Brad White received high praise at SEC Media Days

Mark Stoops made a big splash when Kentucky re-hired Liam Coen this offseason to come and run the offense in Lexington. The former Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator was a popular subject at SEC Media Days, but another coordinator received some time in the sun.

Brad White is now in year six on staff at UK and is in his fifth season as defensive coordinator. After producing one of the league’s best defenses in 2022, expectations are high once again for White’s defensive unit that returns nine players who played 300-plus snaps last season.

In Stoops’ opening statement on Wednesday at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville, the head coach went out of his way to recognize the 40-year-old play-caller.

“I’d like to start on the defensive side of the ball with coach Brad White and the defensive coaches and the consistency that we have played with on the defensive side of the ball and the continuity that we have there,” Stoops said. “That puts a big smile on my face, obviously being a defensive coach and defensive-minded person.”

Last season, White led a unit that ranked inside the top 25 in success rate and No. 28 in points per drive (1.83) against a schedule that included a pair of top-10 points per drive offenses. People are starting the recognize the job the former Indianapolis Colts assistant is doing in Lexington. Matrix Analytical Solutions named White the top defensive coordinator in the SEC earlier this month. When speaking with Greg McElroy and Cole Cubelic at SEC Media Days, Stoops mentioned that White is becoming a popular name in coaching searches.

“I know this, the coaching profession knows what he’s doing. My phone doesn’t stop ringing about him in the offseason. And to Brad’s credit, he’s always just been extremely loyal,” Stoops said. “I think he really likes the situation he’s in in Lexington and has worked extremely hard and just does a remarkable job year in and year out. And so I’m very grateful. I think he really likes the situation. I love having him.”

The praise does not stop there. Louisville (Ky.) Moore product J.J. Weaver is entering year five with White as his position coach. With all of the success that the UK defense has had on the field, the defensive coordinator can still keep things simple and that allows his unit to play fast and free.

“Coach Brad White, defensive coordinator, he did a good job with that, game planning, really simple and easy for us,” Weaver told reporters. “Our defense is not that hard to understand and read.”

Kentucky needs to score more points in 2023, and the Wildcats will be dependent on Coen and new quarterback Devin Leary delivering this fall. However, the defense has been established under White. Kentucky has one of the best play-callers in college football and that should give this team a high floor.