Mark Stoops sees "a totally different mindset" in his team this summer

@UKStoopTroops

Mark Stoops came on KSR this morning to talk about the new training facility and give us an update on how his squad’s doing less than two weeks before fall camp. There seems be a new swagger around the program in recent weeks, thanks in large part to the new training facility, which a national analyst told Matt is in the top five to ten training facilities in the country. When Matt shared that comment with Stoops, he agreed.

“I would definitely have to think so. What’s so nice about our facility is, so many people are pinched for space like we have been for all these years. We were far away from the stadium, far away from the indoor [practice field],” Stoops said, mentioning how in the past, he’s had to have busses ready to take the team from the Nutter Training Center to the Nutter Field House if lightning was in the area. “With our new facility directly tied into our indoor, basically 50 feet from our stadium, we have beautiful practice fields I’m looking out at from my office. The building itself, it’s everything I thought it would be. There’s no doubt it’s one of the top facilities in the country.”

Even before the facility opened, Stoops said he noticed a “totally different mindset” in his team during summer workouts.

“There’s no doubt. We do see them training, we see them running, but we are allowed to work with them on some football skills,” Stoops said. “I’ve been amazed at how committed our players have been just because there’s a totally different mindset. You can see it and feel it. When you walk out on that field tomorrow morning at 6:30 a.m., every player will be here, they will all be in their position groups and they’ll be grinding on their technique and certain aspects of the offense and defense that we’ll work with them on.”

Part of that mindset? Attention to detail, a luxury UK hasn’t been allowed in previous years.

“Just their commitment level and the way they’ve been just focused on their work, it’s different because it’s so long, it’s so monotonous, it’s so hot throughout the summer, but they’re focused, their attention to detail is there, they’re trying to put the fine strokes on things, and that’s what it takes. We’ve been too broad stroked. We’ve had to change so much and get them in shape, get them bigger, get them stronger, get them mentally and physically to a point where they can handle and endure a tough schedule. Now, they’re putting the fine strokes on things and you can see them doing it at a very early time and that’s what I’m excited about.”

Listen to Stoops’ interview below: