Kentucky football fires RBs coach/co-special teams coordinator John Settle

LEXINGTON, Ky. — John Settle no longer is Kentucky football's running backs coach and co-special teams coordinator. The university posted his position on its official job portal Monday.

Settle joined the Wildcats in March 2021, having previously served in the same position at Wisconsin from 2015 until his hire at Kentucky.

Settle's contract was set to expire in June 2023.

While running back Chris Rodriguez has excelled under Settle's tutelage the past two seasons, UK's special teams has struggled at times. Most notably, the Wildcats have had five kicks blocked this fall, tied for 125th in the 131-team FBS. Only Louisiana Tech and North Texas, with six, have allowed more.

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Rodriguez set the school record for 100-yard rushing games in a career (20) after totaling 120 yards versus Louisville in last week's Governor's Cup. As he's exhausted his eligibility, Rodriguez's successors will have a new position coach with Settle's dismissal.

The lack of development behind Rodriguez didn't help Settle's cause. Rodriguez missed the first four games of the 2022 season; though the team didn't call it a suspension, Rodriguez was connected to a UK self-report involving athletes being paid for hours not worked at UK HealthCare. In the four games (Miami of Ohio, Florida, Youngstown State and Northern Illinois) without Rodriguez, the Wildcats combined to run for just 306 yards and three touchdowns. No Wildcat topped the 100-yards-rushing mark in those four outings.

Settle shared special teams coordinator duties alongside safeties coach Frank Buffano. Louie Matsakis, a quality control assistant, primarily worked with Kentucky's kickers — the area where the vast majority of the special teams follies stemmed from this fall.

But Settle's struggles extended away from the field to the recruiting trail as well.

Per 247Sports' database, Settle was not credited with signing a single recruit since becoming a member of Mark Stoops' staff. The Wildcats didn't sign a running back in their 2022 class, and don't have one committed in the 2023 cycle, either.

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Settle replaced Jemal Singleton, who worked as UK's running backs coach for just one month before accepting a job with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Settle came to Lexington with sterling credentials as both a player and coach.

He left Appalachian State in 1986 as the school's career rushing leader (4,409 yards, then the third most in FCS history) and was a two-time All-America selection in addition to winning the Southern Conference Player of the Year award as a senior. He then played in the NFL for six seasons, earning a Pro Bowl nod with the Atlanta Falcons in 1988 after totaling 1,594 yards (1,024 rushing and 570 rushing) — in the process becoming the first undrafted free agent in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season. He won a Super Bowl with Washington in 1991.

He jumped into the coaching ranks in 1994, guiding the running backs at his alma mater for one season before moving back to the NFL as an offensive assistant with the Cleveland Browns (1995) and Baltimore Ravens (1996-97). Settle returned to the college game, spending the next eight seasons (1998-2005) as Fresno State's running back coach. The Bulldogs went to seven bowl games in that span, a stretch in which Settle coached six 1,000-yard rushers.

His first of two stints at Wisconsin followed from 2006 to 2010.

The Badgers appeared in five bowl games during Settle's time on staff, including a Rose Bowl berth in 2010. In his first season at Wisconsin, Settle coached the Big Ten's Freshman of the Year in P.J. Hill, who led the conference (and ranked fifth nationally) in rushing yards with 1,569. The Badgers led the league in rushing yards in 2008, and the next year, John Clay won the conference's offensive player of the year award after running for a Big Ten-best 1,517 yards. Wisconsin fell literal yards short of history in 2010, as it almost became the first FBS team ever to feature three players with 1,000 or more rushing yards in the same season: James White (1,052) and Clay (1,012) reached the mark, while Montee Ball finished with 996.

Settle went back to the NFL in 2011, spending the next two seasons as the Carolina Panthers' running backs coach and serving in the same capacity with the Browns in 2013. A one-season stay with the Pittsburgh Panthers came next, where Settle mentored James Connor, who won ACC Player of the Year in 2014.

Settle's second tenure as Wisconsin's running backs coach was even more successful than his first, as the team went to three New Year's Six bowls (Cotton in 2016, Orange in 2017 and Rose in 2019), spearheaded by the ground game.

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Namely, Jonathan Taylor.

A two-time unanimous first-team All-American — as well as a two-time recipient of the Doak Walker Award, annually given to the nation's top running back — Taylor ran for 6,174 yards in his Wisconsin career. It's the highest three-year total in FBS history, and ranks sixth all time.

Settle wasn't able to replicate those types of staggering achievements at Kentucky, but as he maps out what's next, he'll still be on the payroll.

Settle is making $475,000; Kentucky has to pay him the remainder of his salary, in monthly installments, until the contract expires in June.

If Settle takes another job between now and then, his new salary will offset what UK owes.

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @RyanABlack.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: John Settle, Kentucky football running backs coach, fired