Mark Stoops knows he has to make sure program is growing and moving in right direction

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Mark Stoops, left, celebrates with his players after the win over Louisville. (Vicky Graff Photo)

Mark Stoops was “relieved” that Kentucky beat Louisville 26-13 Saturday to end the season with a win and finish 7-5. It’s not the final record Kentucky was hoping for this season with a projected first-round draft pick at quarterback, one of the best running backs in school history, the school’s overall highest ranked recruiting class and key returning defensive standouts.

But after a 4-0 start, Kentucky stumbled and lost at home to Vanderbilt and South Carolina. It got routed at Tennessee. It lost at Ole Miss when a penalty nullified a potential game-winning touchdown and a penalty also kept alive Vanderbilt’s game-winning drive.

However, what has driven UK fans crazy is the lack of production/creativity by the offense and that has led to speculation about first-year offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello’s future. Was it play calling, injuries to quarterback Will Levis, inexperienced offensive line play, lack of talent or a combination of all those factors that led to UK’s lack of offensive production?

Stoops did not tip his hand about any potential staff changes or lack of staff changes after the win. Instead, he said his players need time to refresh after a long season.

“We got to have some meetings with our players. The players need some time to heal up. Again, I don’t mean to be disrespectful. That’s the last thing I’m worried about right now is who we’re playing (in a bowl game). I’m grateful for this victory,” he said.

“I feel like our team emptied the tank once again, and that’s all you can ask. Right now they need a little bit of time to fill that back up.”

Stoops said he was “proud” of his team for hanging in and finishing the season in the right way with a win.

“I think there will be time for reflection and looking at everything. There is always what ifs. It’s not like I’m going to live in the what if world all the time, but you have to really look at things and make sure we’re growing and moving the program to where we all want it to be,” he said.

On the UK Radio Network postgame show, Levis said that he felt Scangarello had done a “good job” this season and that he felt like the criticism directed at Scangarello was unwarranted.

If Stoops does make a change, it would be four offensive coordinators in four years. Stoops let long-time friend Eddie Gran, who is back on the UK staff now as an analyst, after the 2020 season. Liam Coen took over in 2021 and helped UK win 10 games before leaving for the Los Angeles Rams. Scangarello arrived this year.

Kentucky has also had three offensive line coaches in the last three years and if Scangarello is let go it likely would mean Zach Yenser, who also came to UK from the San Francisco 49ers this year, would not be back resulting in four offensive line coaches in four years.

“We all know how competitive this league is. Take a look at it. I don’t know, it’s been wild. But you look at the SEC and the way everybody finishes. There are a lot of people log jammed in the middle,” Stoops said.

“But there are some elite teams that have played extremely well this year and a lot of guys fighting hard and competing. So it’s hard.”

Yes, it is just like deciding what staff changes, if any, need to be made next season and how to factor in what might make key players like freshmen Barion Brown, Dane Key, and Josh Kattus stay on board or what might be best to keep key recruits committed to UK.

My guess is if changes are going to be made, we’ll know soon. Stoops is just not one who is going to drag out decisions.

7 Responses

  1. I think the special teams unit is where the biggest overhaul is needed. It’s inexplicable to me how it does not have an appointed coach. A young O Line got a lot of hands on experience this year and I think we can expect improvement in that area next year. A consistently reliable special teams unit and a more experienced O line, and I feel just fine about our chances next season. I think it’s too soon to make a change at OC. O Line play and a banged up Levis have to be considered in Scangarello’s evaluation. High turnover in that position isn’t going to do anyone any favors.

  2. You can’t always fault the OC, if you keep changing OC every year your entitled to lose recruits and that area will set this program back. We got an outstanding freshman class plus some redshirts that will keep this program going as long we don’t lose our best players to transfer portal.

  3. I am concerned about the revolving door of offensive coordinators and O line coaches. However, I believe that the vast majority of the offensive woes are attributable to the O line issues. So, my inclination is to hold pat on the OC this year.

    The O line situation is more difficult, because it is difficult to know from where I sit (and fans generally) whether this year’s O line problems were primarily caused by youth and inexperience on the O line or ineffective O line coaching, or some combination. The O line requires experience, age, time together, and continuity of coaching to sustain itself season to season. The recruiting and coaching had been building these attributes so long as Schlarmann was coaching the O line. Not so much since then. If there had been more stability with the coaching carousel over the last 3 years, this answer would be clearer, but given the rotating O Line coaches, the problem with the O line could be primarily a coaching issue.

    I think Coach Stoops has a very difficult decision to make in this regard, but that is why he is paid the big bucks, and he will ultimately have to live with the consequences of his decision.

  4. Stoops won’t fire Scangarello, but I read where he fired his RB coach for a lack of recruiting success, and because of special team duties he was sharing that needed addressing. Tell me, who has Scangarello brought into the fold or is even recruiting now? Especially a QB. Maybe he is, I don’t know. All we hear about UK football recruiting now is crickets. Everybody else in the SEC if you are watching, it seems, are getting commitments right now from 4* and 5* recruits, but not nary a word from this UK staff on future inbound talent. UT has 5 star QB Lamaleva (spelling) committed. UK is hurting for a QB to lead them in 2023 as I see it. I don’t believe they have one on the bench now that is ready, maybe with a spring under their belt they could be.

    Yeah, OC continuity is important, but there are other choices out there that could possibly do a whole lot better job at moving the chains and scoring points for Kentucky with the skill talent UK has coming back. Stoops fired Shannon Dawson after one year, remember, and Dawson’s offense at Southern Miss came back the next year and beat Kentucky in Lexington. The 2023 football season is going to be a big test for Mark Stoops. He loses a ton of football talent off this team. The schedule next year is brutal as it always is. It will be interesting to see who is under center in 2023, and who will be the featured RB. Go Cats!!!

    Stoops had to fire somebody at this point after the disappointing season UK had in so many ways in 2022. I didn’t see a thing wrong with UK’s RB’s in 2022. The suspension of C-Rod hurt UK in so many ways. Not having a special team coach in 2022 and delegating that duty to two assistants with other responsibilities is on Stoops. Yet he gets a big pay raise. HUMN.

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