Connect with us

Football

Mark Stoops Ranked a Top 15 College Football Coach by 247 Sports

Kentucky football
Keyli Chisesi | Go Big Blue Country

Bart Simmons, the 247 Sports Director of Scouting, released his top 25 college football coaches heading into the 2020 college football season.

Kentucky coach Mark Stoops made the list, checking in at No. 15. There are six current SEC coaches ahead of Stoops on the list, Gus Malzahn (13), Jimbo Fisher (9), Dan Mullen (8), Kirby Smart (4), Ed Orgeron (3), and Nick Saban (1).

The 15th best coach in college football is a deserving spot for the UK coach. The last two seasons reflect how well-coached the Kentucky football program is under the direction of Stoops.

 

After a 10-3 campaign in 2018, Stoops and his staff battled through losing their top two quarterbacks to injury in 2019 to finish 8-5 with a Belk Bowl victory.

While the 10-3 season is the more successful of the two, the 8-5 campaign after a 2-3 start likely garnered Stoops more love and attention from national writers. Kentucky appeared left for dead after a loss at South Carolina last September, their third straight defeat. However, the Wildcats won six of their final eight, including a four-game winning streak to close the season with momentum.

Stoops owns two victories vs. coaches ranked in the top ten of Simmons’ list. Kentucky defeated both Dan Mullen (Florida) and James Franklin (Penn State), who are ranked 8th and 6th, during the 2018 season. Stoops also beat Mullen’s Mississippi State team in 2016.

You can check out the entire list at the link below.

More in Football