Mark Stoops… Where do I even begin? Maybe with the fact that you have led us to the worst record in the SEC, or that you’re being paid $9 million a year to be one of the worst coaches in Power 5 football. Either way you get the gist, it’s time to get out of Lexington.
As a diehard Kentucky fan, I have tried to stay optimistic. To think back on better days, when winning and making bowl games were normalized. However, those times have passed.
The truth is that results matter, and being 1-5 in the SEC isn’t going to cut it anymore.
To circle back, Mark Stoops is being paid $9 million a year. To put into perspective how much that really is, #9 ranked Texas Tech (according to week 11’s AP poll) head coach Joey McQuire makes only half that, with #15 Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea will make $3.7 million this year. Vanderbilt is also 7-2 in SEC play thus far.
The only issue in firing Stoops, is the approximate $38 million needed to buy him out. However, Stoops is well aware of how hot of a seat he is on, and his lack of success in recent times. Therefore, I don’t think that it would take that much to get him out of Kentucky, but rather that he would come to terms with a much cheaper buyout.
To anyone who feels differently, all I have to say to you would be to go watch the game against Texas.
On October 18th Kentucky played Texas at home for the first time ever. Kentucky had 26 first downs, to Texas’ eight, 258 passing yards to their 132, and 137 rushing yards to their 47. Despite outperforming Texas on both sides of the ball, the Wildcats came out with the overtime loss.
On the first play of overtime, UK quarterback Cutter Boley connected with UK wide receiver Kendrick Law for a 24 yard gain, leaving the Cats with one yard to go and a new set of downs. Yet, our offense fell short, failing to score, even though there was only one yard to go.
In the four plays we ran, three of them were a QB draw, designed to where Boley attempted to jump over both the offensive and defensive line and into the endzone. I am no offensive coordinator, but are we serious? With so much on the line, that was the way we went out? Pathetic.
In addition to the criticism Stoops received after the game, Bengals legend Chad Ochocinco weighed in on the matter, as Ochocinco was in attendance for the Texas game. He stated that the offense was “too conservative” and “repetitive.” Additionally, he stated that initially he didn’t understand the fan chants of, “Fire Stoops,” but after seeing the offensive performance, he understood the frustration.
However, Stoops will live to fight another week as the Cats left Auburn with their first SEC win of the year. If Stoops would have lost, that probably would have been the end of his time at UK. I don’t want to discredit the win; it was huge for the team, the fans, and definitely for Coach Stoops. With just four games left to go, Stoops will have to beat Florida this week, and either Louisville or Vanderbilt to clinch 6 wins, and qualify for a bowl game. If he fails to do so, I think that Mark Stoops’ reign will come to an end in Lexington.
