Could Brooks Be On The Verge Of Leaving UK?

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Those few Kentucky fans with “Ditch Rich” bumper stickers on their cars might soon be getting their wish.  But not for the reason they might have expected.

Now that Rich Brooks has pulled UK football out of a proverbial 50-year ditch, he might just look to step down at year’s end.

As I wrote last week, a source close the Wildcat program has told me that Brooks would be much more likely to walk away from his job if he felt he was leaving Joker Phillips in a good position for the future.

Specifically, I was told that a solid finish and the continued development of quarterback Morgan Newton might lead Brooks to walk away on a high note.

As it currently stands…

* Brooks has UK heading to a fourth consecutive bowl game. 

* They have already recorded their seventh win of the season and can still max out at nine with wins over Tennessee and a bowl opponent.

* The Cats just defeated Georgia in Athens for the first time since 1977.

* They go into this weekend’s game against Tennessee with a a strong chance of snapping their 24-game losing streak to the Vols.

* With another win, the Wildcats would finish second in the SEC East.

Can you think of a better way for a Kentucky football coach to leave on top?

Brooks would probably deny this, of course, but from what I’ve been told… if Brooks keeps winning he could hand the keys to the program to Phillips for 2010.