Mark Stoops (SEC Photo)
Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops, now the dean of all coaches in the Southeastern Conference, doesn’t want to get complacent.
“We’re not interested in just existing,” Stoops said during the SEC Media Days in Dallas on Thursday. “I’m not here, I’m not coaching, I’m not back for the 12 years just to exist. We want to find a way to improve, use these rules, whatever it is, to make changes, to make that jump to get to the next level. It’s extremely challenging. I don’t have to tell you all that.”
Under Stoops, entering his 12th season at the helm, the Wildcats have reached the postseason an unprecedented eight consecutive seasons and have won 10 or more games twice in the past six years. Since the 2018 season, only three schools in the conference have compiled more victories than the Wildcats.
“That’s not nothing — we want more, but the consistency that you have to have in this league, it’s difficult,” Stoops said. “There’s some great schools, some great programs that have been up and down, and we’ve been relatively stable. Again, that’s not good enough.”
Stoops admitted a 38-35 setback to Clemson in the Gator Bowl last year and a shutout loss to Iowa in the Music City Bowl weren’t the way he wanted his past two teams to end the season.
“I’m not very excited about — we had an opportunity last year or two to wrap up the season with two ranked wins, and we let one slip away in the bowl game against Clemson,” he said. “No more ifs and buts — we lost. They made the plays and we didn’t. That’s the motivation to go find the ways to do that.”
Stoops credits his longevity at Kentucky to the administration, led by Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart and coaches who have “come and gone” and “worked tirelessly to put us in this position.”
“I feel very fortunate, very blessed,” he said. “I want to continue to succeed.”
The players credit Stoops for his ability to adapt to the changing and challenging times and like Stoops’ ability to be honest on and off the field.
“He is like the uncle you always wished for,” Kentucky defensive lineman Deone Walker said. “He is a great coach and a great person. He is a big loyalty guy. I’m a big loyalty guy. He is not going to lie to you. He is going to tell you the truth no matter if it’s happy, sad, going to make you mad, if it’s mean because he knows — everybody knows that he is saying it from a point of I want you to be the best version of yourself.”
Things have changed along the conference landscape during Stoops’ tenure in Lexington. The league added Texas A&M and Missouri in 2015 and Texas and Oklahoma will make their conference debut this season.
“With Oklahoma and Texas joining our great conference, just makes it that much stronger,” Stoops said. “It’s kind of interesting for me because, as I go to the SEC meetings and we’re down in Destin spending some time, you run into so many good friends, so many good people. I’m so familiar with both Texas and Oklahoma. We welcome Oklahoma and Texas and make us that much stronger. It’s difficult, but we embrace that.”
For Stoops, he simply wants to keep building on the foundation he’s produced during the past 12 years.
“I’ve been grinding at Kentucky for a long time, and very proud of that and want to continue to do that,” Stoops said. “Again, we want more, but that’s not nothing. The SEC has been around a long time with a lot of very good football coaches.”
6 Responses
A recent media pre-season ranking of SEC teams has Kentucky at 11. We were ranked ahead of Florida, but behind Auburn. As much as Stoops has done to elevate Kentucky football, it seems like we will always be a tier below Georgia and Tennessee. We seem to have hit a ceiling of finishing as a 3rd or 4th place team in our own division. I don’t see us ever winning an SEC East title, much less an SEC championship and that means we will never contend for a national title. Are we getting an adequate return on the $9+ million that we are paying Stoops? If we are about winning and not just existing, it may be time for a change at the top.
I’m very happy with what Stoops has done. I like watching a game and feeling like UK has a chance every time they are on the field. After watching UK Football for nearly 60 years, with all the frustrating season during that time, I am not going to complain about Stoops being our coach. I might, will, and have complained about play calling, preparation, etc., but who doesn’t. This is the longest stretch in my life of enjoying UK Football and I am not about to complain about Stoops. He has brought a lot of joy in watching his teams.
Stoops is the best coach Ky has ever had. Made football fun. Once he’s gone there will be no guarantees. The Cats will never win the SEC East because it no longer exists.
You are right on all counts Jimmy. We could do a lot worse than Stoops.
I agree that Stoops has done a lot. He also has had the most (and to some extent, the ONLY) support of the UK administration. Coaches at all levels are paid a premium and their results are superior compared to UK of old, but not results comparable to their salaries.
The point about not liking some play calling, etc is a very legitimate point. For almost a decade Trump was big on wanting a pseudo-QB who could not accurately pass the ball and even worse if more than a 10 yard attempt. He slowed UK progress by over-controlling OC’s. Now we will hopefully not see any more of that. He also failed to address the lack of a Special Teams coach season after season even though he admitted it was a costly decision.
One of the biggest aspects of the game which needs improvement is the ANNUAL lethargic beginning of games when players seem to be in a stupor, not interested in being in or even AT the game during the initial possessions. That is pathetic and gives every opponent a distinct advantage in the opening 5 to 10 minutes & often 15.
• Clean up & correct sluggish starts. Change the pregame “lull to sleep” pep talk and let enthused former & current players address the team. It’s not a pep rally but REALITY that you can’t start the game without some FIRE in their belly!
• make special teams special & maintain a specific ST coach every year
• stop running the ball up the middle over and over for 0 yards when UK has a fast RB who can sweep the end
• use our awesome TE’s in the passing game
I think Stoops has done a fabulous job. I started watching Kentucky football during the Bill Curry years. First play is a 2 yard run then another 2 yard run then another 2 yard run then punt the football. We were terrible then. We had a couple of good/fun years with Hal Mumme. Followed by a blip with Guy Morris. Rich Brooks came in and we had 3-4 years of sub par football. We could beat anyone but also lose to anyone. Louisville was dominating in football. Then the 2 years of Joker Phillips which his recruiting absolutely destroyed us we were headed to the very bottom of the barrel in all of college football and the worst team in the SEC. Then in comes Mark Stoops. When he got here he inherited a team that would struggle in conference usa. We had a bad year his first year which was expected but he also had managed to get better at recruiting every year that he has been here. His last 3 recruiting classes has been very good and this next class might be the best class he’s ever had. The Barion Brown and Deone Walker and Dane Key and Maxwell Hairston freshman class from 3 years ago are some of the best players on the team this year. 2 years ago that class and last year’s class with the Smith twins, are very very good as well. Kentucky seems to keep the good players that are going to contribute and the others who aren’t transfer. So we dont lose to many players like most schools and this is going to be the year that Kentucky reaps the benefits of gradually better recruiting, because it doesn’t all happen at once. Stoops has now been coaching in the SEC for all these players lives he’s more known. With time we have gotten gradually better every year. The last 2 years we haven’t had a good offensive line and that’s the main reason we have had back to back 7-6 seasons. Stoops addressed that and brought back one of the best offensive line coaches in all of college football. We finally have a secondary with some experience. We’ve been young in that area as well the last couple of years. We are going to win at least 9 or 10 games this year. I say we go 11-3 this year. I think we go 10-2 (6-2) make the playoff and win the first game and lose the second. We come in 3rd in the SEC. We will see. Very Soon. Stoops has been great to Kentucky football. As long as he’s making it to a bowl game he should be the coach. If he had back to back years with no bowl then you make a change.