Kirk Herbstreit thinks current SEC coach is ‘obvious’ fit for Florida State job
Published:
Parting ways with embattled head coach Willie Taggart after just 21 games, the Florida State Seminoles currently possess the highest profile coaching vacancy in college football.
Speaking with reporters during a teleconference on Wednesday, ESPN analyst and former Ohio State quarterback Kirk Herbstreit offered an intriguing name to fill the position: Kentucky’s Mark Stoops.
Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times offered an extended look at Herbstreit’s comments:
ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit doesn't have a great read on the #FSU coaching search yet, but he did mention one obvious candidate. He's a Stoops. #Noles https://t.co/3FcRSEjvVM
— Matt Baker (@MBakerTBTimes) November 7, 2019
“I think the most obvious name to come to the top of my head is Mark Stoops,” he began.
“Stoops has done a pretty good job there (Kentucky). Won 10 games last year, which is tough to do in the SEC when you’re in Lexington. And so I think he would be an obvious candidate, but there are a lot of other guys that I’m sure will be candidates.”
Having previous head coaching experience and recent success on the recruiting trail, Herbstreit thinks Stoops has the qualities FSU should pursue in their next head man.
“I think after everything they have been through for the last few years, I think they need to find somebody that’s familiar with the state as far as recruiting, somebody that’s familiar with that school and some of the ways that school works and operates.”
The younger brother of former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, Mark Stoops previously served as the defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach for the Seminoles from 2010-12.
Now in his seventh year at the helm of the Wildcats, he was named SEC Coach of the Year in 2018.
Seeking to qualify for a bowl game for the fourth consecutive season, Kentucky (4-4, 2-4 SEC) hosts Tennessee (4-5, 2-3) on Saturday at 7:30PM ET on the SEC Network.
A graduate of Bowling Green State University, Teddy Rydquist has been contributing to Saturday Down South and Saturday Tradition since 2019. In addition to his work here, he has covered the Michigan Wolverines for GBMWolverine and Wolverine Digest. He can be found on Twitter @TeddyRydquist.
