knew this was a rental. WKU is not a destination job for someone who has bounced from C-USA to the NFL to the SEC. Sun Belt or the new Conference USA wasn’t why Bobby came here…he came here to audition for his next job through live on-field example. He behaved himself and while he certainly wasn’t accessible outside of the baseline scheduled interviews, he proved that in a one year slot, he could keep things in control…at least for a year.
No one expected Petrino for more than two years, some joked that he’d leave at midseason of year one. WKU had him for one full football season.
Q: I know the plan was to have Jeff Brohm step into the head coaching role when Petrino left, but was that based on the speculation that he’d stay two or more years? If so, what’s the plan now? Is Brohm ready to take the reigns?
A: Brohm is a popular guy. I’ve interviewed him before and he’s both smart and capable. No one knows how he would do at the helm of a program, particularly one that has been moving in the right direction for the past four years, but I feel like it’s a pretty safe bet. He’s been good with the media and he’s far more personable than Petrino would ever be…and the players like him.
Let me add quickly that I sat down with Petrino during the preseason and he was both accommodating and was a solid interview. This is based on perception. He was good to me personally.
The football question immediately becomes this: IF Brohm is great right out of the gate, how long before he makes the move to a larger-profile program. But here’s the thing…that’s ALWAYS going to be the question just like it always HAS been the question. It’s the reality of a mid-major.
Q: All jokes aside, I think Petrino did more good for WKU than harm. What say you?
A: Petrino didn’t hurt WKU, that’s my answer. He led the Hilltoppers to an 8-4 season that had some major highlights and offensive explosions…and some serious lowlights, none worse than the debacle at South Alabama. But he wasn’t embroiled in scandal, he kept his head down, coached his football team, and monetarily, when you factor in the 850K salary and incentive plus the buyout, Todd Stewart ended up renting Bobby Petrino basically for free, and if the residual effect is being introduced to Jeff Brohm and Nick Holt, with one of them very likely the next head coach, that to me is absolutely worth it.
He also put WKU on the national media radar for football. That effect cannot be understated. The negative is that Taggart got the Tops to a bowl in 2012 and Petrino’s team, while eligible and with a better record, was snubbed. So he didn’t take WKU to the BCS or even a bowl, but he certainly didn’t harm the program long-term.
Q: Throughout the season, in specific games (like ULL and Troy), it seems like the players didn’t necessarily play for Petrino. Even our good friend Chad Bishop tweeted yesterday that players were already looking forward to Brohm, or anyone really, to step in and take over. Was there any animosity from the players towards Coach P?
A: I can’t say first hand, but there were plenty of reports throughout the season of players disgruntled and the word “quit” and the phrase “playing for himself” were thrown around rather loosely on social media.
When the speculation surfaced about Brandon Doughty possibly leaving the team, the reasoning was almost completely Petrino-based. The usual comment was that players were not used to how harsh Petrino was to them and how vicious he could be with the most minimal mistake. While that sounds almost ridiculous that a player couldn’t handle that, the excuse was made that Petrino was expecting Arkansas-level talent with WKU players and that it wasn’t fair to expect that from the players on the roster.
Where I have issues there is that IF that’s indeed true, that doesn’t reflect well on the players. Any player that sees himself as someone not up to the level of another has already failed. Success always comes from folks who answer “yes” when asked “Will I be successful.”
But there’s no question that Brohm and Holt are much easier to deal with for the media, when they’re allowed to speak, and that the players liked both men, which is a good sign for the future. It’s certainly no surprise that players wanted Petrino out…not surprising at all.
Q: Is there anywhere in the country that Bobby Petrino will be happy? He wasn’t happy at Louisville the first time. He wasn’t happy in the NFL. This seems like a never ending cycle.
A: It’s a question without an answer. You can either take him at his word or you can reject his comments, but he said this morning in Louisville that the Cardinals head coaching job is his “destination job” and that Tom Jurich understands that Petrino wants to finish his coaching career in Louisville.
One thing about the word “lie” that bothers me is the intent and context of the statement that is proven untrue. Today I absolutely believe Petrino in his head thinks Louisville is it for him. Tomorrow, if he gets a call from someplace he deems better or a position that’s more lucrative…his thoughts could change. Is it a lie if it was said under the auspices of self-belief? The answer, to me, is no.
That said, do I expect Petrino at Louisville to be his final stop? How could I?
Q: Will WKU ever have a “forever” coach? A guy who stays on board for 4, 5, 6 years? The closest the Tops have seen in recent memory was Taggart, who helped bring the program up from the rubble, but left because he truly didn’t want to be here.
A: WKU’s athletic department and Gary Ransdell constantly have to exist towards achieving the same goal…making WKU a destination and not a stepping stone. Ray Harper may well stay with WKU forever, similar to Kermit Davis at MTSU who has been very successful but remains at a true mid-major. It’s different when a guy like Mark Few stays at Gonzaga, because Gonzaga, because of Few, has become a great place to work and a great place to go and play basketball.
WKU football will NEVER be a destination job until Smith Stadium is packed every week. Coaches can’t look up and see so many empty seats and feel satisfied with that position. I believe Harper may be with WKU for many, many years. But I can’t say with any confidence today that there’s a permanent-feel to WKU football. That could change, but it’s a monumental task. Todd Stewart is an excellent athletic director and a solid person. The staff, from Kyle Neaves on down are personable and I have enjoyed working with them through the years.
But until Smith is jammed, ESPN is on campus every week, and the team is winning ten games, “destination job” is a fallacious argument.
Q: Last question – WKU will play a home and home with USF, Ole Miss and Louisville, all in the next 12 years. What kind, if any, bonus is there for the athletic department to know that they have that quality of scheduling available, especially with the move to CUSA taking effect next year?
A: It’s great in terms of Louisville and Ole Miss, where Hugh Freeze has that program really moving well…as for South Florida, that’s fun because it’s Taggart but USF doesn’t move the needle in football, despite the enormous student population. It’s better than many alternatives, but if for example WKU is blown out in home and homes against the Cards and Rebs, what’s the advantage to the team? It’s two losses.
Bringing Ole Miss to Diddle two weeks ago resulted in a seven thousand attendance number, one of the largest in school history. That’s huge and that number truly matters, but I’ll say this…had Marshall Henderson not been there, you can likely cut that number to 4000. It depends on the programs as to how much it helps, but it’s nice to have the chance in any event.
Once again, thank you to Jason Martin for taking the time to answer these questions, and we will try to bring him back for more. If you’re interested in hearing Jason talk a broader spectrum of sports, which is something I recommend, listen to his show on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville, SportsTrend, on Saturday from 11 am-1 pm