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Nov. 28—What a whirlwind of a weekend for the Kentucky football program.
The Wildcats, who had been on a downward spiral for the second half of the year, wrapped up their regular season with a win over bitter rival Louisville, overcoming two 10-point deficits to knock the then-No. 9 Cardinals out of College Football Playoff contention and secure a winning record.
That would’ve been reason enough to celebrate, but then came the rumors — and even a few “reports” — that 11th-year UK head coach Mark Stoops was packing his bags for Texas A&M. No one on the outside truly knows how those conversations went, but by the time the sun came up Sunday morning, one thing was certain: Stoops is staying.
“I know there’s been much speculation about me and my job situation the last couple of days,” he wrote on social media shortly after midnight. “It’s true I was contacted about a potential opportunity this weekend, but after celebrating a big win against our rivals with players I love like family, I knew in my heart I couldn’t leave the University of Kentucky right now. I have a great job at a place I love, and I get to work with the best administration and greatest fan base in college football right where I’m at. I’m excited to say I’m a Wildcat!”
And their fans should breathe a sigh of relief.
There’s always unrest amongst every fan base, of course, and it’s true that back-to-back 7-5 campaigns have been a disappointment after two years of offseason hype — but, for where UK has been, where it is now and where it wants to be, losing Stoops would have been tough.
The SEC is set to expand next year with the addition of Oklahoma and Texas next year, pocketbooks around the country continue to get larger, and the NCAA transfer portal is a constant carousel of players coming and going.
For the Wildcats to start over with a new coach…
[ad_2]Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/stoops-staying-relief-cats-101600238.html
Author : Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
Publish date : 2023-11-28 10:16:00
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