Mark Stoops is excited to have offensive coordinator continuity for first time in half-decade

Entering the 2020 season, Eddie Gran was beginning his fifth season as the offensive coordinator at Kentucky. That would end up being the final season as the play-caller in Lexington. The former Auburn, Florida State, and Tennessee assistant gave the Wildcats a lot of continuity when he sat in the big chair in the offensive meeting rooms at the Joe Craft Football Training Facility.

The Cats have been chasing that same continuity ever since. A half-decade later, Kentucky will finally have offensive coordinator continuity again in 2025 when Bush Hamdan returns for his second season in the program. Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops is very excited to have that again after seeing Liam Coen (x2) and Rich Scangarello each go one-and-done in Lexington.

“I’m so excited to have a year where we bring back the offensive coordinator. You know what I mean? To your point, it’s just things that some of it was in my control, some of it was out of my control. You know this, you get played the cards that are dealt to you. You have to adapt and overcome the best way you can,” Stoops said on a radio hit with Chris Childers and Rick Neuheisel in Atlanta with SiriusXM. “I’m not saying that is the end all be all or why it caught up to us, but the continuity and the lack of continuity at times at position coaches, different things, I mean it does catch up to you at times. Make no excuses, we just weren’t good enough last year, but I’m very excited now.”

Hamdan is entering his eighth overall season as an offensive coordinator after time spent at Davidson (2014), Washington (2018-19), and Boise State (2023) as a play-caller. The hope is that the offense in the Bluegrass improves in a big way in this continuity year.

The Wildcats finished Hamdan’s debut season ranked No. 89 in success rate (40.6%), No. 107 in yards per play (5.25), No. 109 in red zone touchdown percentage (52.94%), No. 115 in points per drive (1.61), and No. 118 in EPA/play (-0.08). Kentucky posted only a 38.9 percent red zone touchdown rate against power conference foes and finished under five yards per play six times. Kentucky’s offensive SP+ rating (No. 88 overall) was the third time in the last five seasons where the Cats had a sub-80 offense. A big improvement is needed.

Stoops gave his offensive coordinator a vote of confidence last November. The Cats then entered an offseason where numerous changes were needed. Kentucky’s coaching staff quickly went to work and brought in 16 offensive transfers. That free agency class will likely produce immediate starters at quarterback, tailback, wide receiver (x2), guard, and tackle (x2). Hamdan helped build this free agency offense and now must produce.

Stoops is optimistic about what this offensive roster reset and the return of the play-caller could bring his program this fall.

“I love the fresh new energy. Fresh faces. The change within some personnel on the team because those guys don’t know we went through a tough game last year,” Stoops explained on SiriusXM. “There’s 50 players that don’t even care about what happened last year, and 26 transfers who are just worried about what we do now. And the continuity of the staff having the OC back for the first time in five years.”

Will the new play-caller stability bring better results in Lexington? It needs to because a big reason for last year’s flop was the offense. Kentucky must prove this unit can finish drives, dictate the terms of the game via ball control, and create a system where a quarterback can succeed. The hope is that Bush Hamdan can create those things in year two with brand new personnel.

“Bringing Bush Hamdan back for a second year is something I’m excited about,” Stoops said during his main room press conference at SEC Media Days. “We need to build, and I’m confident we’ll do that.”