Kentucky and coach Mark Stoops seek rebound from 2022 falloff
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Mark Stoops is intent on getting Kentucky back on track after falling short of last year’s lofty expectations.
The Wildcats (7-6, 3-5 Southeastern Conference in 2022) aspired to be East Division runners-up behind heavyweight Georgia after winning 10 games in 2021. They started 4-0 and achieved a program-best No. 7 AP Top 25 ranking in September before cratering in many phases. Kentucky finished below .500 in league play for the second time in three years before Iowa halted its postseason winning streak at four in a 21-0 Music City Bowl loss.
The Wildcats are projected to finish mid-pack but Stoops isn’t paying attention. With seven offensive starters returning among 14 overall and a familiar face back to guide the offense, the 11th-year coach feels goods about regrouping from last season’s falloff.
“Some of the weaknesses that we had a year ago are being addressed,” Stoops said. “They were addressed in the offseason by personnel. They’re being addressed by scheme, making sure we’re doing our part as coaches to put players in a position to be successful.”
Kentucky’s winningest coach also hopes a busy offseason in the transfer portal addresses other concerns. He landed 6,000-yard passer Devin Leary (North Carolina State) and 1,000-yard rusher Ray Davis (Vanderbilt) among 15 newcomers, half coming from fellow Power Five schools.
Statistically, that duo could offset the respective departures of quarterback Will Levis and running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. to the NFL. Stoops believes the potential is there, especially with Liam Coen back as offensive coordinator.
Coen, whose pro-style system keyed that 10-win season, returned to Lexington after a one-year reunion with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams in a similar role. He replaces Rich Scangerello, whose offense was the SEC’s worst (324.7 yards per game) even with Levis and Rodriguez.
Coen re-familiarized himself with the program this spring, and he’s now figuring out what combinations could work. After sputtering last fall, offensive lineman Eli Cox anticipates improvement this season.
