Fran Curci

Fran Curci spent 14 seasons as a college football coach at three different programs, including nine seasons as the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats from 1973-1981. He began his career at the University of Tampa, where he posted three straight winning seasons and a combined record of 25-6. He moved on to coach at the University of Miami for two seasons before landing at Kentucky prior to the ’73 season.

Curci led the Wildcats to three winning seasons and two SEC titles during his tenure at UK, although one of those conference titles remains unofficial because the Cats were not eligible to win the SEC crown that year. After posting just one winning season in his first three years in Lexington, Curci’s Wildcats finished 8-4 in 1976, officially winning the SEC championship and that year’s Peach Bowl. The team finished ranked No. 18 in the final Associated Press poll, and it remains Kentucky’s most recent SEC championship team

In 1977 Curci’s squad finished 10-1, once again winning the SEC title although it was disallowed. The team was banned from postseason play and thus was not invited to a bowl game, but it did finish No. 6 in the final AP rankings. After four straight losing seasons from 1978-1981 Curci stepped down as coach. His nine years on the job made him the longest tenured coach in program history.

Ethan Levine

A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.