Is it Just Coaching?

[Kats23]

Its pretty obvious Stoops really lacks at making in game adjustments. His development of players is questionable at best but this goes beyond just Xs and Os for me. He ran a really successful defense at FSU. He has to know how to coach even if he can't be a good head coach.

I think the problems go far deeper. The divide in the locker room maybe was never solved last season. It's plausible he has just lost the lockeroom. When you look back at his second season and even with the disappointing finish, they were on an uptick. 1 yard away at Vandy from going to a bowl last year. Competitive against Florida last year and beat Mizz. Whatever happened midway through the year last year, if it was Boom's problems or something else it doesn't seem Mark Stoops ever fixed it.

 

[Kingebeneezer]

Four years and the team is still losing. The blame has to be laid somewhere.

 

[LowCountryCat]

It has to be, because the gaslighters say that Stoops has recruited better than any coach in UK history.

 

[Kats23]

Four years and the team is still losing. The blame has to be laid somewhere.

I squarely put the blame on Stoops and I think he's been a disaster as a head coach and I think coaching is a large majority of it, there has to be more to it than that. There's no fight in a lot of the players.

 

[Stenchymouse]

It's ALL on the coach and the AD!!!

PERIOD!!!

 

[Rafe Guttman]

The players aren't that good either.

Boom does nothing in the pass game: blocking or receiving.

Barker makes horrible decisions. He'll get better with experience but that's a year away.

The receivers were overrated. UK has a nice set of second or third options but no go-to guy. Baker struggled in the top target role last season and has been a non-factor thus far (injuries?). Conrad has been invisible.

The tackles aren't very good. We knew this, though.

The corners have size and talent but the safeties are subpar.

The linebackers are undersized for a 3-4 and lack big playmaking ability. Ware has been the biggest disappointment for me, thus far.

The d-line stinks and we knew it would stink.

Joker left Stoops with more defensive talent than Stoops will leave the next coach. What does that tell you about a defensive minded coach who is supposedly a recruiting stud?

 

[K_TIME]

I think Stoops biggest flaw is year over year player development...guys just don't shore up their game much from year to year.

Brooks and staff took kids decent kids like Ventrell Jenkins, Justin Jeffries, Gary Williams, Zipp Duncan, Jeremy Jarmon, Myron Pryor, Ricky Lumpkin, etc...and none were highly recruited (I left out Cory Peters and Larry Warford) but became solid guys in trenches. Look at Stoops kids in the trenches....He inherited Bud Dupree...maybe Toth. But what else? You can't win if you're way below par in either trenches.

I'd lastly argue the QB spot has been a huge red flag in terms of player development. We needed Towles to be alot like how Mike Hartline progressed (and Woodson before him). But when he fizzled out and now Barker is going thru the same growing pains...it's killing Stoops to not have a good decision maker back there.

You can go to other spots on team...LBer (Woodyard, Braxton Kelley, Trevethan, etc..) vs. Flannigan, Forrest, Love, Hatcher, etc.. It's simply players don't really develop much at UK under Stoops year over year.