Mark Stoops Press Conference
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Kentucky Football News Conference
December 5, 2022
Coach Mark Stoops
“You guys are catching me at a vulnerable moment, I’m not going to lie. My head has been spinning, I’m not sure it’s stopped yet. I’ve been running pretty hard, I just ran out of a meeting and came over here. For the first time I’ve walked into this, it’s been 10 years, not one note, totally off the cuff today, so very unprepared. You may catch me in a vulnerable moment, fire some questions at me, you may get a response that I don’t normally give you.
“I will say this, and I mentioned it briefly yesterday in the release, very honored to play in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl. I know it was a great experience, other than the outcome, in 2017. I know it puts our fans in a pickle and I’m very sorry about that, there’s not a lot we can do about that. For ourselves and our team it’s an honor to play in this game. Again, I think some people may like it or not like it that we’re a repeat in playing the Iowa team but I know this, it will be one heck of a football game once again. A team that is not going anywhere. They’re always going to be there. They’re going to fight you tooth and nail. (Iowa Coach) Kirk Ferentz is steady as can be, the longest tenured coach in college football if I’m not mistaken. Very quality program, they have been for years, as you know that’s my alma mater. With that being said it is what it is. For us, it’s an honor to play in that game. Again, the fact that our fans are a little bit torn, it worked in ’17, I know the times were different (that year). This year, I expect Rupp to be packed for the Louisville game and I expect us to sell our allotment of tickets and have a quality group of people there as well. There’s enough Kentucky fans to be able to spread it around and support both programs like you always do. Thank you to the BBN and look forward to it once again.
“It’s a busy time, a lot of good things. Excited about this game. As people discuss other options, nice thing about this for us is the timing of it. Anything on the 31st or later is ideal, to play a game earlier than that is difficult sometimes with morale. As you know, with players this day and age, to ask them to get up Christmas morning and practice may be a little tough right now. This timing should work out well, give us time to recruit. We’ve been on the recruiting trail, we’re hitting the recruiting trail hard once again for the next two weeks. We will work in practices around that and prepare. Once again, our normal routine, it will give us time to practice and prepare, give the players a little bit of a Christmas break, let them go home and let them see their families on Christmas and then fly to the bowl site and pick up where we left off and get ready to go play a game. Again, to try to continue to go represent our program the right way and go compete and fight and play a very good bowl game and try to win the thing.”
On Iowa’s quarterback situation…
“I really don’t even know. I have not had time to even read one thing on the Hawks. I know this, it doesn’t matter who is playing behind the center, no matter what the score is, no matter what is going on, it will be a tough game. That’s what I know.”
On the offensive coordinator coaching change…
“There’s many reasons and many factors that go into it as you can imagine. I’ll be guarded in that out of respect that I have for Rich (Scangarello) and all of our coaches. I think he is a very good football coach and very bright. Sometimes things don’t work out and sometimes you need to make a change for a variety of reasons. I don’t want to throw one or two of those out there and have it grab a headline, but obviously I felt the change was needed or else I would not have done it. I’m very excited about where this could lead. I’m in the middle of talking to several people. I had a great conversation with a potential candidate yesterday. I’m going to meet with another one here this week. I’ve already spoken to several others. So, I feel like there’s some very good options out there and I’m not going to limit myself. We’ll see where it goes. I’m optimistic, I’m excited, I think each time this position seems to open up there is even more and more interest in the job, which is a good sign to me.”
On if there is a style you are looking for in your next offensive coordinator…
“There are definitely things to think about there. One of the things, again without talking negatively about anybody, but I said it postgame Louisville, one of these last press conference we had, I definitely think taking that long to spit out play calls and some of that terminology with the NFL scheme, I have to think about. Running a play every 37-38 seconds, I definitely want to look at that. I’m not interested in going that slow.”
On if you are making an individual decision or a group decision in hiring your next offensive coordinator…
“I always take input and calls and there’s a lot people out there with a lot of knowledge and people I respect. (I’m) Fielding a lot of phone calls and vetting a lot of people. I’ll handle it pretty much by myself for the most part.”
On if having a different group of players next season makes a difference in who you hire as offensive coordinator…
“It does, to some extent. As I mentioned at that point in time, what were we? We were a very physical football team. Where were we falling short? Being able to benefit off that, with the play-action game and the boot game, and the play-action pass game. And, we did. For a variety of reasons you have to adjust to the personnel that you have. So yes, it is a bit different right now. Yes, I want what I think everyone wants and that’s ultimately to score points. I still believe, and will always, balance is important. Being physical is important. It’s important to me, I think it’s who we are. It’s an identity and I think it’s important. But I also believe in getting the ball down the field and explosive plays. That’s something that I want to get better, I want to continue to improve. I want to create explosive plays. Is that tempo? Is it run-pass? All that, you put it together. You have to look at things and analyze things and always try to adapt. Ultimately, hire the best coach that fits us, and somebody that has that ability to adapt, and not just be one thing or another. I think we have good pieces. I don’t think we’re as far off. We got caught short in a couple of spots this year and we need to address that, and get back to work. We’re not far off. As bad as it all felt, maybe to all of us at times, falling short of our goals, you’re still a few plays away from winning two more. You have to look at those things.”
On if you have a timetable on when you’d like to hire your next offensive coordinator
“We’re holding court in the transfer portal. There’s no panic here. You have to have some urgency about it, but no panic. I’m not going to rush things. It’s vitally important that we have the right guy. You have to get the right person, rather than rush just to get one player or to worry about that. We’re staying steady in recruiting. I think we’re going to do well in the portal. I don’t want to panic there and want to get the right guy.”
On what you’re looking for in your next running backs coach…
“A lot of things. Obviously, a dynamic person, a person that can handle the room and coach his position. Once again, just as I talked about players, that talent level has to be there, first and foremost. But then I think personality matters, bringing something else to it. Are you a dynamic recruiter? Do you bring something in special teams? There’s several things that you can factor into it and I have great candidates that I’ve talked to. You guys all seem to find out. You’ve been way off on some of this stuff (laughter). I have a person in mind that I am going to hire and I think he’ll be able to coach running backs and special teams.”
On being at Kentucky 10 years…
“I’m very appreciative. I’ve always said that. When you ask me those questions, you think about them, but I don’t spend any other time really thinking about that. I’m very appreciative to be here, and as I mentioned before, sometimes it feels like it’s gone so fast, and other times, slow. Sometimes good years, bad years. Weeks to weeks sometimes for us are so difficult as you know. You’ve covered it enough, that you see us. It’s a tough, hard, very strenuous season, and there’s ups and downs. So, I’m grateful for the opportunity and constantly driven to just try to get better. That’s really where the focus is and what you really concentrate on. There’s been so much to do since the last time we were together (Nov. 26) that you really don’t seem to stop. I had to stop for one day. I had rotator cuff surgery. That put me down for almost 24 hours, which was difficult, but I bounced back quick.”
On how important it is to hire coaches who are familiar with the SEC…
“I don’t think it’s difficult. Coaching is coaching. A lot of coaches, if they have experience in the SEC, great. Otherwise, what Power 5 Conferences were they in, what’s their experience, and what are they bringing? Are they proven to be a recruiter, are they proven to bring some experience to in special teams or other areas, big-picture ideas. There’s a different value for each and every coach, and ultimately we’re trying to get the best coaches we can.”
On who will call offensive plays in the bowl game…
“I don’t want to comment on that just yet. We’ll work through that. It’ll be a group effort. Obviously, you got Woody up there, Scott Woodward, you got Vince [Marrow], who’s done it before, will be a big part of the leadership of that. But Woody has been a quarterback, been a receiver guy, so he’ll help a lot. More than likely, will be active for game will be Josh Estes-Waugh, who is an analyst and been with me for a long, long time, and is overqualified for the position that he’s in right now, and ready to be a quarterback coach and a play-caller and things of that nature somewhere. So, we’re fortunate to have him. Mark Perry is a guy that has great experience and has been around and been very valuable to myself. He’s been active this past week with recruiting and being able to go to state championship games and connecting with state recruits and all that. So, Mark is good to have active right now and be able to hit the pavement, he knows so many people in Kentucky. We have a plan to get to, I want to say, 60 or 70 schools in the state. We already had that on the books and Mark has already been out and we’ve been out. So, I have some quality guys here.”
On if you know who will play in the bowl game…
“No, I don’t know exactly everybody that’s going to play in the bowl. It’s different. Last time we played, I was so glad to do it, with the portal, and having guys play last year. This year, it’s just different. It’s harder. It’s been around longer. We’re a little more familiar with it. Last year was a great success. But this year, I think it’s better for the players and better for us that they can go and take their visits and figure out where they’re going. Just so appreciative, as a group, the guys that are in the portal. Just all great young men, very good football players. We’ve worked hard to try to help them. It’s not always a perfect or positive experience for everybody, but we work very hard for everybody. There’s 110 players, 105 players at the end of the year, and we care about each and every one of them, and invest in each and every one of them. But they’re not all going to get, individually, what they all want. That’s why the portal is a good thing. It may not be best for us in certain areas, but it’s better for that young man, so we support it, and want to help in any way we can. We really appreciate all of them.”
On if players in the portal get a similar recruiting experience as high school players in-home visits and official visits…
“I think most portal players, when they come in the next time, they’re not interested in the bells and whistles. It’s more like ‘Get down to business. Where do I fit into your system? Where do you see me playing?’ I think that’s where its different a lot of times. Not always. There’s more and more as we get into this longer. But the portal players that have come in before, a lot of them are like, ‘I’m not interested in all of that. Yeah fine, we’ll eat some dinner, but I’m not interested in the bells and whistles. They’re more interested in watching the offense and watching the defense, and where am I fitting in, and where am I playing, and what the opportunities are.’”
On if he’s expecting more decisions to come soon from his players…
“I had meetings all morning. That’s one of the reasons why I strategically made sure I was off the road today because it was the announcement date (for entering the transfer portal). There’s five/six players that you absolutely knew. We already had those kind of conversations and might have a wrap up with them, thank them, support them. But you know those were coming and there will be several more that we know are coming and then you just don’t want to be surprised– to this point I haven’t been surprised, so I hope it stays that way. As I tell the players and I think you can all relate to this, but when you’re dealing with so many, there are some that I absolutely know are coming. I can just stand in front of the team and look out there and as I talk to them every day, I can read the eyes. Then there’s others you don’t know because we’re not mind-readers. That’s the thing with players and it’s so important with coaching and coaches these days and everything is that relationship piece — connecting with them, talking with them and so we can get to know them as well as we can, with such a big organization. For me that’s still something that is hard, and I still have to pour into and want to more, more, more because that’s always been important to me and having that close, personal relationship with 100 players and 50 people that work with you and everything else, it gets to be a lot. I think that’s extremely important and that’s why you have to have talented coaches with you.”
On if Will (Levis) will play in the bowl game…
“I do not know. Will and I spoke, as I mentioned the last time I was public with you guys (Nov. 26) that he and I discussed it and he was going to think about it and he needed some time. I didn’t want him to make a decision right then because I’m sure he was physically, emotionally and definitely the biggest thing is physically. He just had some things to work through and wanted to see how his body responded and how he felt with treatment and see where he’s at injury-wise. We’ll get together here I would imagine real soon, and he’ll let me know and I’m sure not long after that you all will you know.”
On what Will meant to the program…
“He’s a guy that you know, once again, it’s hard to describe what he’s meant to this program because he’s meant an awful lot. He came at a time when we desperately needed him and he helped with, to your point earlier about the strengths and who we were and everything. He helped kind of re-create that and attract some of these wide receivers and skill players and we certainly wanted to adapt and get better at getting the ball down the field, passing and throwing and building on the play-action game. Then his leadership, as I mentioned to other transfers that come in, there’s been quite a few going back all the way to Courtney Love, with transfers that have come in and been captains here. Will coming in and being a two-time captain and having command of the locker room and command of this team in short order – that’s not always easy and that says a lot about him. And he did it in such a way that’s very respectful. Again, he’s not one of those people that’s going to just come in and try to overpower you with words. It’s more about how he goes about his business, how hard he works and how authentic he is and how he does lay it on the line. You can see it, if you can’t see it, you’re blind. He’s very unselfish. There’s so many qualities that I can talk about for him and what he’s done and you can go on and on. We absolutely appreciate everything that he’s done and thank him for what he’s done. He will be a guy one way or another because if he doesn’t play – he’s got injuries, he’s got things he does got to get better, that he needs to get in order, and he’ll be right there with us coaching. He’s not going to just take off and go to California, Arizona or Florida to train. He wants to be with his team and he wants to help, so tells you a lot about who he is.”
On the order of operations, whether he’ll look for a quarterback before an offensive coordinator or vice versa…
“Let me handle that (laughter). Can I play that card once in 10 years? Let me do my job. I ask everybody. Seriously, it’s important and I appreciate the coverage and the interest and everything. I don’t appreciate when people start speculating, throwing things out there and all that. It’s fine, it’s part of the gig to say it could be this guy, that guy– that’s fine, it’s all fair game. But again, I want to do my job and after 10 years I don’t feel any heat or pressure, if you will, from any outside source. Whether it be a recruit, a current player, a media member, a fan, the loudest person on twitter – does not affect me. I want to do what’s right, doesn’t mean I’m perfect, I don’t think I got it all figured out, but I need to do it the way I’m comfortable with and the way it’s been successful for me. Let me get the best person I can at the right time. Let me continue to work through it, I can promise you I’m not laying around. They zapped me up pretty good last Tuesday. Rotator cuffs, no fun, but I was back at work on Wednesday so it was alright.”
On what he’s learned over the years regarding making the decision in changing and hiring coaches…
“That’s hard to say exactly. I think with everything and I don’t want to say this in any demeaning way towards any coach that’s ever worked for me, but with anything in life, whether it’s the players, whether it’s football, whether it’s x’s and o’s and everything, there’s going to be good and bad, there’s going to be correct for you or not. Again, I’m throwing no any shade on anybody, I have the utmost respect for Rich and all the guys that have worked for me. There’s quite a few of them that I would hire back in a minute in a different situation, most of them, all good people, good coaches. What I’m trying to say is you learn from all situations. It’s a good question. I don’t know if there’s any one exact thing I could put my fingertip on, other than you have to trust your instincts and you have to make sure you stay true to them and what’s most important to you and what I believe in this current environment.
“Again, I’ve probably used that quote before, but General Patton was on to something when he talked about morale. Morale is important, it’s really important for us. To stay constant, and go through the grind that we go through, and mentally, physically, you have to have good, talented people that are not only smart with x’s and o’s but they have to be very good with young men and let us continue to develop them, let us bring them along. That’s like with the young players in our program. This portal thing is really good in a lot of ways, but what you have to guard against is, and it’s the same thing I would tell my boys, my kids, a lot of times it’s like, you can’t worry about others. Sometimes when you get a really good young player, then it’s like, ‘I can’t beat him.’ But as I told my own kids, ‘No, no, no.’ Through all the years, it’s you worry about you. Everybody thinks it’s slotted — this guy to this guy, this guy. No, you need to worry about yourself and be absolutely the best version, the best player, the best person, you can be and that’s the truth. Sometimes it comes very fast to some kids and sometimes it comes in time.
“We’ve all seen the guys make it in the NFL and making all this money and having great careers, that it took them several years to get to that point. Some people see instant success and think it has to be that way. That gets hard and discouraging for young people I’m talking even my own kids and everything. My message to my boys is, ‘You worry about you.’ I’ll support you, I love you, I’ll be there. You want to transfer, I might consider that, but it would have to be some very good reasons. They have to worry about grinding through. There’s good and bad, there’s obstacles, there’s things that happen in life that you have to learn to grind though, you have to learn to persevere through. There’s other times when it doesn’t (happen) and you have to go, you have to move. We’ve benefited from it, we’ve lost guys from it, I appreciate them all. I don’t have the answer to it all. I know you better really concentrate on yourself and your development and what you’re doing and not worry about others.”
On Louisville coach Scott Satterfield taking the Cincinnati job…
“Somebody popped that to me this morning, and I was like, ‘What?’ I didn’t know. I don’t know him personally very well, so I wish him the best. I know they were a much better football team this year. He was doing some really good things. He won’t be too far away so I’m sure we’ll cross paths again. I don’t know everybody’s situation personally so I don’t want to comment on it other than I wish him the best. With competing against them, we’ve had a good healthy, competitive rivalry in games.”
On if you’re considering someone internally for either coaching position…
“You always consider people within your staff but I don’t have to talk to them or interview them. I know what they’re capable of after working with them side by side. So, in this situation, I’m going outside, yes.”
On the quarterback situation regarding the transfer portal and bowl practices contributing to the evaluation…
“I said that the last time we got together was I felt like we had very good options on campus. Where we go from there I don’t know. Again, I tell our players this, so I’m not telling (you) anything that they don’t already hear, I’m recruiting somebody to take their job. Period. I don’t care how good they are. I love them but I’m trying to get somebody better. So that’s no different (than any position), so don’t take that out of context with quarterback. That’s every player on our team. I’ll tell them. I’m going to get somebody. When I get on a plane later today, I’m going to find somebody to take your job. You want the best players you can get. I’m very confident in the quarterbacks we have, I’m excited to see them in this bowl prep. I hope Will plays but if he doesn’t it will open up an opportunity for others. We’ll see where it goes, and even players who are here and ones who may be talking about their role for next year, I’ll tell them the same thing. This is your role, if it’s a player that we can believe in, believe they can be a starter, that’s great. I’m going on the road and get the best players I can get.”
On how hard it is to prep for a bowl game if you don’t know who is playing…
“Not hard at all, because we have a lot to do right now with recruiting. Then we’ll come back and have a couple of light practices next weekend. My normal schedule would be, we’ll recruit all this week, pop back and have a light practice Friday and Saturday like last year. Have meetings on Sunday, hit the road again, come back and practice in some sort of fashion Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday of the next week. Then I’ll give them a Christmas break for three days, then meet at the bowl site has been the normal schedule.”
On if a player can re-emerge after being productive, then falling back in a season…
“He has to re-emerge. That’s the life lessons. There are some players that come in, some players that have left I didn’t ask to leave. There are some players that are good, valuable players that could potentially develop into something really good. They want to go somewhere and play right away because there’s some talented guys in front of them and I get that, I support it and I’m all for it. There are some youngsters that need to learn to just worry about you, that tangent that I just went on. Just concentrate on you. You have a lot of ability, it’s there, we believe in you, just keep on developing. Yes, they absolutely could pull that out. That’s the big part mentally and that goes to the point and the only thing about the portal that you have to guard against. I’d guard against with my own children. Don’t think you’ll just walk out that door and go somewhere else and it’s just that easy. You still have to worry about yourself. How many people in life just think walk out, take a new job, I hit the reset button and boom, that’s going to fix everything. No. That’s not going to fix everything. Other times its very, very good, very important. Look at other scenarios that have happened. With (Joe) Burrow, with Will Levis, with guys where they get that opportunity and make the most of it and it’s good. It’s just hard to lump it all together. Craig’s coming up here next (volleyball coach Craig Skinner) and he can talk about his issues with it. But it’s just different. It’s a different world. That’s my advice to the youngsters. Yes, they can come out of it, they just need to reapply themselves. Again, they have to have talented people and coaches around them that can pull that out of them. That’s how we built that program. We can’t let the portal stop that. You have to continue to develop guys and bring them along and that’s still the core of who you are.”
Follow up regarding players who are still in the program who can emerge…
“Definitely. It’s the core of the guys that are in our program right now that are going to wok, develop. How many times have you sat here and you’ve heard me before talk about guys next year that we haven’t talked about this year. It’s going happen, for sure.”
On if the current structure of December transfer portal and December signing date needs to be adjusted…
“I got enough to think about (laughter). I don’t want to give you a headline. You’re getting me burnt right now (laughter), so I better just stop. It is what it is, I’m always like that. It is what it is. We’re going to adapt and overcome. We’re going to do the best we can. We’re going to deal with it. I don’t have any big picture ideas right now.”
