Mark Stoops responds to report about meeting with Florida State
By Keith Farner
Published:
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops has been linked to the Florida State job as a possible candidate since it came open earlier this season. On Saturday after a win over Tennessee-Martin, Stoops addressed a report from 247Sports that he met with Florida State recently.
Josh Newberg of Noles247 reports that Stoops interviewed for the job last week in Cincinnati, Ohio, but was not offered the job. According to Newberg’s report, Stoops’ interview went well, but the former FSU defensive coordinator does not currently consider himself a candidate for the job. Stoops was the Seminoles’ defensive coordinator under Jimbo Fisher from 2010-12.
“I’m not going to get into specifics, but I just Florida State I had a great experience there,” Stoops said at a press conference. “Afforded me the opportunity to be here. I love it here. Been very fortunate, I have great administration. Dr. Capilouto, Mitch Barnhart have been so good to me. The fans, our players, recruits. This is where my heart is, this is where I want to be. I’m going to be at Kentucky. Does that answer your question?”
Stoops explained the timing to make that kind of statement.
“I just felt like it was, I was answering too many questions with recruits,” he said. “Just felt like it was time to answer those questions directly and be honest with them and this is where I want to be, so this is what I want to do.”
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
