SEC Football Head Coach Evaluation: Kentucky Wildcats’ Mark Stoops

Nov 29, 2014; Louisville, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops reacts during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals at Papa John

No one can say Mark Stoops is not a proven defensive coordinator.  Before taking the head coach position at Kentucky, Stoops plied his craft by terrorizing offenses across the country.

In three seasons, Stoops took the Florida State Seminoles from an absolute laughing stock to a feared unit.  The year before Stoops arrival, the Seminoles’ defense ranked 108^th in total defense.  He finished his stint at Florida State with two straight top 5 defensive units (4^th and 2^nd respectively).

In only three seasons he had helped compose a threatening defense from a unit that had previously looked ill equipped to stop a leaky faucet.  It was not his first major turnaround, either.

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Stoops inherited a similar situation when he became the defensive coordinator at The University of Arizona in 2003.  Actually the situations were nearly identical, as Arizona ranked 109^th in total defense the year before Stoops arrival.

While Stoops did not attain success as quickly at Arizona, he was able to leave the Wildcats of the west after guiding their defense to two straight top 25 finishes overall (24^th and 25^th).

Before coordinating stingy defenses, Stoops spent over a decade coaching defensive backs across America.  No one can argue that Stoops had not paid his dues as an assistant coach and coordinator before taking over the reins at Kentucky.

Sometimes success does not come quick or easy, no matter how prepared one is to pursue it.  While Stoops has not achieved success yet, he has not relied solely on his coaching skills to improve Kentucky.

“Stoops’ three recruiting classes have ranked higher in the Rivals.com rankings than any previous classes in the history of the recruiting evaluator.” – ukathletics.com

After spending over twenty years coaching all over the country between being a graduate assistant at Iowa and landing his first head coaching job, Stoops was bound to have some connections in high schools across America.

Those connections have paid off beautifully for Stoops thus far on the recruiting trail.  According to ukathletics.com, “Stoops’ three recruiting classes have ranked higher in the Rivals.com rankings than any previous classes in the history of the recruiting evaluator.”

Will Stoops’ recruiting prowess pay off with a winning season in year three?  That will be the question worth monitoring as the 2015 season kicks in to high gear.  With only 4 “sure wins” on the schedule, finding those two necessary wins for a bowl berth are essential for Stoops to continue his efforts of building Kentucky into a football force.

What stands in his way?  What are the biggest knocks on Stoops and his potential?

Next: Slights against Stoops