Mark Stoops passes Bear Bryant in all-time wins at Kentucky
When discussing legendary coaches in college football, one of the first names mentioned is Bear Bryant. Known for all the success at Alabama, Bryant got his career really going with the Kentucky Wildcats. Up until Saturday night, he was the winningest head coach in program history.
That changed on Saturday night.
With a win against Florida in the Swamp, Mark Stoops has now won the most games as a head coach in the Kentucky program. For a team who was mostly near the bottom of the SEC, the Wildcats have risen with Stoops at the helm.
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“Fortunate,” Stoop said on the accomplishment. “A lot of great players, coaches have been through here. To be able to persevere through this difficult conference. I have nothing but respect and appreciation.”
Saturday marked win No. 61 for Stoops, coming over a 10-year stretch. His tenure began in 2013 when Kentucky only won two games. By 2018, Stoops had built up a 10-win program and made them serious contenders in the SEC East.
Bryant was in Lexington for eight years and was able to win 11 games during the 1950 season. The Wildcats even won the Sugar Bowl, defeating No. 1 Oklahoma in New Orleans. To this day, it’s the most wins Kentucky has had in a singular season. So at the very least, Stoops still has something to chase.
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Mark Stoops discusses win for Kentucky over Florida
Kentucky won the game in the second half, shutting Florida out. It was a win you could tell Stoops was proud of and fitting for the record breaker. Stoops called his team tough and knew they were ready to play on Saturday night.
“I thought it was a thing of beauty,” when Stoops was asked about the second half. “We overcome a lot of adversity and you don’t do that unless you’re an experienced, tough football team. We know we have that mentality. We know each and every week, it’s going to be a challenge. We respect Florida but we were ready to play.”
Kentucky is now 1-0 in the SEC and will be in the driver’s seat to compete with Georgia in the SEC East this season. At the very least, we now know who can be considered the greatest head coach in the history of the program.