Refuse to believe Stoops is an idiot. So, changes will be made.....

[Mojocat_rivals48469]

......there are basic situational football decisions that every competent coach knows and makes. This staff does not seem to have the ability to make solid coaching decisons - simply too much evidence to the contrary. These exceptionally poor decisions, in my opinion, are not caused by a lack of 'head coaching" experience - but lack of common sense football knowledge.

That's what I cannot buy. What we saw this year - especially in the Vandy game when it was time after time, but in several other games the last half of the year - was basic stuff even a decent high school coach would know.

So, I ask you. Mark Stoops. Son of a long-time celebrated coach, brother to 4 other coaches, a football lifer, been around the game since he was 2 years old, a position coach at the U, a coordinator at the highest level (FSU)......you're telling me that guy doesn't have the basic "common sense football knowledge" of a good high school coach.

Can't buy it. Just cannot. That's why I say the atmosphere must be toxic. There simply has to be divisions in the locker room and the coaches box that makes the whole thing dysfunctional and chaotic. If that's the stew you're working in, then even a good coach will look like an idiot on occasion.

As I said above, in the OP, it really doesn't matter. Once the fan base moves on and decides it's done, it doesn't matter whether that's an accurate assessment of the coach or not, doesn't matter whether he truly is incompetent and in over his head or is just a victim of circumstance and could eventually be a good or even really good coach in a different setting. Doesn't matter.

If the stands are empty, it doesn't matter. But I refuse to believe that guy doesn't have "common sense football knowledge".....

 

[Father Torque_rivals16706]

Here's the thing I wonder about Stoops. He has unlimited access to his brother, one of the best college fb coaches in the country. Also access to his other brother who had some limited success as a college head coach. Will his ego allow him to ask them for help and take it, or is he going to "show them" that he can make things work doing it his way?

Family dynamics could be good for us in this situation or they could be a hindrance.

 

[Anon1660081258]

Stoops needs a "team Mom"

I agree with this 100%. He needs to hire a former HC or veteran coordinator who enjoyed at least some form of success or spent a lot of time around a successful HC to come in and (1) takeover special teams, and (2) basically mentor him in being a head coach. Put another way, he needs to swallow some pride and use all his connections to hook up with someone who will quietly lead him out of the wilderness in which he presently wanders. I am NOT talking about Pelini here, either. I get the impression the guy does not feel comfortable taking input on doing his job from his peers, but might benefit from a coaching "father figure" being around. Has to be the right kind of guy for it to work though, someone prepared to see his advice ignored, and realize he does not have to say "I told you so" when it is already obvious. The kind of guy I am talking about will probably cost a few coins. I wish Gramps would put away the fly rod and come back East for a couple of years. That might be all it would take. won't happen. Must find a substitute.

 

[Anon1639625937]

The actual hire wasn't a big deal. Anytime a program like UK goes out and gets the hot coordinator....it's generally thought of as a good hire. Like Kirby Smart. Programs have been trying to land him for yrs. Whomever does get him hired, is going to consider it a home run. Doesn't mean that he'll end up a good coach. When Stoops was hired, it was widely considered a home run.......we'll just have to see how it turns out.

BlueRaider - I didnt think it was a bad idea at the time of his hire and I still dont think it's was a bad idea. I conur that we still need to see how it all works out. My comment was an attmept to point at what we hired and what it will take for him to be successful. Time!

 

[BlueRaider22]

^Sorry. My comment was made mainly more in agreement with you. But it was also a shot at those who are slamming Mitch for it being a bad hire. At the time the hire was made, it was thought of by just about everyone to be a very, very good hire. If he flops, that shouldn't all fall on Mitch........but to many fans it will.....and has.

 

[DACats86]

^Sorry. My comment was made mainly more in agreement with you. But it was also a shot at those who are slamming Mitch for it being a bad hire. At the time the hire was made, it was thought of by just about everyone to be a very, very good hire. If he flops, that shouldn't all fall on Mitch........but to many fans it will.....and has.

No, Stoops looked very good - on paper. I don't blame Barnhart for hiring Stoops, but I don't want him making the next hire when/if it happens.

 

[docholiday51]

That's what I cannot buy. What we saw this year - especially in the Vandy game when it was time after time, but in several other games the last half of the year - was basic stuff even a decent high school coach would know.

So, I ask you. Mark Stoops. Son of a long-time celebrated coach, brother to 4 other coaches, a football lifer, been around the game since he was 2 years old, a position coach at the U, a coordinator at the highest level (FSU)......you're telling me that guy doesn't have the basic "common sense football knowledge" of a good high school coach.

Can't buy it. Just cannot. That's why I say the atmosphere must be toxic. There simply has to be divisions in the locker room and the coaches box that makes the whole thing dysfunctional and chaotic. If that's the stew you're working in, then even a good coach will look like an idiot on occasion.

As I said above, in the OP, it really doesn't matter. Once the fan base moves on and decides it's done, it doesn't matter whether that's an accurate assessment of the coach or not, doesn't matter whether he truly is incompetent and in over his head or is just a victim of circumstance and could eventually be a good or even really good coach in a different setting. Doesn't matter.

If the stands are empty, it doesn't matter. But I refuse to believe that guy doesn't have "common sense football knowledge".....

This is a tough question to reconcile and what I was getting at in a previous post.I think it is the most unnerving (for a UK fan)thing about this year and the direction of the program for that matter.Do distractions exist to the degree that decision making is compromised or is it that the moment is just too big? I really don't like either answer and I don't buy that it is a combination of both.

 

[kyjohn]

I know some of you think Stoops is too dumb to count backwards from 10. I refuse to believe he’s an idiot. About football anyway – too much pedigree. So there will be changes.

We can all see how dysfunctional and poorly coached this team was. We all know that the schedule was sitting there begging us to get 8 wins, maybe 9 with a break or two, and we all know that happens once a generation in this league. We all know this year could have been a springboard to really changing UK football and cementing Stoops. Instead we got the opposite, a catapult in the wrong direction. We all know now he has his hands full – will go into next year with some heat, facing a much more difficult schedule. We all know that there was something going on with this team, divisions between players and maybe coaches. And we know, maybe that’s not the ideal environment to assess a coach or a new coach’s potential. We all know that doesn’t matter, that if/when you lose the fan base, the curtain comes down and how “good” a coach you might have become is irrelevant. We all know that if things don’t change, next year will be bad, or at least not good enough, and Stoops time at UK, maybe his career, will be over. We all know that simply vowing to “put our heads down, and go to work” is not enough.

If we all know that, then he must know it. Coaches and players will go. Things will change.

Right?

If Stoops hasn't learned to deal with the problems with his program after three years,then he is either mentally challenged or awful faithful to those he has put on his staff and the choices they have made in their coaching and players they have chosen to play.

 

[Anjiejo]

I think this is Stoops' greatest fault. By title, he has coordinators. But it seems he wants to still run every minute detail. Its just not possible. Hes stretched too thin, especially on game day. I think thats why we see so many odd/missed decisions during the games.

Stoops needs to either trust his assistants and let them work, or fire them and find assistants he does trust. The only exception is Elliot, because Im assuming Stoops is basically a co-DC with him in terms of game planning.

I think we'll see Elliot demoted and Stoops take over defensive playcalling. I dont think Elliot will be fired, because hes been too good on the recruiting trail, and hes actually done a decent job defending traditional offenses. This decision will be good for 2 reasons. 1) It will provide us with a more talented DC in Stoops and 2) it will keep Stoops from micromanaging everything else during the game.

Agree 100%.... "IF" we can't get a experienced DC.. Then he needs to hire a EXPERIENCED coach to coach special teams...If he get a new DC stoops needs to focus on ST and trust his coordinators...

 

[anon_013cn8yrfncx2]

We can always hope .. that's what I've been doing since 1955. I was not thrilled by the Stoops hire for one reason. He has a bend but don't break defensive philosophy. How anyone can be hyped as a defensive coach who doesn't have an attacking style is beyond me.
I guess if you get the recruits that FSU does (on BOTH sides of the ball) then maybe it's a tenable option but IMO it will NEVER work at UK. So I'm not surprised at how our defense has performed under CMS. He has recruited well so that's a plus. I have no opinion on the length of his tenure going forward but I think his defensive approach is severely limiting in what he can ever accomplish at UK.

 

[BlueRaider22]

^What?! Bend not break does not mean that he isn't aggressive. Did you watch him at FSU?

 

[yoshukai]

I think there is no doubt that Stoops is good at coaching football . But will he be able to manage a football program ? Time will tell .