Mark Stoops discusses what he’ll look for in his next OC, commitment level from Kentucky to pay elite assistant
By Keith Farner
Published:
It was an emotional Sunday for Kentucky coach Mark Stoops as he dealt with dismissing offensive assistants Eddie Gran and Darrin Hinshaw, two coaches who have become close friends with Stoops over the years.
Stoops held an afternoon press conference to explain the decision and how he has support from the administration.
“You need to recognize the work that they’ve done, they’ve done a tremendous job for us,” Stoops said. “They care deeply about this program, they care deeply about their players. It was a difficult time. But I also have to recognize that I have a responsibility to our players, to our fans, to our administration to do what’s best for our program as we move forward and sometimes change is necessary.”
Gran and Hinshaw came from Cincinnati, but Stoops said that style of offense, while Gran in particular was praised last season for his adaptability, can’t work exactly like it did in the American Athletic Conference, as it would in the SEC. Stoops also admitted that the circumstances from last season, including injuries and moving Lynn Bowden Jr. to QB played a factor in the struggles this year, particularly with balance for this year’s offense.
“We all want offenses that look like (theirs at UC), but that’s a different league,” Stoops said. “They did a good job adapting to the SEC. But there also comes a time where change is needed. We want an offense that is balanced.”
Stoops, who also announced that UK would play in a bowl game following a player vote, was asked what kind of financial commitment he received from Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart about the compensation for the staff he is set to hire.
“I’ve had full support, and I don’t anticipate that changing,” Stoops said. “I’ve met with Mitch, obviously, and had discussions with him leading up to this decision, and Mitch had to go up the chain and have conversations with the President’s Office and the President and all that. Yes, I feel like I will have the full support to do what’s necessary. We have to. We’re competing in this league and I don’t need to tell you all what it’s like, so we have to have that support.”
Stoops also shared that he’s very limited in his involvement with the day-to-day happenings within the offense, and said he’s often pulled away to address other matters related to his job.
“I do not have enough hours in the day… I know what a good offense needs to look like but I can’t spend my time in there,” he said.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
