Mark Stoops, Kentucky Agree to New Contract: Latest Details, Reaction, Analysis
Mark Stoops' tenure as the head football coach at the University of Kentucky is as solid as it's ever been. The school has reportedly agreed to a long-term contract extension with the coach.
According to Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio, Stoops' new agreement with the Wildcats goes through the 2019 season:
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Per Aaron Smith, Stoops' new deal includes a hefty pay raise starting in 2015:
Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio notes that the Wildcats are taking a gamble with Stoops' deal:
According to Kyle Tucker of The Courier Journal, Stoops will get a lot more money if he can turn Kentucky into a bowl contender each year:
Tucker provided a full transcript of the press conference to announce the deal.
Kentucky is off to a 5-3 start this season, though a 2-3 mark in the SEC does show there's still a lot of work to be done. Athletic director Mitch Barnhart said that he believes Stoops is the right coach for this university, via Smith:
Barnhart also issued a tweet of his own, noting that Stoops' extension is a sign of faith about where the program is headed even more than about its current progress:
Despite the mediocre conference record this season, the Wildcats have improved dramatically in two years under Stoops. They were winless in the SEC last year (0-8) and 2-10 overall, so needing just one more win to become bowl-eligible is a huge step in the right direction.
This program has been a laughingstock in the SEC since making its last bowl appearance in 2010. Kentucky won four conference games in three seasons under Joker Phillips from 2010-12. Stoops came into a disastrous situation and turned it around quicker than anyone could have expected.
Playing in the SEC doesn't do Kentucky any favors, but the progress shown under Stoops provides a legitimate reason for optimism. Credit the school for recognizing it and showing the faith in the second-year head coach to give him a huge raise.
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