It should come as no surprise that Mark Stoops had a plan when he learned he would have to replace Neal Brown.The interest in Kentucky’s open offensive coordinator job came from far and wide and speculation about when Brown’s successor would be named swirled immediately. Stoops, meanwhile, kept a narrow focus, unaffected by everything going on outside his own head.”I really took my time, evaluated to find what I wanted, and set out to find that person rather than just get all kinds of great people with great credentials and then try to change what we’re doing and so on and so forth, and what direction I wanted to go,” Stoops said.Once Stoops had an idea on direction, he set about finding the best fit. Ultimately, current West Virginia offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson was the pick.”With that, that led me to Shannon, and could not be more happy with that hire,” Stoops said. “I think the more and more research I did, the more and more I talked to him, it was evident that he was exactly what we’re looking for here at Kentucky to lead our offense. Very, very proud to have him.”First, Dawson’s hire ensures continuity from the system Brown ran the last two seasons, though Stoops shied away from calling it the “Air Raid.”  “It’s the same system, however you want to define it,” Stoops said. “It’s very similar.”Dawson got his coaching start at Southeastern Louisiana under Hal Mumme, a fact that Stoops didn’t come across until late in the game. “I also think it’s kind of unique that some of his roots go back to Coach Mumme in the days of–it all goes back, right?” Stoops said. “I didn’t even really realize that until we were far into the process, but I think it is kind of unique that what I’m looking for and what we’re trying to be here offensively, a lot of it does tie into the culture and to the history of this program.”The history of the program may have a lot to do with the pass-happy system Mumme pioneered, but Stoops is quick to point out that its future will be defined in large part by running the ball. Playing in the Southeastern Conference, he doesn’t see any other option.”You’ve heard me talk about it all the time, and people may wonder where I’m going all the time with balance and things like that, but the bottom line is I believe to compete in this conference you have to be physical,” Stoops said. “You have to have some balance.”Once again, Dawson fits the bill on that count.Though West Virginia is ninth nationally in passing and 11th in total offense, the Mountaineers actually attempted more runs (531) than passes (489) this regular season.”They’re very effective at running the ball, even out of the spread, and that’s what I want to look like,” Stoops said. “I want to threaten people and make them accountable to stopping the run game. If you don’t, really you’re not going to win a lot of games.”Getting past system and run-pass balance, Stoops sees in Dawson the kind of coach who will fit into a blue-collar staff that, by and large, has been together for two years now. He sees a coach who will capitalize on the opportunity in front of him.”The most important thing was leadership, but other things I really liked about him was I felt like he’s always done more with less,” Stoops said. “I like the way he’s worked his way up the profession. I like the way he grinded from a young coach and really made a name for himself, working with Hal Mumme, the roots of his system.”Stoops also mentioned Dawson’s evolution as a coach. The 37-year-old has come a long way since those days with Mumme and even in his three seasons working under Dana Holgorsen at West Virginia, going from relying almost exclusively on the pass to displaying the balance so important to Stoops.That’s now positioned him for this chance to run his own offensive show.”I think if you ask him when he gets here, I’m sure one of the things that appealed to him about coming here was working for a defensive coach because, you know, sink or swim, here’s the keys, you do it,” Stoops said. “Sink or swim. That’s what it was like when I went to Florida State (as defensive coordinator), and I wanted it that way.”Stoops in no rush to find Naivar’s replacementStoops confirmed on Monday that special teams coordinator and safeties coach Craig Naivar has accepted a position at the University of Houston. With the decision to hire Dawson now made, Stoops is turning his attention to filling the vacancy left by Naivar.Just as he did in searching for an offensive coordinator, Stoops won’t hurry.”I want the best football coach I can get,” Stoops said.He also wants a coach who will be a major asset on the defensive side of the ball.”I would really like to bring in as much defensive experience as we can get,” Stoops said. “I think if you just look around this league, and some things that are going on now and guys that I’m talking to and different things, different hires, it’s serious business. There’s guys hiring an awful lot of good football coaches. You look at certain staffs, and there’s two or three coordinator types on each side of the ball, and really that’s what you have to get to.”