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  • Stoops will let Eliot run defense, wants to spend some time with offense

    By: LARRY VAUGHT



    At Florida State, Mark Stoops was the defensive coordinator and helped the Seminoles become one of the nation’s top defenses. As Kentucky’s head coach, Stoops knows he has to relinquish control of the defense to D.J. Eliot, the defensive ends coach at Florida State who is now UK’s defensive coordinator.

    “I think it would be impossible for me to run the defense the way it needs to be run with me being a head coach. So coach Eliot will do that. A hundred percent confidence in him and he knows what I want and the way we do things together so it will be him running the defense,” said Stoops. “Of course, when the time permits itself, I will be watching more film probably with them than the offense, but I would like to split it up. I need to do that at practice as well.

    “I don’t want to just work the defense all the time. I want to be supportive, I want to be around the offense, I want to have fun with the whole team and show the commitment to both sides. But coach Eliot will do that. I will, of course, be there to help him because he has not been a coordinator and so I will be there to help put things together and game plan certain problems they may be having and just the experience factor will help him in that area. But I have tremendous confidence in him.”

    Eliot is back at Florida State now helping the Seminoles prepare for their bowl game with Stoops’ blessing.

    “He stayed and finished recruiting for us and then left to go down and help. We both felt the need for him to do that,” Stoops said. “Florida State has been good to both of us. We care a great deal about that program, about those players, so he wants to go down there and finish that thing off right. The players deserve that.”

    Stoops has not changed his original assessment of UK’s roster about players needing to be bigger and stronger.

    “I think we’re going to address that situation and try to get a little bit better physical presence. We need to get in the weight room. We have got to develop the guys we have and we need to go out and recruit some more size,” the new UK coach said. “And we need speed. We hear that all the time, size and speed, but it’s true.

    “We need to get some more skill positions and get bigger up front and every sport will tell you the same thing. There’s not a coach in America that would say they wouldn’t want big guys and get some fast and talented skill (players). We need it all just like everybody, but there’s an opportunity here. I believe there are some great players out there and there’s an opportunity (to play).”

    Stoops and his staff will go different directions during the holidays — which is a dead period for recruiting and current UK players are home on semester break. Coaches will spend time with their families and also start preparing to move to Lexington.

    Stoops says his wife will take care of his family’s transition to Kentucky.

    “I had to just get a general feel for Lexington and I did get out and start driving around at least a little bit, an hour each day to get a little feel for which direction is what,” he said. “So over the break when I go home and she’s looking at houses and things online, I’ll at least have a general idea for the neighborhoods and for the areas, but my wife handles all of that. I picked the job, she picks the houses.”
    Comments 9 Comments
    1. dan_bgblue's Avatar
      dan_bgblue -
      Wise coach. I was impressed with everything he said
    1. CitizenBBN's Avatar
      CitizenBBN -
      Thanks Larry. Great to hear he is so comfortable being the head coach and not just the coordinator in charge.

      Will be interesting to see what she picks. I love how Cal got one right there on a main road, nothing crazy but very nice, and not in a gated neighborhood but more a part of things as it were.
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR -
      Boy, everything he is doing and saying right now is on the money, flat out gold.

      Sent using Forum Runner. All typos excused.
    1. jazyd's Avatar
      jazyd -
      Glad he came after us and I am thankful for Tim's help
    1. cattails's Avatar
      cattails -
      Starting out if we are just fun to watch, that would be a start.
    1. Padukacat's Avatar
      Padukacat -
      Now thats the type of guy and staff you can give some time, because you can trust them.
    1. Padukacat's Avatar
      Padukacat -
      Trust as in know they are going the right direction...
    1. KMSBball's Avatar
      KMSBball -
      Smart man letting his wife pick the house. Happy wife = happy life. And if MS is like most football coaches he won't spend much time at home.
    1. suncat05's Avatar
      suncat05 -
      We just may have a very, very good and smart Coach here. Still want to see what the finished product on the football field looks like though. But I'm a bit more open & optimistic than I have been in a long while now.
      God I hope this all pans out for the good!
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