The OG Kickoff w/ Connor and Will

The wild Vince Marrow move & what the House settlement means for college football with Kristi Dosh

·1 hr 26 min·5 clips
Vince Marrow, Mark Stoops' right-hand man for 12 years, just left Kentucky for arch-rival Louisville in a shocking June move.
The episode opens with hosts Connor O'Gara and Will Ogburn introducing the surprising news of Vince Marrow's move from Kentucky to rival Louisville. They emphasize this isn't just a routine coaching change, but a significant betrayal given Marrow was Stoops' first hire and right-hand man for 12 years. The hosts explore the Youngstown, Ohio connection between Stoops and Marrow, dating back to high school. They discuss reports that the split stemmed from Stoops listening less to Marrow on recruiting decisions, leading to internal friction, especially with the re-hiring of Eddie Gran. The conversation assesses Marrow's value as Kentucky's 'glue guy' who helped land key players like Wan'Dale Robinson, despite the team's recent 6-17 record against Power 5 competition. The hosts then broaden the discussion, arguing that most successful college football coaching tenures end in messy breakups, citing examples like Urban Meyer, Joe Paterno, and Steve Spurrier. They speculate on Stoops' future, considering a potential retirement or move to Iowa, and debate his complicated contract with a $37 million buyout due within 60 days. The second half features an interview with Kristi Dosh, a Forbes writer and author of a book on NIL. They discuss the newly approved House settlement and the creation of the College Sports Commission as the new enforcement body. Dosh explains the new rule requiring athletes to report NIL deals over $600 to a platform called NILgo, but reveals a small survey showed athletes are largely unaware. She details how Deloitte will review deals from 'associated entities' like collectives for a 'reasonable range of compensation,' not 'fair market value.' Dosh predicts many deals will go 'under the table' again and discusses the arbitration process for rejected deals. The conversation covers the potential for athletes to become employees, the new roster limits, and how revenue sharing might impact Group of Five programs and fan costs. The episode concludes with the hosts' 'Lad of the Week' picks, with Connor praising his helpful in-laws.

As heard by us

A Kentucky coaching move becomes a window into program pride, season uncertainty, and college football's unsettled mood.

College football's odd mid-offseason churn gets a broader read as Conor O'Gara and Will look at Vince Merrill leaving Kentucky for Louisville.

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Why you'd press play

You want the Kentucky-to-Louisville assistant move unpacked before college football's offseason gets any stranger.

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