Anonymous Coaches Evaluate Kentucky Football and its Rivals

The start of talking season is officially here. The first 2022 college football preview magazine is on shelves today. Athlon Sports is the first off the presses, with Will Levis donning the cover for the Kentucky edition.

Athlon ranks Kentucky No. 21 in its preseason Top 25, with seven players on its preseason All-SEC teams. RB Chris Rodriguez is the only first team selection.

Every college football preview magazine has all-conference teams, rankings and a projected order of finish. What separates Athlon from its competitors is its anonymous coaches feature. Each team is scouted by opposing coaches who speak under the condition of anonymity, often revealing hard truths about the program. Of course, some are skeptical about the UK offense after Liam Coen’s departure.

“The problem is they don’t have Wan’Dale Robinson and the offensive line lost a lot, so the odds are stacked against them,” one coach said.

Another coach believes Mark Stoops’ squad doesn’t receive enough credit on the other side of the line of scrimmage.

“Defensively, they’re never nationally recognized or anything, but they’re always effective. They do a good job keeping it in front of them in the passing game.”

Of course, at least one critique feels off base. It appears to be difficult for an outsider to gauge the expectations the BBN has placed upon its head coach.

“They’re approaching a dangerous area in terms of expectations. There’s going to be a point in time where the money they’re paying (Stoops) is going to come with more than just being happy with a bowl bid. For a long time, everyone in the industry has said Stoops has the best job in college football, but that can’t last forever. Can they build a division-winning program, or will he find another job before that time comes? They’re also competing in a division that gets a little better each year. You can always look at their games against Tennessee, South Carolina and Missouri as a good measurement. All three programs are improving season by season.”

It’s fair to wonder if Stoops can break through the final wall and win a division title. To say fans will get restless if he does not is taking it one step too far. The guy is going to finish the 2022 season with more wins than any other football coach in UK football history. Mark Stoops’ approval rating is currently higher than John Calipari’s. The BBN isn’t bringing its torches and pitchforks to Kroger Field anytime soon.

Coaches aren’t Impressed with the Tennessee Offense

We weren’t just going to share what the anonymous coaches had to say about Kentucky. Let’s get out some popcorn to point and laugh at Tennessee. While most in the media are falling in love with the darlings of the SEC, one coach can see right through the Vols’ high-flying offense.

“They’re pretty easy to break down because that offense is pretty easy to break down: You’re a six-win team if your quarterback is decent, and you’ve got a two- or three-game ceiling if he can make plays.”

That’s a lot of pressure on Hendon Hooker. It’d be a real shame if he could not put the team on his back, a real shame.

Scott Satterfield is Done

While Louisville fans fall back in love with Scott Satterfield, nobody else believes a summer of California recruiting will save his job.

“It’s win-now time. Other than Georgia Tech, this is the job that people think is going to come open in the league,” making it pretty clear this coach is in the ACC. You watch the coaching and the player turnover stack up, and it seems like they’ve drifted from what made (Satterfield) successful at Appalachian State.”

The problem is clear: Satterfield has never developed an identity at Louisville. It’s been a bad fit from day one and it’s not changing in 2022.

“I think the school and the head coach figured out they’re not a great fit for each other a while ago, and there hasn’t been a way to create a break yet. He’s tried to get out and it didn’t work, and there have been issues at the school that have probably bought him some time (i.e. a departing AD and school president). Unless they surprise a lot of people, this feels like the end.”