Why is Mark Stoops talking like a new coach? 12 years of 'rebuilding' with the same excuses

If you listen to a Mark Stoops press conference since the Louisville game ended, it sounds like he is a brand new hire coming in to fix a mess left by the previous coaching staff. The only issue is that he is the previous coaching staff and it's year 12 of his tenure.

A tenure at Kentucky football that has reached a tipping point, with the Wildcats finishing the 2024 season at a dismal 4-8—a sharp decline from even the modest successes of prior years. The program, once touted for building a "Big Blue Wall" of formidable offensive linemen and competitive resilience, now finds itself in shambles with defections, transfers, de-commitments, and poor play.

A Record of Decline

Since 2021, Kentucky football's performance has plateaued or worsened each year. After a strong 10-3 season in 2021, a year that was vacated mind you; the Wildcats regressed to 7-6 in 2022 and 2023. This year's 4-8 finish signals not just a step back but a collapse of a program that Stoops had spent over a decade building. Yet fans are supposed to just buy in to this sudden "change".

The Wildcats remain plagued by offensive inefficiencies, including the inability to develop a 3,000-yard passer in Stoops' entire tenure; something the rest of the SEC has accomplished. Adding to the woes, Kentucky's offensive line gave up 47 sacks in 2022, the most in the Power Five, and continues to struggle​ under Eric Wolford, who was inexplicably brought back.

The Wolford Factor

Eric Wolford, a critical figure in the offensive line's downfall, returned to Kentucky despite a checkered record. His struggles at Alabama were well-documented, with Alabama's offensive line struggling, a significant drop for a program of its caliber. At Kentucky, his impact has been equally underwhelming, with the offensive line failing to improve, further contributing to the Wildcats' inability to protect quarterbacks or establish a consistent rushing attack​.

Stoops’ Accountability Problem

Stoops has attempted to placate fans by promising a "culture change" and vowing to "fix the mess." However, these reassurances ring hollow when it’s clear that Stoops and his staff created the very issues they now claim to address. From ineffective recruiting strategies to staff decisions like bringing back Wolford, Kentucky's struggles reflect systemic failures in leadership.

Kentucky will now be on it's 5th WR coach in 7 years, and 7th in 13 years for Stoops. The OC is another position that continues to suffer as nearly every OC flourishes after leaving Kentucky. Shannon Dawson is up for assistant coach of the year, Neal Brown was a head coach, Liam Coen is maybe the hottest offensive prospect outside of Ben Johnson in the NFL. And despite not scoring 21 points versus a power 5 school, Stoops brings back Bush Hamdan. Stoops isn't the only delusional coach on the staff right now.

Assistant coach Vince Marrow's claim that 2024 was "just a bad year" belies a deeper truth: this downturn has been years in the making. Stoops' inability to acknowledge his role in this decline only erodes fan confidence further. While he talks of roster improvements and revitalization, the Wildcats face an uphill battle in restoring credibility; fans are sick of hearing them talk as if they have accomplished something major.

Moving Forward

Kentucky football's challenges under Mark Stoops epitomize a program struggling to reclaim its footing. For fans, patience is gone and many want Stoops gone, but as Stoops defiantly said "My butt will be in my office tomorrow.”

As a colleague pointed out, no one is full of panic, they're full of anger and ready to be done with Stoops.