ESPN analyst reveals who best program builder across college football is
Kentucky’s football program used to be the laughingstock of the SEC, but Mark Stoops has built the Wildcats’ program from the ground up during his long run in Lexington. After winning just 12 total games over his first three seasons, Stoops has won 46 since then – highlighted by a 10-3 campaign in 2018.
Now, in 2021, Stoops’ squad is currently 9-3 on the year and will face off against Iowa in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day with the chance to record another 10-win season. This year has been another impressive one by Stoops, and he’s received quite a bit of praise for the job he’s done at UK.
ESPN college football analyst Tom Luginbill joined 440 Sports’ Fringe Element podcast and spoke highly of Stoops and what he’s been able to accomplish as the Wildcats’ head man.
“I think with Kentucky, we’ve proven that it’s sustainable,” Luginbill said. “Because as the wins have come the facility upgrades have come, the resources, the investment on behalf of the university has come, and you’ve seen patience from the administration to build and then reinvest, build an then reinvest – and now look at what you have. What they’ve done in football is unbelievable. When you start to win, people start to care – all of a sudden your greatest revenue producer, you can invest in it and there’s a reason to do it.
“I think Mark Stoops is the best program builder in all of college football right now. I think he’s a great developer of talent, and they’ve built that thing into a program now where he’s sitting there on the cusp of a top-10 class – and it’s real, because when you get better and you get good, you’re going to get the attention of top-level players you didn’t have access to before. In that regard, I think he’s done as good a job as anybody.”
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Stoops recently signed a contract extension with Kentucky that will keep him in Lexington through June 2028 and pay him $6.35 million annually starting Jan. 1 – a significant increase from his current salary of $4.85 million.
Mark Stoops reveals why Kentucky extension was alluring for him
Part of the contract extension for Mark Stoops is an increased staff salary pool for the rest of Kentucky’s staff. Stoops said that was the most important part of his new deal.
“Yeah, it was the most important,” Stoops said. “We all know I’m paid too much. So for the staff and for the support staff — everybody talks about specifically recruiting budget. It’s not recruiting budget. There’s a lot to it. There’s guys over here with me, Chase Heuke over here, and I could point out Chase. I can’t even tell you the amount of hours that he works and what he does and what he puts into it. So getting some support and some building — continuing to build our organization, that’s all.”