Code Red For Louisville Football?

The college head coach with the hottest backside heading into the 2009 season would appear to be Steve Kragthrope at Louisville. In his first two seasons the Cards have folded with an 11-13 record during coach Kragthrope's watch.

The term "make or break season" has been associated with Kragthrope entering the 2009 season but the Louisville head coach told the Louisville Courier-Journal recently that every year he feels is a make or break season, even back when Kragthrope was an assistant coach.

The Louisville fans are very restless. They were been spoiled by the high level of success Bobby Petrino had during his brief tenure in horse country. Petrino had the Cardinal football program in the national mix but since he left for the NFL ( and then bolted for Arkansas) Louisville hasn't even been relavent in the Big East Conference.

Kragthrope did acknowledge to the Louisville Curier-Journal that Louisville hasn't had the wins during his era saying, "....“we have not won games, and the fans want to see us win games”

While Kragthrope is feeling the heat from the fans but he's not feeling it from the administration. Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich stands behind his man.

“I don't like to ever be patient. I am impatient, but I also know the job at hand,” Jurich told the Louisville Courier-Journal. “I know what we have to get done. I know we can't just do this overnight.”

Even with his bosses support the death watch seems to have begun on Kragthrope's job. Last week in his blog for the AJC.com, Tony Barnhart suggested to keep an eye on the Louisville program. Here's what Barnhart wrote in the AJC.com.

After a posting on my recent meeting with Phillip Fulmer, the former Tennessee coach, several peopled asked where he could potentially land if he gets back into coaching. Fulmer made it clear that he wants to go somewhere that has made a commitment to compete for conference championships. I would suggest that you keep an eye on Louisville, where Steve Kragthorpe has really been struggling (11-23) since he took over for Bobby Petrino. The Cardinals have a chance to get off to a rocky start with road games to Kentucky and Utah followed by a home game with Pittsburgh in the first five weeks. If Kragthorpe doesn’t show some improvement early, don’t be surprised if Fulmer gets a call. Would he take it? I don’t know. But he could certainly win that league in 2-3 years.

So the Phil Fulmer to Louisville rumor will be circulating all year should Louisville have a poor start out of the blocks. Just know that Steve Kragthrope is Tom Jurich's guy and will give every opportunity for Kragthrope to succeed but hopes winning is in the cards for 2009.

Photo Courtesy: David Lee Hartlage /The Louisville Courier-Journal