Mark Stoops confirms assistant coach Michael Smith has resigned from his position with Kentucky
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It’s been an interesting offseason for Kentucky when it comes to Mark Stoops’ coaching staff.
Vince Marrow was notably courted by Youngstown State and Michigan State, outside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator Dean Hood left to become the new head coach at Murray State, and Mark’s brother Mike Stoops was offered a position on the Kentucky staff but decided to stay in Alabama as an analyst under Nick Saban.
Now, with the Wildcats in the middle of spring camp, receivers coach Michael Smith has resigned from his position with the team. Mark Stoops announced the news on Tuesday. Smith was under contract at Kentucky through the 2020 season.
“I just want to confirm, Coach Smith did resign, I know you all heard all about that,” Stoops said on Tuesday. “He did resign. We will have an announcement in the near future about his replacement, that’s all I can say about it at this point.”
This news comes after Kentucky reportedly decided to hire former Oregon receivers coach Jovon Bouknight. Smith had spent two seasons with the Wildcats coaching the team’s receivers after previously serving as the Arkansas receivers coach under Bret Bielema.
Before joining the Oregon coaching staff, Bouknight spent 10 years coaching at Utah State and was a standout pass-catcher for Wyoming. During his college career, he registered 250 receptions for 3,626 yards and 29 touchdowns and was a 2005 Biletnikoff Award finalist.
Following these coaching moves, should Bouknight officially replace Smith, Kentucky will remain at nine full-time assistant coaches with one spot remaining open following Hood’s departure from the staff.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
