Rich Brooks calls for Kentucky to build statue for Mark Stoops
Mark Stoops has been through ups and downs during his time at Kentucky. The Wildcats finished 2-10 in his debut season in 2013, then failed to reach bowl eligibility in back-to-back seasons with 5-7 records and just two SEC wins apiece in 2014 and 2015. 2016 was a make-or-break season that saw the Youngstown native almost lose his job mid-year before the team rallied late to earn a spot in the TaxSlayer Bowl.
That was the first of seven consecutive bowl trips for Stoops and the Wildcats, a run that saw two 10-win seasons and four straight bowl victories in the Citrus (2), Belk and Gator Bowls.
Build the statue
Stoops became the program’s all-time winningest coach this past season and was previously named SEC Coach of the Year in 2018, the program’s first since 1983. Through the early adversities, he’s come out the other side as the most decorated coach in school history.
And Rich Brooks believes it’s time for Kentucky to permanently honor what he’s been able to accomplish in Lexington.
“For what Mark Stoops has done there, they oughta build him a statue,” Brooks said Tuesday on the KSR Preshow. “It’s pretty impressive.”
Brooks knows just how difficult it is to win at Kentucky. The head coach from 2003-09, he came in when the program was on probation with limited scholarships and resources. He was tasked with a complete multi-year rebuild with no guarantee of success. Brooks ultimately got things rolling and the wait was well worth it, the Wildcats going to four consecutive bowls with wins in the first three.
The veteran coach and his wife were recently rewarded during the program’s new facility renovations, the Nutter Field House playing surface named Rich and Karen Brooks Field.
Taking the program to new heights
But in Brooks’ eyes, Stoops has taken the Kentucky program to the next level, specifically on the recruiting trail. Brooks’ teams were talented, but depth was an issue at times. With the way the Wildcats are recruiting and hitting the transfer portal, though, rosters are deeper in Lexington than they’ve ever been.
“I’m going to tell you, what Mark has done at Kentucky is remarkable,” Brooks said. “He has been very consistent and has recruited at a very high level. There were some years when I was at Kentucky we would lose a player and we wouldn’t have a quality backup.
“Mark Stoops has better depth than we did when I was there because he’s recruited across a wider swath of the country and done a very good job of bringing in good, young players. He’s taken advantage of the transfer portal, filling in some holes.”
Winning in the meat grinder of the SEC
And he’s doing it in a new era of the SEC where things are only getting tougher — a “meat grinder,” as Brooks calls it.
“What he has done is remarkable, and he’s done it in a difficult environment. The power has changed in that conference,” Brooks said. “It was Florida, now it’s Georgia. When I was there, we beat Georgia twice. They’re very difficult to beat now. We beat Auburn, beat Arkansas at Arkansas. There are very difficult places to play and the league has gotten tougher with the addition of Texas and (Oklahoma).
“It’s just a meat grinder.”
School-record 20-game win streak against non-conference competition, the longest active streak in the nation. First win at Tennessee since 1984, first New Year’s Day Bowl win since 1951, first 10-win season since 1977, first final poll ranking since 1984.
The list of firsts goes on and on under Mark Stoops. Time for a permanent statue to honor it all?
Rich Brooks says yes.
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