Mark Stoops recently sat down with KSR for a candid interview, where he addressed the growing criticisms surrounding Kentucky football. The Wildcats’ head coach, who’s been at the helm for 12 years, certainly didn’t shy away from acknowledging the frustrations of Big Blue Nation.
“Number one, I hear them and I accept the criticisms 100 percent,” Stoops told KSR on Tuesday. “I’m not so hard-headed where I’m not going to try to embrace any challenge, any obstacle, to get better.”
The criticisms Stoops refers to are more than fair. Since 2021, the Wildcats’ offense has been anything but inspiring. From poor offensive line play to lackluster play-calling, it’s been a constant struggle to score points and sustain drives. Despite adding high-profile recruits and transfers, the results haven’t lived up to the hype.
In fact, the offense hit a new low last season, ranking near the bottom of the SEC in points per game and yards per play. To make matters worse, teams like Vanderbilt and South Carolina, programs Kentucky had surpassed not long ago, have now overtaken them again. The days of Kentucky being a dark-horse contender in the SEC East feel like a distant memory.
Despite continued improvement in recruiting classes, the Wildcats have consistently underperformed. It raises the question: Is Stoops failing to maximize the talent he’s bringing in, or is it simply a matter of poor coaching and development?
“I love this place. I’ve been here 12 years, going on 13, and I promise you — I’ll be honest with you, I’m emotional right now talking about it because my ass wants to get back to the office and get to work to make this team better,” Stoops said. “That’s what I can guarantee you. I can guarantee you that they’re going to play with the same level of competitiveness that we’ve always had, the same chip on our shoulder, the same discipline.”
Stoops continued, “You could take this or leave it, but I’ve never been as motivated as I am right now. If you know anything about me, I do not like an ass kicking. We didn’t play to our best last year and I can guarantee you since that season was over, when we lost on Saturday against Louisville, our butts were in that office on Sunday and have not stopped since.” I think a lot of fans are leaving it.
Next season’s schedule is just brutal. With Spring Practice just starting, roster attrition from the transfer portal is a real possibility. Kentucky will need to clean up their offensive issues quickly if they want to avoid sinking even further in the SEC standings.
But Stoops insists the work is already well underway. “We’re going to attack this thing, we have to put the pieces together. We have to strategically get better and put them in a position to be successful, but it came with building a roster. That was the first thing I had to do. We’ve done that.”
“Then it comes with demanding excellence from them and leaning on them 24/7, in a way, in a very positive manner. It’s about keeping them accountable, making sure they have the leadership qualities that it takes to be successful, to stay united through challenges — because there are going to be obstacles.”
“When you play in our league, you’re going to hit adversity. How do you handle that? Do you have the roster? Do you have the depth? Do you have the preparation that it takes? We’re leaving no stone unturned. We’re working our tails off.”
But is Stoops’ emotional commitment enough to right the ship? Or is his $9 million salary starting to sound more like the reason he wants to stick around? It’s hard to overlook the fact that while the paychecks have gotten bigger, the results have gotten smaller.
“We’re not going to be perfect, but we’re going to play hard and we’re going to do things right,” Stoops said. But after years of steady decline, fans are left wondering if that’s genuine determination or just another hollow promise.