UK football coach Mark Stoops sent out this family card during the holidays.
By LARRY VAUGHT
This is part of a series with Kentucky head football coach Mark Stoops based on a recent interview with him that I hope will offer insights into his personality and philosophies that you have not read about before.
Question: What role does your wife play in your life because we all know the hours/demands you have on you?
Stoops: “She’s just very supportive. I joked at one of the press conferences or whatever, I pick the job, she picks the houses. She runs the household. She’s just very supportive as far as the role, as far as coaching and where we go and decisions we make with opportunities and things like that. She does a great job of managing the house, taking care of my boys, and she also gets involved – when I was a position coach, we loved to have the players over to our house. This last stop, Florida State, all those guys become very close to her and she gets to know them very well and gets very close to them. She gets involved as much as she can in a supportive role.”
Question: Will she be quiet or yelling at the games?
Stoops: “No, she’ll be more reserved but there will be those outbursts of course at times that I don’t think anybody can control. She’ll be a little bit more on the reserved part of it. At least that’s the way she’s been. You never know though. There’s pressure of the head coach. Maybe she’ll bust.”
Leave a commentBy LARRY VAUGHT
This is part of a series with Kentucky head football coach Mark Stoops based on a recent interview with him that I hope will offer insights into his personality and philosophies that you have not read about before.
Question: Since you once were a high school assistant coach at Ohio’s Nordonia Hills, does that give you a greater appreciation for those coaches and help you relate to them in recruiting?
Stoops: “I think so. I hope so. And along with me coaching and spending some time in high school as an athletic director, I helped out coaching a little bit but also with growing up around it – my dad, my uncles, my brother Ron was a high school coach up to a couple years ago. Now, he’s at Youngstown State but Ron coached in high school forever. I really have spent a lot of time around high school and high school coaches. My dad was a high school coach for 30 years and I just grew up in the gym and like I said, around practices. My high school coaches had a great influence on myself, both as a player and as a coach.”
Question: Was there a time when you thought becoming a head high school coach was a lofty aspiration?
Stoops: “Yeah, there was definitely a time where I was going to school and thinking I’m not sure what I wanted to do in the future and then I went back and had an opportunity to go back right out of college. I was 24 years old, maybe 25, when I started. I was an athletic director at a high school – the school district, the high school and middle school – and it helped out with the high school coaching. But I thought, yeah, yeah, I thought that was a great opportunity for me. I wasn’t sure where I would go from there, but after a few years of doing that, I really missed the college football. I was a GA (graduate assistant) prior to that (at Iowa), so after I got the three and a half years’ experience doing that, I just really felt like I had the pull to get me back to college football.”
By LARRY VAUGHT
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops admits he’s been influenced by different people, but none had a bigger impact on his coaching career and life than his father, Ron.
Ron Stoops taught and coached football for 28 years at Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown, Ohio. During a game in October of 1988, he felt chest pains on the sideline and stopped coaching during the fourth quarter. Mooney won in triple overtime and Ron Stoops watched the final moments before being placed into an ambulance. Not long after the ambulance doors shut, he died at age 54.
The Stoops brothers all starred for their father at Cardinal Mooney. Bob, Mike and Mark earned scholarships to Iowa and played defensive back. From 1979 to 1989, a Stoops brother wore No. 41 at Iowa. Bob and Mike earned first-team all-Big Ten honors. All three became graduate assistants there. A fourth brother, Ron Jr.,had opportunities to play for Division II and Division III teams, but went to Youngstown State and became a teacher and coach.
“He has had the biggest influence on me for sure. He had a great influence,” the Kentucky coach said. “He was very interesting. He was a simple guy, yet he had a great impact on a lot of people. Just the way he always went about his business. He always had a great work ethic. He always had a great demeanor of how he handled students or players he was coaching. He had a great way with the family. He just had a great influence on me.
“He coached high school football and was head baseball coach. He kept score for the basketball team. He was always around the gym. In the summer he had several different jobs. He sold insurance sometimes, but we also painted houses. That was our deal. He owned a painting company. I painted houses. We worked very hard in the summer to make some extra money on the side. He was just a great influence on me. Great man. A man of very, very high integrity and character. He had a great way about him.”
Stoops said all the brothers worked for their father painting houses.
“We could whoop it up right now. I wouldn’t have time to paint this office but oh yeah I could do it — inside, outside, the whole deal. Oh, yeah. I painted for a long, long time,” Mark Stoops said.
Did they get paid for painting?
“My dad was very generous. He paid us and I was the youngest, so by the time I came up, I think that was part of it, why he kept it going and all that,” the UK coach said. As we were coming back from college or on our way to college, just out of high school — made pretty good money. He was very generous. It was hard work. Are you kidding me? We were up there on 40-foot ladders on some old houses on the south side of Youngstown. It was a serious business. It was hard.”
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Kentucky’s Willie Cauley-Stein dunks during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Vanderbilt at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013. (AP Photo/James Crisp)
By LARRY VAUGHT
Count Florida junior forward Will Yeguete as one who expects big things from Kentucky sophomore center Willie Cauley-Stein next season.
“I think he did a good job defensively this year. He was a factor. He was blocking shots, tipping the balls. I think he did a really good job overall,” said Yeguete. “The first time we played them, he didn’t really play that much and do anything to impact the game because (Nerlens) Noel was playing all the time. The next time he was starting and played more minutes and was a big factor in the game. I was impressed.
“He is really athletic. I think his timing is great. Blocking shots at the right time. He knows when to jump. He has size and when the guards are coming inside, he is really aggressive and defensively was just there. When you have a 7-footer in the lane, he will impact your shot and did a good job doing that every time I saw him play.”
Yeguete also appreciates Cauley-Stein’s demeanor on the court.
“I think he plays the game the right way. He had a little foul trouble against us, but when he came back in he was ready to go. He doesn’t say anything. He just plays the right way. I love the way he plays,” the Florida junior said. “He was only a freshman, so his offense is a work in process. He affects the game more defensively than offensively right now. They had a lot of scorers on their team and I think his coach would want him to be the defensive presence that they need without Noel and not worry about offense. I think he did a good job at that, but I know his offense will be a lot better by next year because you can tell he’s a hard worker.”
Yeguete had no idea Cauley-Stein was an all-state receiver in high school.
“That is funny. He must be really fast. That would be fun to watch him on the football field,” Yeguete said. “But he was good in basketball, too. Both he and Noel are good shot blockers. I don’t know if you can compare them. You saw Noel play more games, but they both change the game a lot and he (Cauley-Stein) could really be special next year.”
Kentucky teammate Alex Poythress tends to agree about that.
“Willie has done incredible from the day he got here. He has just got better every day,” Poythress said. “I ain’t never seen a 7-footer that moves like him, jumps like him. He is strong, He is just incredible out there. He has been great friend and great teammate. And you know next year, based on how he improved this year, that he could just be dominant.”
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Freshman Nerlens Noel had 17 points and 11 rebounds in Kentucky’s win over Northpoint. (Victoria Graff photo)
Tyler Lashbrook of Orlandopinstriped.com listed the strengths and weaknesses of Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel if the Orlando Magic get the No. 1 pick in the June NBA draft.
Here’s part of what he wrote”
“I think Noel could become much like the player Joakim Noah has become in the NBA. He’s not nearly as strong as Noah and he doesn’t finish through contact like Noah, but with added strength these are things that could be developed in time. Lucky for Noel, he’s only 19 years old. He has plenty of time to add weight. He has plenty of time to develop offensively. He’ll most likely never become a dangerous low-post threat, but if he can add a high-post game at the NBA level with his already dominant defense, then he’ll be an excellent overall player for years to come.”
Lashbrook speculates that if the Magic select Noel, he “will likely sit the entire season” as Orlando focuses on young players it already has..
“2014 would be Noel’s rookie season, as the Magic would allow him to take as long as he needs to fully recover. Noel would face unreal comparisons. His two predecessors — Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard — dominated in their stints in Orlando and fans will expect the same of the freshman out of Kentucky,” Lashbrook wrote.
“Still, my philosophy is that you select the best player available. And if Orlando wins the lottery and chooses to keep the pick, then Noel will be the best available player. If you’re the Magic, you worry about your minutes and your roster management later. Too much talent is a wonderful problem to have.”
Drew Barker photo courtesy Bleacherreport.com
By LARRY VAUGHT
Andy Murray was a fierce competitor when he played fullback at the University of Kentucky and remains a hard-core UK fan. That’s why he’s become a huge Mark Stoops’ fan already and believes that Conner quarterback Drew Barker will pick the Wildcats over South Carolina and Tennessee Friday when he announces his college choice.
“He is a lock in my opinion. Kid is a blue blood,” said Murray.
Because Murray’s son plays at Simon Kenton, he’s not been able to get out in northern Kentucky to see Barker play. However, he knows something about South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier’s quarterback knowledge.
“I would think Spurrier knows what he is looking for in a QB and you can take that to the bank,” Murray said.
Barker’s number could break the bank. He was 140-for-225 passing for 2,067 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2012 when he also ran for 1,422 yards and 18 scores. As a sophomore, he completed 93 of 181 passes for 1,009 yards and four scores and ran for 1,371 yards and 22 touchdowns. That’s 2,793 yards and 40 touchdowns rushing the last two years and 3,076 yards and 26 touchdowns passing.
“His commitment will send our recruiting into another gear and it amazes me what this staff is capable of doing with these recruits,” Murray said.
Stoops did do the unthinkable after getting the job when he persuaded Franklin County receiver Ryan Timmons and Trinity linebacker Jason Hatcher to reverse their thinking about UK and sign with the Wildcats. Landing the two four-star Kentucky players at the last minute proved that Stoops and his staff would be relevant with the state’s best players — like Barker.
“I think the state of Kentucky will depend on wins and losses, and they must take control of the Louisville series. The Hatcher kid will go down as one of the turning points in this area. I think Timmons was a matter of timing and the right coach (offensive coordinator Neal Brown),” Murray said. “The state will be ours if we win.
“Let’s face it, we have not had a desirable product and these guys want to play in the spotlight. There will not be a better spotlight than UK when this thing turns … and it will turn. We have never been in a better spot. Stoops is the man. I have never been more impressed with a guy than this one. My favorite thing about him is his demeanor and upbringing. He is awesome.”
Barker and his father seem to feel the same after being ignored by former UK coach Joker Phillips.
When Barker made a visit to UK, Stoops had a video showing former in-state UK quarterbacks Tim Couch, Jared Lorenzen and Andre Woodson on a video — and then Barker’s highlights were included.
“We are Kentucky fans. I love the Big Blue Nation,” Terry Barker said. “I think coach Stoops and his staff knew Drew had a sour taste in his mouth, so they went the extra mile to show how much they’d love to have him. That has impressed him.”
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By LARRY VAUGHT
His purpose is simple — put on an informative, entertaining football camp for youth ages 10-17 that costs the participants nothing.
“When I was growing up in Florida, I could not afford to go to camps. We couldn’t do it. I wanted to attend, but couldn’t because of money,” said Champ Kelly, a former University of Kentucky player and current assistant director of pro personnel for the Denver Broncos. “I said if I was ever in position to have a camp like that for kids, I would want to give them the most coverage and most instruction possible for no cost.”
He’ll do that again June 21-22 at Henry Clay High School from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. each day.
“It’s going to again be a time for the kids to meet the star, but it is about more than that,” Kelly said. “It’s not about the guys coming back to help me. It’s about the campers. We come in and don’t make a big stink out of who is there to help and you are going to get awesome coaching.
“The kids are going to learn football. We are going to prepare them for success on and off the field. For younger campers, we will stress the basics while getting into more extensive training with older campers. We will have a variety of guest speakers delivering messages on life skills and the importance of making good decisions.
“I like a mixture of ages. Older kids are able to be leaders by example. I want younger kids there at ages 10 or 11 from now until they graduate and they know what that CHAMP Camp on the front of the T-shirt represents.”
Kelly had the camp at Bryan Station last year, but wanted to reach out to “a few different kids” by moving the camp to Henry Clay.
“Our plan originaly was to try every couple of years to move to a different area to reach more kids. We hope the kids in the Bryan Station area want to come to camp regardless of where we are.”
But he would like to have more than just Lexington campers. North Hardin High School has told Kelly it hopes to bring up to 44 players and at least 30. Kelly is hoping other high schools will do the same.
He’ll have a variety of former UK players like Derek Abney, Dougie Allen, Leonard Burress, Chris Demaree and more at camp again. Last year he had both Randall Cobb and John Conner, current NFL players, speak to the campers.
“It’s almost like a who’s who of Kentucky football,” Kelly said. “But these guys love to get together and help. They like to come back to Kentucky where we all met and give back for a great cause. It’s not like pulling teeth to get them back. They want to help. I just think it is awesome that a guy like Derek Abney, who lives in South Carolina and is very selective about camps he’s involved with, will come spend time and talk to kids and help the receivers out.”
He’s reached out to former UK quarterbacks Tim Couch and Jared Lorenzen about helping this year as well as former UK linebacker Jeff Snedegar. Cobb plans to be back if his schedule permits. Current NFL offensive lineman Garry Williams also plans to return. “He is awesome. He stays the entire day to help,” Kelly said.
He said current Bronco tight end Jacob Tamme also hopes to be at this year’s camp if his schedule allows.
“I try to not put names out there because I want kids to come for the idea of what the camp is about opposed to just the people that will be there,” Kelly said. “But I always want as many of the Kentucky guys there as possible not because of their names, but because they are great with the kids and teach them lessons about life and football.”
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Sophomore defensive backs Daron and Zach Blaylock made about a one-hour trip to a Gainesville, Ga., hospital to see injured UK teammate Ashely Lowery. He was hurt in an early Saturday morning traffic accident near his hometown of Cleveland, Ga., when he lost control of his car, it flipped several times and he was ejected. Lowery was scheduled to be moved out of intensive care Wednesday night.
“People are flocking to the hospital to see him,” said John Woods, the Blaylock twins’ stepfather. “They had been calling his cell phone and not getting an answer. Finally (UK assistant) coach (Bradley Dale) Peveto called and talked to them and we got his mom’s cell phone number. They went and spent time with him in ICU. They said he could hardly walk, his neck was stiff and he had cuts all over him. But he sat up and talked to them.
“Things are looking better. I don’t know when he will be ready to play football, but he’s lucky to be alive. But he’s going to make it. They said he hopes to be out of the hospital Thursday or Friday. He was happy to see them. They are going to the beach for a couple of days and he told them, ‘I wish you could take me with you.’ I think he is getting cabin fever and climbing the walls just a bit.”
Woods said his sons had told him often that Lowery “is just a great kid” that everyone likes.
Kentucky guard Archie Goodwin (10) tries to steal the ball from Duke guard Seth Curry (30)during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
By LARRY VAUGHT
The more the speculation continues, the more it seems that former Wildcat Archie Goodwin could indeed land in the first round of the NBA draft.
Now DraftExpress.com projects the Boston Celtics willl select Goodwin with the 16th pick in the first round.
Here’s what Jay King of MassLive.com wrote about Goodwin:
“Despite an uneven year during which he averaged 14.1 points per game on 44 percent shooting (including 26 percent from beyond the 3-point arc), Goodwin possesses enough athleticism to make scouts drool. With a 6-10 wingspan that puts him in an elite class of length for guards, Goodwin is viewed as a project of sorts; still, his defensive potential should endear him to (Boston GM Danny) Ainge, whose Celtics can always use an infusion of perimeter stoppers.
“NBADraft.net, which lists Terrence Williams and Tyreke Evans as Goodwin’s two NBA comparisons, does not predict the guard will be selected in the first round. But it’s entirely possible some team will fall in love with Goodwin’s potential. While Ainge has at times shaded toward players who produced effectively in college (think Glen Davis and Jared Sullinger), he’s also not against taking a less-developed talent with upside (think Avery Bradley or Fab Melo).”
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Kentucky signee JoJo Kemp did “my research” on the Texas Tech offense under Neal Brown and liked what he saw. He played for three different head coaches in high school and had to learn a variety of offenses.
“The good thing is I did learn a lot by having three different coaches,” Kemp , a power lifter who went to the state meet two straight years, said. “But I think with me being a complete back, I am made for an offense like the one coach Brown uses. I am still learning and want to improve and get better. I know there are things I can learn to make me even better. I feel like Kentucky is on the rise and making a new start. We can only go up.
“I am going in believing we can win. That’s the attitude I will stay with the whole year. I will keep all the negative thoughts out. I will always keep thinking positive.”
That was made easier after 50,000 or more fans came to UK’s spring game. The Florida running back read about that and watched on TV.
“I felt like I was at the game,” Kemp said. “I loved that. Honestly, it just gave me the chills.
“This month has gone by so slow. I have been working out. I am just so ready and excited to be up there and start being around my teammates and pushing each other to get better. I know I am going to be in the right environment to grow as a person on and off the field. I am super excited and can’t wait to get there in early June.”
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