Timing, as the saying goes, is everything. On Friday, October 31, University of Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart announced a contract extension for head UK football coach Mark Stoops. Roughly 24 hours later, the Wildcats turned in a tepid performance in a 20-10 loss to Missouri in Columbia. Certainly the contract extension didn’t lead to the Cats’ poor performance, but the timing could have been better for all parties involved.
Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Does Coach Stoops deserve an extension? Yes. I believe that Stoops has the program ahead of schedule in terms of where it should be in the middle of his second year on the job. The losses at Missouri and LSU notwithstanding, the team is showing noticeable improvement. Even though the team’s most complete games have come in losses (Mississippi State, Florida), the team has been able to win games without playing it’s best. It’s clear the culture is changing around the football program, but why rush the extension?
I can certainly understand Barnhart and the UK administration wanting to make a commitment to Stoops. Again, the program is way ahead of where it was when he arrived in Lexington. The recruiting success Stoops and his staff has enjoyed is unprecedented for UK Football. The excitement has returned to Commonwealth Stadium. And while the gridiron will never replace hoops, the Big Blue Nation is still talking football even as Coach Calipari and his troops set off on what we all hope will be the journey to NCAA title number 9. But, as the blues legend B.B. King warned, “You never make your move too soon.”
What is the harm in waiting until after the season to extend Stoops’ contract? He’s not going to leave in the middle of the season. It’s obvious that the 5-1 start excited the Wildcat Faithful. Stoops is already keeping some of the best high school talent in state and bringing them to campus. With the renovations to Commonwealth Stadium and the other football facilities, it’s clear there’s already a financial commitment not only to Stoops, but to the program in general. Let the dust settle on the season and give Coach Stoops, and his staff, a reward for a season that no one really saw coming.
Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
By announcing the extension midseason, UK runs the risk of the Cats ending the season on a six game losing streak. With the extension already announced, the lasting memory that most folks will have on the season could be that losing streak and not on the 5 wins that the Wildcats overachieved to win. Granted, if Stoops and company can steal a win against either Georgia, Tennessee or Louisville and get the Cats bowl-eligible, everyone remembers that. Even the more reason to sit on the contract extension and announce it in the lead up to a totally unexpected bowl appearance.
I’m the first person to say that Head Coach Mark Stoops has exceeded expectations. By the same token, by announcing his contract extension midseason, the UK Athletic Administration has taken some of the focus away from what the Cats are doing on the field and to what is happening off it. In this instance, the timing was way off.