Offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan will have to coach receivers until Mark Stoops can hire a new coach. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops will be looking for a wide receivers coach yet again after Daikiel Shorts announced plans to join the Nebraska coaching staff.
That’s a coaching move that Stoops did not want to happen after hiring Shorts last year.
“I was pretty demanding that I needed at least a two-year commitment out of that,” Stoops said. “I put a pretty large buy-out on it. Some schools weren’t afraid to write a check, so I wish him luck. Appreciate what he’s done. He’s a very talented young coach and I wish him the best.”
In the interim, Stoops will depend on graduate assistant coaches and offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan to fill the void until a replacement is hired.
“It does kind of hurt our continuity that I am looking for,” Stoop said. “The great thing is I have some young guys in that room and GAs and some guys that are pretty impressive that can easily handle it for now and teach and be on the same page, which is great.
“Bush has a strong background in receivers as well coaching them at the highest level, so he can do quarterbacks and receivers and get them on the same page.”
He also added the transfer portal will be plentiful this season. He said it’s “fluid” on who is staying or going with his own camp, but is prepared for the future.
“I don’t think there’s a team in college football that’s not going to lose a few guys that they want on their team,” Stoops said. “There’s going to be so many players in the portal. It’s going to be interesting for the players. I hope it all works out because they’re are going to be so many players in this portal.”
7 Responses
We expect a commitment from Mark Stoops.
If you expect a 2 year commitment then why didn’t you get one? Stoops wants us to trust him that he knows what he is doing by keeping unproductive coaches around to keep continuity in the program. Sorry I can’t drink that Kool Aid at all and it continues to shows an erosion of a program on the decline for last 3 yrs or more.
Stoops & the incompetent AD lack any common sense or business sense with regards to contracts.
If UK paid for a premium n buyout clause to hire the less than competent WR coach, then why isn’t there one in his contract so UK can at a minimum recover the premium paid to hire him???
UK FB is not on a downhill slide – it is more like an elevator with broken cables.
We need o lineman and playmakers. Throw in a quarterback just in case Cutter isn’t ready! Remember he reclassified to 2024. He should be a senior in high school. We have a ton of DBs and Linebackers. We also have some defensive lineman. I would honestly try to bolster every position in the portal. Have the guys coming back competing with the portal guys for the starting spot. We need some quality guys as well. Plenty of them.
I just heard a few minutes ago that UT has picked up 2 Top 100 players on their DL and 3 or 4 4* linebackers.Hmmmmm..wonder how UK and rest of SEC is measuring up? I do hate bottom feeding with this coaching staff and their gross incompetence.
Welcome to economics 101. It’s about the money. What you are earning now, vs what you can earn somewhere else. Businesses have been dealing with this for ages. The guy obviously thought it would be better for his career if he bolted for another team. The other team also had a vested interest because it was willing to pony up for the buy out. You have to give people a reason to stay. The future was obviously brighter somewhere else – not a very difficult decision.
Brown is doing what’s best for Brown. If Stoops mucks up again and we get another bad line and bad QB play then there is absolutely no way he gets drafted. I would do the same thing. I would go to a team that throws the ball 30-40 times a game. He won’t start on the outside for anyone else in America. He will be a slot receiver for whatever team he chooses to go to. He will also field punts and kickoffs. Why he didn’t field punts? I have no idea? Everything Kentucky does is the wrong thing to do. I would have put Gavin Wimsatt at tight end or full back. Have him go through the hole first with the ball or blocking for Wilcox. It seems like we get whoever we can get and other teams choose who they want. I would also make another change and if Chip comes back I would play him were Ohio state wanted to play him. At middle linebacker and also fullback on offense. People can play offense and defense. Some coaches are idiots and act like someone can’t play 2 positions. We were terrible in the red zone and especially on the 3 yard line or closer! Why not let Deone Walker carry the ball for a yard or 2 I’m sure he could plow his way into the endzone. You have to make football fun and Stoops makes it difficult when its really not difficult at all. If Josiah Hayes Darrion Henry Young and Davern Rayner all come back from injury last year we should be in great hands. We also have mysteries that I don’t understand or maybe I miss the news about but what happened to Ben Christman he was a high 4* recruit. Went to Ohio State and took a red shirt year then transferred to Kentucky he was supposed to start in 2023 but he got hurt and was supposed to return this year. I see him on the bench and dressed out but he never plays? Is he hurt on the team? Not good enough to play? He just disappears without a explanation? He was supposed to bolster the line this year but never played? Did he retire is he hurt again? It takes 2 years for a knee injury at this point I don’t have a clue! I know Paul Rodriguez, Nik Hall, Ben Christman and Kentucky kid who signed with Alabama then came back last year quit when he seen we signed Wolford from Alabama so there must have been bad blood between them! That’s 4 offensive lineman who would have played this year but they all left the team with injuries or quit. I’m beginning to think they didn’t like wolford and hung up there cleats!