Before considering future, Mark Stoops wants to ‘win now’
UK head coach Mark Stoops talks to cornerback Fred Tiller during the second half of the University of Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt University football game at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday, November 16, 2013. Vanderbilt won 22-6. Photo by Tessa Lighty
November 19, 2013
By Matt Overing | Football beat writer
UK football head coach Mark Stoops isn’t ready to look to the future just yet.
In his first year as a head coach, Stoops is 2-8 (0-6 SEC). He said on Monday that he is confident in the future of UK as a program.
“It takes time,” Stoops said. “But I want to win now. I want to win this week.”
UK will travel to the University of Georgia (6-4, 4-3 SEC) on Saturday for the final road game of the season. With the possibility of another 2-10 season looming, Stoops said the team needs improvement across the board.
“We need help in all areas,” Stoops said. “I think we’re going to continue to do that and recruit extremely hard. I feel very good about the way things are going in 2014 and (we are) off to a good start in 2015.”
The 2014 football class is ranked eighth nationally by Rivals with 25 commitments. Stoops said that he expects more good news in the near future.
“I feel like hopefully there’s some good news here in the next couple weeks,” he said.
Stoops also said that he likes the way leaders are emerging in the 2014 class, much like in the UK locker room this season.
“I think we’re recruiting some great leaders,” Stoops said. “I feel great about the leadership in the 2014 class.”
The current team hasn’t previously had the leadership that Stoops wanted this season. Sophomore quarterback Jalen Whitlow is one player that Stoops wanted to show more leadership.
Stoops said that leaders are now beginning to emerge late in the season.
“I think we’re starting to get some leadership,” Stoops said. “We need more … more accountability with everything that we’re doing.”
The accountability begins at the top, Stoops said, adding that he and his coaching staff have to be more accountable as well.
“We’ve talked about that as a staff,” Stoops said. “We’re all accountable, me included. We say that to the team all the time. We’re all in this together, we’re all accountable to each other.”
Stoops said that he still has confidence in his coaching staff. He said that he has seen improvement this year.
“I feel like things are coming together,” Stoops said. “Defensively, I’m happy with the way we’ve progressed throughout the year.”
Stoops said that players and coaches need to remain accountable for each other in the final two games of the season.
“I think (players) understand that there’s so much more to do,” Stoops said. “More accountability needs to happen in all aspects of our program. I’m part of that, and our coaches are, and so is our team.”
