Eastern Kentucky University coach Walt Wells has a unique relationship with Kentucky’s Mark Stoops. (Eastern Kentucky University Athletics Photo)
Coaches Walt Wells of Eastern Kentucky and Mark Stoops of Kentucky have similar backgrounds and are basically the same age.
“In this profession defensive back coaches (Stoops) and offensive line coaches (Wells) usually get along really well. I don’t know why. You probably enjoy each other’s misery,” Wells laughed and said.
Wells was a consultant at UK in 2018 and 2019 under Stoops and Saturday will bring his Colonels to Kroger Field to play.
What did he learn while working for Stoops?
“I don’t think we have time for what I learned,” Wells, who started his coaching career on EKU coach Roy Kidd’s staff in 1997, said Tuesday on a Zoom call with media members. “Mark was very kind and very, very good to me. “I got to Kentucky at a time that I needed Kentucky more than Kentucky needed me.”
He was there when offensive line coach John Schlarman was diagnosed with cancer but he said even then he was “rarely” needed because Schlarman was such a “warrior” and found a way to continue to coach while taking treatments before eventually losing his battle.
He was also the scout for opposing offenses for defensive coordinator Brad White but his biggest role might have been just listening to Stoops.
“I think I was somebody that he could talk to when he needed to get things off his chest that wasn’t in the fray, so to speak; that wasn’t going to take it personally, that wasn’t going to wonder this, that and the other. As we evolved in our friendship, it just came on and on and on,” said Wells.
“We would just stand back there (behind) the defensive secondary during practice. Everybody thought we were talking about schemes all the time and this and that. No, sometimes we were just talking about life, and it really grew our friendship.”
Wells said Stoops was “very instrumental” in him getting the EKU head job. He talked constantly to Stoops and UK training staff members during the COVID year.
“Kentucky was good to me but when we go in there Saturday I want to kick their tail,” Wells said. “If me and Mark are playing cards, we want to beat each other’s ass.”
That will be easier said than done for Wells. Kentucky beat Ball State 44-14 last week while Eastern was pummeled 66-13 by Cincinnati.
Wells had a near fatal heart attack about a year ago. The Eastern coach said Stoops and his staff did a lot that “people do not know about “ after his heart attack. He said Stoops does have that side that can erupt if he gets mad but it was nothing he could not handle.
“He’s one of the best guys I’ve ever worked with because he’s a true people person,” Wells said. “
