Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops has produced some fantastic results over his tenure in Lexington. The Wildcats have won 10 or more games just 4 times in program history. Stoops, with 10-3 marks in 2018 and 2021, is responsible for 2 of those occasions.
Since that second 10-win campaign, though, things have fizzled. At this moment, Stoops is squarely on the hot seat. His massive buyout looms as a, “will they, won’t they?” over athletic director Mitch Barnhart’s head. However, if there’s legitimacy to the latest chatter around the open Virginia Tech coaching position, Kentucky may have no decision to make.
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According to 247Sports’ Amber Marie, the Hokies are “tossing around” Stoops’ name “behind the scenes” as they prepare to embark on a coaching search. Marie included Stoops on a list of 8 candidates for the job in Blacksburg.
An interesting name being tossed around behind the scenes is long-time Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops,” Marie wrote. “Kentucky is not the easiest place to build a program, but Stoops has done that well. They appeared in a bowl game every year from 2016-2023 in a display of notable consistency… [but] there is growing concern about a lack of in-state recruits and declining on-field results.
If Stoops were to move on, Virginia Tech shapes up as a logical landing spot. As Marie mentioned, he built Kentucky up from practically nothing. His best years came during down seasons for the old SEC East, but winning 10 games in the SEC is impressive no matter the circumstances. With time, he could easily revive their program. But if the Hokies are looking for a quick fix, there are probably better options to pursue.
[H/T On3]
