When University of Kentucky athletic director C.M. Newton was searching for a football coach after the 1996 season and called Florida's Steve Spurrier for suggestions, the Gator boss didn't throw out any names. Just a formula. "I told him to go after an offensive-minded guy because that's how you move the ball up and down the field, win games, win championships and put fans in the seats," said Spurrier. In other words, somebody like, well, himself. Newton took Spurrier's advice to heart and hired former Valdosta State head coach Hal Mumme, an intuitive play-caller who made an immediate impact as a Spurrier clone. Mumme jazzed up the Wildcats' offense behind quarterback and No. 1 NFL draft pick Tim Couch, energizing a mediocre program and taking it to a New Year's Day bowl game in his second season. It hasn't gone unnoticed that this coup was pulled off by a head coach who also served as
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